Sydney, Nova Scotia

[Kimjergen]

Make sure you have your camera and go to Citadel Hill in Halifax

 

Yes I have read in several different posts that the Citadel is definitely a must see there. How far is it from the port?

Thanks!

[woodworker&knitter]

Yes I have read in several different posts that the Citadel is definitely a must see there. How far is it from the port?

Thanks!

I used to live there, so if you like send me an e-mail and I will tell you about some other stuff

 

piper1@rogers.com

[rickb]

Yes I have read in several different posts that the Citadel is definitely a must see there. How far is it from the port?

Thanks!

 

It's about a mile from the port but the second half is all uphill.

[woodworker&knitter]

Yes I have read in several different posts that the Citadel is definitely a must see there. How far is it from the port?

Thanks!

It is pretty well all up hill, and quite a steep one. But if you have no problem walking its duable.

[LindaKE]

Has any one done the Highland Villagee Tour? The excursion description touts the beautiful scenery. We're booked on that, but it's not too late to change.

[woodworker&knitter]

Has any one done the Highland Villagee Tour? The excursion description touts the beautiful scenery. We're booked on that, but it's not too late to change.

If you use Google, you can actually see the video of what goes on and the music.Personally I would go to Louisburg

[LindaKE]

I called the tour by the wrong name. It is properly called The Heart of the Island. We chose it because the description said it is a very scenic tour. I am mobility impaired, so we have to choose tours with mild activity rating. Highland Village is part of the tour, but you can choose to sit that part of the tour out. Now I'll rephrase my question: If we are looking for beautiful scenery, will we be disappointed with the Heart of the Island tour?

[Kimjergen]

Hi again everybody,

 

We are sailing on the 5/30 Maasdam out of Boston and visiting the ports of Bar Harbour, Halifax, Sydney, Prince Edward Island, Montreal and Quebec and would like to combine the exploration of the town/city as well as going off the beaten path and enjoying the hidden treasures of the area.(we hope to combine walking around with renting a car to go further out from the port to other interesting towns or sights or possibly even doing some sea kayaking for an hour or some other active fun too) Any suggestions appreciated for any of these ports!

 

Anyone out there reading this, what's the coolest or most fun thing you did on shore in Bar Harbour, Halifax, Sydney, Prince Edward Island, Montreal or Quebec? (we are mid 40's with 11 and 13 year old son traveling but we all love history, museums, nature, and adventure)

 

Truthfully two of the important and enjoyable parts of cruise travel to me are the anticipation, research and planning part as well as looking back at past adventures and sharing tips and experiences with fellow travelers.

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!:D

[RnGram]

Anybody familiar with a festival in Sydney calledCeltic Colours" that is in October?

There is a website. http://www.celtic-colours.com/

My cruise will be there during it and I was wondering about it.

[LindaKE]

RnGram, we're on the same cruise! We're only going one way though.:( We'll be in Sydney on the 13th. None of the venues listed for that day mean anything to me. It does sound like something that might be enjoyable. Hopefully someone will answer who knows about it.

[RnGram]

RnGram, we're on the same cruise! We're only going one way though.:( We'll be in Sydney on the 13th. None of the venues listed for that day mean anything to me. It does sound like something that might be enjoyable. Hopefully someone will answer who knows about it.

 

My name is Linda too! Have you looked at the roll-call for our trip? Pretty quiet there so far. I am so looking forward to going down the St.Lawrence to Quebec. It should feel a little different than the open sea. Bring your binoculars!

[Cruise_More_Often]

Hi, Spirit Ladies! I'll be following you to Sydney on the Jewel.

 

The only tour we've booked so far is the Fortress of Louisbourg. I work with someone who has been to Sydney, and he suggested that one.

