Corner Brook, Sydney, Halifax - Have Excursion Questions!

[Texas Duck]

Taking a cruise next Summer and would appreciate your help. First of all, my wife and I love historical/quaint homes and villages. We equally love nature’s wonderlands. As all cruise ships do, Regent offers a choice of excursions. We have never been to this part of the world. Appreciate your help in making our selection.

Corner Brook
1. Highlights – drive and stop for views
2. Cox’s Cove – fish processing, folkloric demonstrations, photo stops

Sydney
1. Fortress Louisbourg
2. Bell Museum
3. City walking tour
4. Bras d’Or Lake grand tour
5. Highland Village highlights

Halifax
1. Peggy’s Cove Tour
2. Historic walk tour including brewery
3. City tour
4. Historic Halifax and Titanic

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and opinions.

 

[BklynBoy8]

8 hours ago, Texas Duck said:

Taking a cruise next Summer and would appreciate your help. First of all, my wife and I love historical/quaint homes and villages. We equally love nature’s wonderlands. As all cruise ships do, Regent offers a choice of excursions. We have never been to this part of the world. Appreciate your help in making our selection.

Corner Brook
1. Highlights – drive and stop for views
2. Cox’s Cove – fish processing, folkloric demonstrations, photo stops

Sydney
1. Fortress Louisbourg
2. Bell Museum
3. City walking tour
4. Bras d’Or Lake grand tour
5. Highland Village highlights

Halifax
1. Peggy’s Cove Tour
2. Historic walk tour including brewery
3. City tour
4. Historic Halifax and Titanic

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and opinions.

 

 

Corner brook...

Highlight 

 

Syndey..

Bell Museum 

 

Halifax...

Historical Halifax and Titanic if also includes Titanic Cemetery and Public Garden.

 

If time, don't forget to enjoy a fresh seafood meal. We like Salty's along boardwalk 

 

 

[Travel Bear]

We rented a car and drove to Peggy's cove. It was a great day. It has amazing views.

[1kaper]

On 11/26/2022 at 4:26 PM, Texas Duck said:

Sydney
1. Fortress Louisbourg
2. Bell Museum
3. City walking tour
4. Bras d’Or Lake grand tour
5. Highland Village highlights

 

 

That's a tough one.  I would eliminate 3.  It's not that great.  The best part of Cape Breton is outside of Sydney.  
The Fortress is really great.  But.  With the other tours you get to see at least part of the beauty of the Cabot Trail.  I haven't done the Highland Village but I think it would be something you'd like.  
I googled the Bras d'or Grand tour and it looks like you do both the Bell Museum and Highland Village.  Plus you would see some beautiful scenery (Louisbourg is nice too but there is just more to see on the way to the other places).   If that is the correct tour, I think it would hit most of your interests.  

[shorefolks]

I would agree with BklynBoy8's choices. In Corner Brook, the Highlights will give a good overall view of what you like. In Sydney, it's a tough call between the Bell Museum and Fortress Louisbourg. We loved both when we took a driving tour of Nova Scotia. Both are historic, of course. The Bell Museum is fascinating and the area provides real context for Bell's work. The Fortress, with its docents and setting really puts you into the scene of what those colonists' life was like. Halifax is a nice little city with a lot of history. The park is very nice. Don't specifically take a tour to Peggy's Cove. Look at the pictures and  enjoy the scenery and quaintness. Spare yourself the disappointment of seeing the rocks covered with tour groups and of smelling the overflow from the septic system. (By now, the septic may have been fixed, but you can't fix overcrowding.)

[serene56]

On 11/30/2022 at 10:21 AM, shorefolks said:

. Don't specifically take a tour to Peggy's Cove. Look at the pictures and  enjoy the scenery and quaintness. Spare yourself the disappointment of seeing the rocks covered with tour groups and of smelling the overflow from the septic system. (By now, the septic may have been fixed, but you can't fix overcrowding.)

where was this advice when I went.   I was so disappointed.  I spent more time on a bus getting there and back then we did seeing rocks covered by people 

 

[CTSandy]

When we did Halifax a couple of years ago, we rented a car - had plenty of time to visit Peggy’s Cove and take some pictures of rocks and lighthouse, then went to cemetery and visited the Titanic graves.  Finished up with a quick tour of the gardens near the cemetery.  It was much cheaper than booking excursions and we were able to explore at our leisure.  I would like to visit the immigration museum when I go back to Halifax in September.

[roomba920]

We're renting a car in Sydney and driving the Cabot Trail.

[lissie]

On 1/4/2023 at 5:44 PM, roomba920 said:

We're renting a car in Sydney and driving the Cabot Trail.

Can I ask which agency you are using? We are also visiting Sydney in August and I'm thinking I'd like a car and to be able to easily combine Louisville and the Graham Bell museum. 

[roomba920]

17 hours ago, lissie said:

Can I ask which agency you are using? We are also visiting Sydney in August and I'm thinking I'd like a car and to be able to easily combine Louisville and the Graham Bell museum. 

Avis-Budget

[lissie]

3 hours ago, roomba920 said:

Avis-Budget

Yes they are quoting me over C$200 for the day maybe cheaper to do a tour! 

