Thoughts: FLL to Quebec City Cruise on the Caribbean

[Jeter02]

Looking for insight and thoughts on a repositioning cruise end of July, 13 days FLL to Quebec City. The itinerary is as follows....

 

Fort Lauderdale, Norfolk, New York City, Newport/Rhode Island, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John/New Brunswick, Halifax, Sydney/Nova Scotia, Quebec City

 

Favorite things to do at any of the ports listed above. I'm a native New Yorker, so obviously that's not an issue, and I've been to Norfolk before as well.

 

Would love to hear from those who have done this trip. Is it Worth it? Wish I could the itinerary in the fall to enjoy the cooler temps, but unfortunately that doesn't work on a school teachers schedule.

 

 

[BarbinMich]

We've been to all the ports north of Newport RI, either by car (from Mich.) and/or by cruise ship.  Here's what we've done:

 Boston--first time by car and with our teens, we did the "Freedom Trail" which hits most of the well-known historic sites; 2nd time I used the Hop-on, Hop-off to get to downtown from the port and walked around, having lunch at Quincy Market.  Also enjoyed the aquarium which is within walking distance of the port.   Bar Harbor--a must-do IMHO is to walk across the seabed when the tide is out to Bar Island and up to its top for good views, also have walked around the neighborhoods near downtown, we've driven by the mansions not far down the coast, been up to the top of the mountain in Acadia N.P. (bus from town will take you up there).  Saint John, N.B.-the change in tide is one "attraction" (about 10-15' between high and low), forget Reversing Falls-not much to see IMHO.  Halifax--historic museum near the dock, the Citadel (an uphill slog), beautiful city gardens also on that "level" but further east (straight uphill from dock), Sydney NS (most folks want to go to the Louisbourg Fort, which is a ways out of town), Quebec City--the old town at river level and where your ship will dock.  Enjoy!!

[Vic The Parrot]

For Newport ... 

A tour of the Breakers is pretty interesting, followed by a leisurely stroll on the Cliff Walk. Excellent views from there.

[Jeter02]

1 hour ago, BarbinMich said:

We've been to all the ports north of Newport RI, either by car (from Mich.) and/or by cruise ship.  Here's what we've done:

 Boston--first time by car and with our teens, we did the "Freedom Trail" which hits most of the well-known historic sites; 2nd time I used the Hop-on, Hop-off to get to downtown from the port and walked around, having lunch at Quincy Market.  Also enjoyed the aquarium which is within walking distance of the port.   Bar Harbor--a must-do IMHO is to walk across the seabed when the tide is out to Bar Island and up to its top for good views, also have walked around the neighborhoods near downtown, we've driven by the mansions not far down the coast, been up to the top of the mountain in Acadia N.P. (bus from town will take you up there).  Saint John, N.B.-the change in tide is one "attraction" (about 10-15' between high and low), forget Reversing Falls-not much to see IMHO.  Halifax--historic museum near the dock, the Citadel (an uphill slog), beautiful city gardens also on that "level" but further east (straight uphill from dock), Sydney NS (most folks want to go to the Louisbourg Fort, which is a ways out of town), Quebec City--the old town at river level and where your ship will dock.  Enjoy!!

Thank you!!! This was very helpful 😊

[skynight]

All great ports. Been to them all by sea and by car. If it is you first time in Quebec City, spend a few extra days beyond the one and the overnight on the schedule. You may also wish to extend your trip with a train ride to Montreal, again if you havn't already been there, and fly home from there.

[Bobbert]

Thank you for this thread. We're booked on this but have only been to Boston before.

[Jeter02]

1 minute ago, Bobbert said:

Thank you for this thread. We're booked on this but have only been to Boston before.

Hoping to get more bites. I know @CruiseVA did this cruise last year, as I followed along for most of it back in July. Maybe they can share their insights 😊

[Bobbert]

Here's the nascent roll call for our cruise - 

 

[CruiseVA]

We did this cruise last summer, weather was pretty much perfect, a little rain here & there. It ranks as one of the best cruises we've ever taken, right behind our Med cruise the Fall before. I highly recommend it, add a night or 2 in Quebec City at the end, wonderful city, it's like being in Europe. I highly recommend it.  Just beware, it's hurricane season...

Check out our collaborative Live From, we had a very active Roll Call and carried it over to that thread...

Edited January 11, 2020 by CruiseVA

[Jeter02]

21 minutes ago, CruiseVA said:

We did this cruise last summer, weather was pretty much perfect, a little rain here & there. It ranks as one of the best cruises we've ever taken, right behind our Med cruise the Fall before. I highly recommend it, add a night or 2 in Quebec City at the end, wonderful city, it's like being in Europe. I highly recommend it.  Just beware, it's hurricane season...