[pipedreams62]

Hi again everybody,

 

We are sailing on the 5/30 Maasdam out of Boston and visiting the ports of Bar Harbour, Halifax, Sydney, Prince Edward Island, Montreal and Quebec and would like to combine the exploration of the town/city as well as going off the beaten path and enjoying the hidden treasures of the area.(we hope to combine walking around with renting a car to go further out from the port to other interesting towns or sights or possibly even doing some sea kayaking for an hour or some other active fun too) Any suggestions appreciated for any of these ports!

 

Anyone out there reading this, what's the coolest or most fun thing you did on shore in Bar Harbour, Halifax, Sydney, Prince Edward Island, Montreal or Quebec? (we are mid 40's with 11 and 13 year old son traveling but we all love history, museums, nature, and adventure)

 

Truthfully two of the important and enjoyable parts of cruise travel to me are the anticipation, research and planning part as well as looking back at past adventures and sharing tips and experiences with fellow travelers.

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!:D

 

 

We're going on the June 13th trip on the Maasdam. I usually have al my excursions booked but this trip seems to be a more history trip?

 

I'm renting cars in Bar harbour- Driving the 27 mile park loop,

Car rental in Halifax- Peggs Cove and some other seaside towns

Renting car In Sydney to see fort louisburg and other seaside towns

Renting car in PEI and haven't decided which scenic drive to take (there's three of them.

 

If you go to trip advisor and type in these towns there's a wealth of information and there's also forums on each town.

 

I don't know if I've done the right thing? I hope you report back after your trip.

 

 

Have a great cruise!

[DanJ]

JP2001 & Rick,

 

Thanks for your insight and suggestions. I will research JP2001's suggested possibility of Joggins and consider Ricks insight into showing my kids the tidal bore's effect on Truro's rivers as that might partially satisfy their curiousity and desire to see the Bay of Fundy for now and we could tie in some of Halifax's interesting places with this being Truros only a hour drive.

 

Having driven many times through NS down to Halifax, I really think it would be a waste of your short time in Halifax to go see the rivers at low tide. These are small rivers (nothing like the Mississippi or anything), and you don't really see much from a highway overpass. It's not an overly exciting drive either, unless you like looking at trees and the odd lake. There is so much to see in and around Halifax that to waste 4-5 hours (by the time you rent a car and get out of the city) to maybe see a small river at low tide (so all it really looks like is a muddy smaller river) would be a shame. To experience the Fundy tides, you need to be in New Brunswick.

[senator6]

I have to agree with pipedreams on car rentals, while we have not done that in Bar Harbor we did use rental cars in PEI and Halifax and Sydney.

 

While it was a long drive (two hours) we did go to a place called Hall's Harbour on the Bay of Fundy at low tide and it was spectacular.

[sapper1]

Having driven many times through NS down to Halifax, I really think it would be a waste of your short time in Halifax to go see the rivers at low tide. These are small rivers (nothing like the Mississippi or anything), and you don't really see much from a highway overpass. It's not an overly exciting drive either, unless you like looking at trees and the odd lake. There is so much to see in and around Halifax that to waste 4-5 hours (by the time you rent a car and get out of the city) to maybe see a small river at low tide (so all it really looks like is a muddy smaller river) would be a shame. To experience the Fundy tides, you need to be in New Brunswick.

I live in New Brunswick and often drive down to Halifax and I absolutely agree with your comments.

[Kimjergen]

Thanks for the advice and tips everybody, yes it would clearly be a waste to attempt the bay of fundy from Halifax port. We were just caught up in the excitment of planning and possiblities as we only booked this trip recently.

