QE2 Autumn Colours - 23 September 2007

[Fifer]

We've booked this trip in part because we go there-and-back (lots of sea days:) ) and in part because of the itinerary - Quebec, Halifax, Bar Harbour, Boston, Newport, New York and St John's. Also it is the closest we can get to the 40th Anniversary trip - hopefully a little of the magic will rub off on us as we board.

 

Most of these ports are new to us and so I am hoping that this amazing community can share their experiences and suggest what is not to be missed in them.

 

My wife has already told me what is not to be missed in New York - Bloomingdales, Macy's, Tiffany, etc, etc. However, all other suggestions will be welcome and will give us lots to think about and plan for over the months ahead.

 

Gavin

[Kindlychap]

Newport - go and see The Breakers. Then, as a comparison, look at the Astor house. Any of these "cottages" (for which read mansions) is worth seeing. You don't need a tour - the tram (well, bus in drag) leaves from the tender dock and takes you more of less to the door.

 

Otherwise Newport is nice, and we had a lovely lunch there.

 

New York - well, in my view a chance to enjoy the ship almost empty..... Still, Tiffany & Co is really somewhere that wives need to be taken...;)

 

Halifax - the Atlantic Museum is good - but the Cunard trip gives you about a quarter of the time you need. Go and see the Fairlawn cemetry where the Titanic dead (or a very small fraction of them) are buried. My own view is that you want to do that alone. I got really very upset and cross by the way these graves were taken to be mere tourist sites, with people trampling all over them. I walked away from our group and refused to take part until we were back on the coach.

 

Boston - Beacon Hills. Lovely. Boston is a super city.

 

And Quebec is gorgeous. Do you have one day or two?

 

Matthew

[travel-to-go]

Having spent the day in Halifax last September on the Labor Day cruise, we spent the time at the Maritime Musem. You can take the FRED (free bus provided by the shopping district) over from the ship. The motto of the musem is that whether you have a few minutes or hours, there is something there for you. I learned a lot about Cunard, the Titanic (many of the dead are buried in three cemetaries in Halifax, and it was Halifax mariners who went out to try to rescue people) a devastating explosion which happened in Halifax (when a ship broke loose and rammed a munitions ship), shipwrecks and salvage operations, model building, historical bits and pieces from various ships, even pieces, including menus and dioramas from the Titanic. There's even a marvelous macaw at the beginning of the museum. (hint, if you speak "bird" you will get his curious attention!) The view from the Citadel is fabulous, and one of the FRED drivers was quoted in a book about the hurricane of a few years ago and has some fabulous stories.

 

Newport, of course has tours of the "summer cottages" which, of course are mensions of the Vanderbilts, the Astors and more. Just like past Cunarders, hot and cold running fresh and salt water.

 

Boston? I have heard the interactive museum is one of the best places to go. The aquarium also has reknown. Of course you can go to Cheers bar, take the "bar crawling tour" or go to Fanueil Hall. I personally loved eating at Durgin park, but doubt that you will have time to do that.

 

Penny can give you more on Bar Harbor, or read the reviews of last year's trip. I think we have some Quebecois here that can give you information on Quebec. There are some marvelous embattlements and the old city wall, including some excavations in recent years.

 

I suspect you will have a marvelous time and too much too pick from.

 

Karie,

Sneaking a look from work

[rjms74]

Gavin,

 

You are in for a great trip - I did the same trip last year and it was my best cruise to date on QE2 being my 7th!! I agree with kindlychap re a must see is the Breakers but also I would recommend Marble House another one of the great 'must see' mansions.

 

I met friends on my day there who I'd met a few years ago on QE2 and they live in Newport RI so I had a great day and was well looked after! I too had a very good lunch there, very friendly people and & weather was nice too - it was about 80 degrees the day I was there!

 

New York - having been there manytimes it is always a favourite city of mine - we were lucky being delayed in our departure by 3 hours thus leaving & seeing the Manhattan skylight lit up a night - it was one of the highlights of my cruise and even more impressive than our arrival into the city - we were of course lucky to dock at the Manhattan pier instead of the new Brooklyn terminal. My next crossing on QE2 is next April and I am pretty certain that we will unfortunately depart from Brooklyn!!!

 

On this past 2006 cruise 2 days on the crossing were pretty rough and many people falling down but as long as you held onto something you were ok and I just sat in one of the bars and or enjoyed the view albeit on a slant from one of the jacuzzis!!!! We also had a few rough days on the return trip despite Captain David Perkins advising us we were in for a smooth return journey!!! This is from a Captain (the first one I've experienced on any Cunard cruise) who got the nautical miles travelled very wrong on the first noon day address i.e. only 300 nautical miles or something like that left to New York City!!!! & this from the Captain of the QE2 no less!!! I much prefer Captains McNaught or Nick Bates!!!!