Check out our collaborative Live From, we had a very active Roll Call and carried it over to that thread...

Thanks! I appreciate your positive thoughts on the trip. One of the main reasons I want to do this trip is because of Quebec City. I'm not too concerned with the hurricane season as I've been livibg in South Florida for 25 plus years. 

[rdsqrl]

I did this itinerary last summer and loved it -- it's a great cruise (although I'm sorry you won't get Charleston; Norfolk is nice but no comparison!).  

Boston:  Definitely walk the Freedom Trail.  

Newport:    I recommend the "Under the Breakers" tour which looks at the technology that kept this mansion going, with details and stories shared from the journal of the house's engineer.  It was utterly fascinating.  I did this a few months ago when I was in Newport for a conference, not on the cruise.  On the cruise, I went to Rosehill, which is another gorgeous mansion . . . and may be less crowded than the Breakers.  Very easy to take the bus out of downtown to the mansions and back.  

Bar Harbor:  eat blueberry pie.  Seriously.  I don't even like pie and it was possibly the best dessert I've ever put in my mouth. 

Sydney:  Louisbourg is absolutely the highlight of the cruise.  But then I'm a military historian, so . . .

Quebec:  Absolutely worth a post-cruise stay.  Beware:  it is hilly -- it makes San Francisco look like a prairie.  My calves still ache.  But oh so beautiful, and the food is divine. 

[Jeter02]

4 minutes ago, rdsqrl said:

I did this itinerary last summer and loved it -- it's a great cruise (although I'm sorry you won't get Charleston; Norfolk is nice but no comparison!).  

Boston:  Definitely walk the Freedom Trail.  

Newport:    I recommend the "Under the Breakers" tour which looks at the technology that kept this mansion going, with details and stories shared from the journal of the house's engineer.  It was utterly fascinating.  I did this a few months ago when I was in Newport for a conference, not on the cruise.  On the cruise, I went to Rosehill, which is another gorgeous mansion . . . and may be less crowded than the Breakers.  Very easy to take the bus out of downtown to the mansions and back.  

Bar Harbor:  eat blueberry pie.  Seriously.  I don't even like pie and it was possibly the best dessert I've ever put in my mouth. 

Sydney:  Louisbourg is absolutely the highlight of the cruise.  But then I'm a military historian, so . . .

Quebec:  Absolutely worth a post-cruise stay.  Beware:  it is hilly -- it makes San Francisco look like a prairie.  My calves still ache.  But oh so beautiful, and the food is divine. 

Love this review. Thanks!!! will definitely look into these recommendations.

 

Lucky for me I've been to Charleston and Norfolk several times, had a brother in the Navy who was stationed in both locations. 

 

Good to know about Quebec and how it's hilly. Me and San Francisco don't get along because of the hills and my motion sickness when it comes to cars.

[rdsqrl]

7 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

Love this review. Thanks!!! will definitely look into these recommendations.

 

Lucky for me I've been to Charleston and Norfolk several times, had a brother in the Navy who was stationed in both locations. 

 

Good to know about Quebec and how it's hilly. Me and San Francisco don't get along because of the hills and my motion sickness when it comes to cars.

There are far steeper hills in Quebec, like Lombard Street steep.  It was a very unwelcome surprise!  Depending on where you're staying, budget a few extra dollars for taxi fares for distances you might otherwise walk if you were in, say, Manhattan. 

[Jeter02]

1 minute ago, rdsqrl said:

There are far steeper hills in Quebec, like Lombard Street steep.  It was a very unwelcome surprise!  Depending on where you're staying, budget a few extra dollars for taxi fares for distances you might otherwise walk if you were in, say, Manhattan. 

Thanks for the heads up / tip!

[skynight]

The old section of Quebec City is separated into an upper and lower city. Each section is basically flat or a little hilly, but the connections between them is steep. There is a funicular that runs between the two and the cost is reasonable. However, it is very crowded and may have long waits. We had no difficulty walking from the upper city to the lower. Our hotel was in the upper. There is a round about way back up that was not too demanding.

[CineGraphic]

We did this 13 day sailing last July, and it was our favorite so far.

We enjoyed it so much, that we booked the 14 day sailing from Quebec to Fort Lauderdale in 2021.

The crew had just finished up months of 1 week Caribbean sailings, so they were all enjoying a change of scenery and routine.