[1kaper]

On 1/8/2023 at 9:50 PM, lissie said:

Can I ask which agency you are using? We are also visiting Sydney in August and I'm thinking I'd like a car and to be able to easily combine Louisville and the Graham Bell museum. 

 

How long do you have in port?

Louisbourg is about 25 minutes away from the cruise port.  Then you'd have to come another 20 minutes back to get on the highway to get to Baddeck and it's roughly 1 hour to get to Baddeck from there. 

Edited January 12, 2023 by 1kaper

[lissie]

On 1/13/2023 at 3:13 AM, 1kaper said:

 

How long do you have in port?

Louisbourg is about 25 minutes away from the cruise port.  Then you'd have to come another 20 minutes back to get on the highway to get to Baddeck and it's roughly 1 hour to get to Baddeck from there. 

8am-5pm so I thought we would have enough time as its not a tender port. 

[coloradocruiselover88]

Is the town of Sydney walkable distance from the cruise terminal? Thanks

[1kaper]

On 1/20/2023 at 11:35 AM, coloradocruiselover88 said:

Is the town of Sydney walkable distance from the cruise terminal? Thanks

Yes, very much so.  But there isn't a whole lot there.  The main street is just a couple blocks away.  There are some stores and restaurants but there won't be a mall. 
I do think the shops at the port sell some very nice and unique things.  

[coloradocruiselover88]

On 1/23/2023 at 9:35 AM, 1kaper said:

Yes, very much so.  But there isn't a whole lot there.  The main street is just a couple blocks away.  There are some stores and restaurants but there won't be a mall. 
I do think the shops at the port sell some very nice and unique things.  

Thank you!

[roomba920]

On 1/9/2023 at 6:08 PM, lissie said:

Yes they are quoting me over C$200 for the day maybe cheaper to do a tour! 

We're going in May and I reserved for half that price. Sorry, I can only guess the prices are higher in the summer season.

[jdavid]

On 1/8/2023 at 9:50 PM, lissie said:

Can I ask which agency you are using? We are also visiting Sydney in August and I'm thinking I'd like a car and to be able to easily combine Louisville and the Graham Bell museum. 

It may be challenging to do both Louisbourg and Baddeck on same day.  They are in different direction. Louisbourg is an hour drive from port. A good visit is then two hours and then an hour back to Sydney.  It would then be an hour to Baddeck. Baddeck is not the Cabot Trail. You would have to turn off before you reach baddeck and go toward Ingonish for part of the trail.

So you may want to choose one or the other. 

A partial trail to Ingonish, then back to Baddeck and sydney is a 9-4pm day with a bit of time to enjoy scenery and have lunch.

I am from Halifax and pleased to answer any questions.

 

[jdavid]

On 1/23/2023 at 12:35 PM, 1kaper said:

Yes, very much so.  But there isn't a whole lot there.  The main street is just a couple blocks away.  There are some stores and restaurants but there won't be a mall. 
I do think the shops at the port sell some very nice and unique things.  

You pretty well dock downtown in Sydney. Not a whole lot to do so a trip to either Baddeck or Ingonish or Louisbourg is worth it. If it isn't a great weather day, as nice as the Fort at Louisbourg is, it can be dismal on a foggy cold day.

[jdavid]

On 1/16/2023 at 8:00 AM, lissie said:

8am-5pm so I thought we would have enough time as its not a tender port. 

I would give an hour to get to Louisbourg from the port and that is if you have no issue with a car rental. You really don't want to do two directions on the same day. If you had car issues, you are in rural NS. I am from here and quite familiar with the region.  I guide privately in Halifax and experience tourist expectations first hand. Better to do one tour well than too much quickly

[lissie]

On 1/31/2023 at 5:58 PM, roomba920 said:

We're going in May and I reserved for half that price. Sorry, I can only guess the prices are higher in the summer season.

You may want to double check again- I ended up paying C$60  for the day! 

[joyandjerry]

On 2/3/2023 at 2:51 PM, jdavid said:

I would give an hour to get to Louisbourg from the port and that is if you have no issue with a car rental. You really don't want to do two directions on the same day. If you had car issues, you are in rural NS. I am from here and quite familiar with the region.  I guide privately in Halifax and experience tourist expectations first hand. Better to do one tour well than too much quickly

We are going there on the Greenland CCL Journeys in August. Jerry and I just prefer to do one thing well. Would love to see the fortress of the Bell museum. Ships tours are overcrowded and a lot of waiting. Shoreexcursioneer and Shoreexcursionsgroup had nothing. Any recommendations? We do not want to rent a car.

Edited April 25, 2023 by joyandjerry

[jdavid]

The Fortress and the Bell Museum are in two different directions so you should pick one or the other. I can check with a friend who lives in the area to see if they will give you a privately guided tour. Email me at jimdavid224 at gmail dot com

[d9704011]

10 minutes ago, joyandjerry said:

We are going there on the Greenland CCL Journeys in August. Jerry and I just prefer to do one thing well. Would love to see the fortress of the Bell museum. Ships tours are overcrowded and a lot of waiting. Shoreexcursioneer and Shoreexcursionsgroup had nothing. Any recommendations? We do not want to rent a car.

Have a look at this site:

https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/blackwoodtour/items/99562/?flow=80144&full-items=yes

[joyandjerry]

Thanks for the info - I realize they are in opposite directions.