Who has been on the New/England cruise lately? I need info.

[Fab5]

Who has recently been on the NewEngland/CA cruise. I will be going on the Grand Sept 26 and want to know everyone's input on what is good/bad etc. I was thinking of doing my own excursions but was concerned about the ports we tender in, Newport and bar Harbor, should I take the cruise ship excurisions those days, or on my own still ok.

Any comments would be great, from the ship, drimks aboard, shows, and ports.

Thanks,

Barb
[email]BBadorrek@Cox.net[/email]

[Nitemare]

The New England Ports of Call board has some good info. No one has taken this cruise recently, as it's generally only offered late summer and Fall.

[Fab5]

I know some of you have returned from this cruise that is offered in May/June and July. I would really love to read your reviews. If they have been posted I haven't seen them yet. I am going on Sept 26 and would love to have some info to plan accordingly.

Thanks much.

Barb

[mc13murray]

I'm doing the New England Cruise on 9/12 I' m really looking forward to it we will be in Newport the same day as the Queen MAry!

[geoherb]

We went on the Golden Princess in the fall of 2002. These ports are very easy ones to book your own shore excursions--or to just get off the ship and do things. The only excursion we did through the ship was kayaking in Bar Harbor.

In Halifax, we toured the Public Garden, the Citadel, Province House, the Maritime Museum, and Alexander Keith's Brewery. All are walking distance from the dock.

In Saint John, we went to a few antique shops, ate lunch in the market, and took a public bus to see the Reversing Falls. Check beforehand to find out the tides. We hit it perfectly. I wish, though, that I had made a reservation for the jet boat. It looked like a lot of fun.

We joined the Preservation Society of Newport ([url=http://www.newportmansions.org]website here[/url]) a couple of months before our cruise. Back then, it was only a few dollars more than purchasing a couple of tickets to the Guilded Age Experience ($32 each). Now, membership is a lot more. The Guilded Age Experience is a ticket for five of the society's mansions, probably the ones most people want to see: The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer, The Elms, Marble House and Rosecliff. We managed to tour all five of them and to walk along the Cliff Walk. You can buy tickets the day you're there.

In Boston, we did a walking tour on our own to Boston Common, the state capitol, Fannueil Hall, Quincy Market, and the Boston Aquarium.

[joandbun]

Hi geoherb,
I will be doing Canada/New England at end of Sept. We fancied doing the cliff walk tour if the weather was good on the day, so where did you buy your the tickets? Was it from the tourist office near the jetty & is there a bus from there to the start of the walk or....?
thks
jo

[RSteele]

We did this cruise in late Sept. of last year....I booked our own excursions in Bar Harbor and Newport by going to their web site. Did Boston on our own...very easy to do...did shiip excursions in Quebec City and Montreal..so that we could go into the mountains...also did a ship excursion in Halifax and went to Peggy's Cove. We had friends that went on another ship who booked Peggy's Cove through the Halifax web site. I was alittle nervous about doing that...didn't want to miss the ship...we were on the Royal.

[mii]

I know of no princess ship that sails in May, June or July on the Canada/new england route. I know that Holland America does.


Marilyn