Here's my review of the cruise: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=663102

 

 

[Jeter02]

2 hours ago, skynight said:

The old section of Quebec City is separated into an upper and lower city. Each section is basically flat or a little hilly, but the connections between them is steep. There is a funicular that runs between the two and the cost is reasonable. However, it is very crowded and may have long waits. We had no difficulty walking from the upper city to the lower. Our hotel was in the upper. There is a round about way back up that was not too demanding.

Oh Great!!!! This make me happy to know. Thanks for sharing. I'm definitely good with walking 

[Jeter02]

40 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

We did this 13 day sailing last July, and it was our favorite so far.

We enjoyed it so much, that we booked the 14 day sailing from Quebec to Fort Lauderdale in 2021.

The crew had just finished up months of 1 week Caribbean sailings, so they were all enjoying a change of scenery and routine.

Here's my review of the cruise: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=663102

 

 

Thanks for the review link. I've sailed the CB a a few times. I was actually on the CB 2 sailings prior to your repositioning cruise. 

 

Quick question, how was the weather for the most part in most of the ports?

[CineGraphic]

1 minute ago, Jeter02 said:

Thanks for the review link. I've sailed the CB a a few times. I was actually on the CB 2 sailings prior to your repositioning cruise. 

 

Quick question, how was the weather for the most part in most of the ports?

It was hot in Florida, and I expected things to cool down as we headed north, but it warmer than I expected.

New York and Boston, were a shivtzy mess, as usual in August.

Once we hit Halifax and Sydney, I was comfortable. The only rain we had was in Quebec, and that was off & on.

Once we reached Quebec, we took the train to Montreal, which was lovely.

[Jeter02]

1 minute ago, CineGraphic said:

It was hot in Florida, and I expected things to cool down as we headed north, but it warmer than I expected.

New York and Boston, were a shivtzy mess, as usual in August.

Once we hit Halifax and Sydney, I was comfortable. The only rain we had was in Quebec, and that was off & on.

Once we reached Quebec, we took the train to Montreal, which was lovely.

I've been living in FLL for 25+ years so I'm use to our lovely heat waves (which is why I spend most of summer on s ship in Alaska). I'm originally from NY and know that it can be hotter up there and within in Boston than it is in FL. Yes cooler temps would be ideal further north. Trust me I'd love to this route in the fall, but it doesn't work for a school teachers schedule. So I'll take what I can get. I'm super excited for the northern stops. Would you say Montreal is a must? 

[CineGraphic]

Just now, Jeter02 said:

I've been living in FLL for 25+ years so I'm use to our lovely heat waves (which is why I spend most of summer on s ship in Alaska). I'm originally from NY and know that it can be hotter up there and within in Boston than it is in FL. Yes cooler temps would be ideal further north. Trust me I'd love to this route in the fall, but it doesn't work for a school teachers schedule. So I'll take what I can get. I'm super excited for the northern stops. Would you say Montreal is a must? 

Montreal was a must for us, because I could not be so close and not enjoy Smoked Meat at Schwartz's or Montreal Bagels.

It was a wonderful way to end our vacation, and there seem to be more flight choices out of Montreal.

Our business class train tickets to Montreal, with a lovely hot meal were around $70 each, when we bought them way in advance. https://www.viarail.ca/en

[Jeter02]

2 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

Montreal was a must for us, because I could not be so close and not enjoy Smoked Meat at Schwartz's or Montreal Bagels.

It was a wonderful way to end our vacation, and there seem to be more flight choices out of Montreal.

Our business class train tickets to Montreal, with a lovely hot meal were around $70 each, when we bought them way in advance. https://www.viarail.ca/en

Awesome!!!! Thanks for the tip and suggestions. I appreciate it 

[CineGraphic]

Just now, Jeter02 said:

Awesome!!!! Thanks for the tip and suggestions. I appreciate it 

 

Not a problem at all.....I'm happy to help.

All of the ports are very walkable. We walked at least 5-6 miles a day in most ports.

[CruiseVA]

Uber is available in Quebec City as well, we took it from the port to our hotel for a reasonable price. I thin we got the only Uber driver that did not know where to pick us up, I had to give him directions!  Luckily we overnighted there so I know what to tell him.

We also took the train to Montreal, which was great. 

[Jeter02]

7 minutes ago, CruiseVA said:

Uber is available in Quebec City as well, we took it from the port to our hotel for a reasonable price. I thin we got the only Uber driver that did not know where to pick us up, I had to give him directions!  Luckily we overnighted there so I know what to tell him.

We also took the train to Montreal, which was great. 

Out if curiosity, which hotel in Quebec City did you stay at? Was it reasonable cost wise?