 

Boston - yes this was my first visit there and it is a great city - I esp. enjoyed the Boston Common and Quincy's Market.

 

Bar Harbor - another place very much picture postcard and the Bar Harbor Inn from memory I think this was the name right near the waterfront does a great lobster roll followed by blueberry pie!!!! It is very much a 'Murder She Wrote' type place and you almost expect Jessica Fletcher to appear from around a corner! It sounds very corny but it's very true - great scenery though and friends of mine went to the Arcadia park - I wish I had joined them but I did enjoy my walk on the coastal path and there were great views of the QE2 as this was a tender service port.

 

Quebec - what a lovely city and you could have been in France with lovely squares & some great restaurants. The Chateau Frontenac is a great Hotel and whilst not cheap has a great bar and if you stay overnight like I did it's great for a walk after dinner on board and you get some lovely views of QE2 & photo opportunities from just in front of the Hotel overlooking the ship far below - such an impressive sight!

 

Halifax was an interesting port and they had some great old fashioned pubs / ale houses. The Citadel was well worth the visit and very interesting as was the Maritime Museum (I may have the name wrong here) esp. the Titanic exhibition and Cunard section.

 

Sydney - was to be quite honest very run down and a waste of time. but interestingly I don't think you go there this year do you as your trip is 19 nights & mine was 20 nights.

 

Newfoundland - sadly due to the tender service fiasco and delays - I got a ticket in Grand lounge at 10.30 am and by nearly midday decided to stay by pool & then have a few quiet drinks with friends of mine who also gave up re the tender service - there were even 'fights' in the Grand Lounge and verbal abuse given to the poor members of staff of the Entertainment staff who was issuing tender launch tickets!!!! & then another great lunch in the Queens Grill & then back out in the jacuzzi! What a life!

 

Roll on my next cruise in October to the Canary Islands this time but back to US early next year! It's a great and very relaxing life on QE2 - have a great cruise!

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[Fifer]

Thanks guys, very good of you to comment.

 

Matthew: We arrive in Quebec at noon on one day and leave the following evening. Time enough for one (short) organised tour for orientation and then some personal exploration I would have thought. We will look forward to being amazed by the 'rustic cottages' of Newport

 

Karie: Halifax is one of the places where I definitely want to spend time understanding it's maritime history and Samuel Cunard's place in it, so the Maritime Museum is a must. It also sounds as though the Citadel should be on our list too.

 

rjms74: Thanks for the insights. We too would prefer Capt. McNaught and hope that he will still be on board after the 40th Anniversary trip. You are correct, we don't go to Sydney but St John's will clearly be a gamble as far as the tenders are concerned. Enjoy the Canaries when it comes around. We were there on the 2006 QE2 Christmas cruise and had a great time - despite the sad loss of a passenger on New Year's Eve.

 

All your comments will go into our mix of planning and speculating over the months ahead.

 

Thanks again,

 

Gavin

[Anteeta]

Thanks guys, very good of you to comment.

 

Matthew: We arrive in Quebec at noon on one day and leave the following evening. Time enough for one (short) organised tour for orientation and then some personal exploration I would have thought. We will look forward to being amazed by the 'rustic cottages' of Newport

 

Karie: Halifax is one of the places where I definitely want to spend time understanding it's maritime history and Samuel Cunard's place in it, so the Maritime Museum is a must. It also sounds as though the Citadel should be on our list too.

 

rjms74: Thanks for the insights. We too would prefer Capt. McNaught and hope that he will still be on board after the 40th Anniversary trip. You are correct, we don't go to Sydney but St John's will clearly be a gamble as far as the tenders are concerned. Enjoy the Canaries when it comes around. We were there on the 2006 QE2 Christmas cruise and had a great time - despite the sad loss of a passenger on New Year's Eve.

 

All your comments will go into our mix of planning and speculating over the months ahead.

 

Thanks again,

 

Gavin

 

Fifer,

 

I hope you have a wonderful trip. It's one we would like to do (and who knows?). There's a forum member whose name escapes me who has posted a wonderful account of the autum colours trip in 2005. You'll have to scroll back some months to find it. They were on the 2006 Nov/Dec Caribbean trip as well. If you can't find the link, let me know. I have it in my favourites, but I'm not sure how to copy that here, so I might need some help.

 

Newport is very relaxing. It's the home of St Mary's church where JFK married. It was very picturesque with pink blossom in the April we saw it. Local transport is good for the sights. Bit of planning and no need to use ships tours.