 

So now, we decided to use a rental car out off Halifax to drive to Peggy's Cove, Mahoney Bay, and Lunenburg as our family adventure for that day in port. We also looked at Ovens Nature Park as an option to add to our do it yourself driving tour but were afraid it would be too much to squeeze in time wise. (any experienced visitors have any input on going to Ovens Nature Park and if it would be doable in our timeframe of say 7- 7.5 hours? - it looks quite spectatular online)

 

Lunenburg is 57miles from Halifax on scenic and curvy roads and I suspect will take more time to reach as a result. I thought we'd try and maybe take a quicker route out of Halifax to Lunenburg first and then use the scenic route to meander back to the port stopping maybe at Blue Rocks, Mahoney Bay, and Peggy's cove before returning the rental car. I know Halifax looks like it has a lot to offer but we really enjoy seeing the smaller, historic, and out of the ways places while on a cruise. We have a scheduled rental car drop off at 8am at the pier and plan to return the car by 4pm as our ship sails at 5pm. (we've rented cars in other places (Madiera, Corfu, Santorini, Bavaria, etc) with even twistier roads and totally loved the drive and had a blast, so we are looking forward to exploring in Nova Scotia.

[sapper1]

Thanks for the advice and tips everybody, yes it would clearly be a waste to attempt the bay of fundy from Halifax port. We were just caught up in the excitment of planning and possiblities as we only booked this trip recently.

 

So now, we decided to use a rental car out off Halifax to drive to Peggy's Cove, Mahoney Bay, and Lunenburg as our family adventure for that day in port. We also looked at Ovens Nature Park as an option to add to our do it yourself driving tour but were afraid it would be too much to squeeze in time wise. (any experienced visitors have any input on going to Ovens Nature Park and if it would be doable in our timeframe of say 7- 7.5 hours? - it looks quite spectatular online)

 

Lunenburg is 57miles from Halifax on scenic and curvy roads and I suspect will take more time to reach as a result. I thought we'd try and maybe take a quicker route out of Halifax to Lunenburg first and then use the scenic route to meander back to the port stopping maybe at Blue Rocks, Mahoney Bay, and Peggy's cove before returning the rental car. I know Halifax looks like it has a lot to offer but we really enjoy seeing the smaller, historic, and out of the ways places while on a cruise. We have a scheduled rental car drop off at 8am at the pier and plan to return the car by 4pm as our ship sails at 5pm. (we've rented cars in other places (Madiera, Corfu, Santorini, Bavaria, etc) with even twistier roads and totally loved the drive and had a blast, so we are looking forward to exploring in Nova Scotia.

Bear in mind when allotting your time that the speed limits are lower on the two lane twisty roads and there is little opportunity to pass slow moving traffic.

[DanJ]

Thanks for the advice and tips everybody, yes it would clearly be a waste to attempt the bay of fundy from Halifax port. We were just caught up in the excitment of planning and possiblities as we only booked this trip recently.

 

So now, we decided to use a rental car out off Halifax to drive to Peggy's Cove, Mahoney Bay, and Lunenburg as our family adventure for that day in port. We also looked at Ovens Nature Park as an option to add to our do it yourself driving tour but were afraid it would be too much to squeeze in time wise. (any experienced visitors have any input on going to Ovens Nature Park and if it would be doable in our timeframe of say 7- 7.5 hours? - it looks quite spectatular online)

 

Lunenburg is 57miles from Halifax on scenic and curvy roads and I suspect will take more time to reach as a result. I thought we'd try and maybe take a quicker route out of Halifax to Lunenburg first and then use the scenic route to meander back to the port stopping maybe at Blue Rocks, Mahoney Bay, and Peggy's cove before returning the rental car. I know Halifax looks like it has a lot to offer but we really enjoy seeing the smaller, historic, and out of the ways places while on a cruise. We have a scheduled rental car drop off at 8am at the pier and plan to return the car by 4pm as our ship sails at 5pm. (we've rented cars in other places (Madiera, Corfu, Santorini, Bavaria, etc) with even twistier roads and totally loved the drive and had a blast, so we are looking forward to exploring in Nova Scotia.

 

I would leave Halifax on the 103 and take the Mahone Bay/ Lunenburg exit, route 3. Then to come back to Peggy's Cove, if you really like windy twisty roads, you can follow route 3 back in the direction you came, turn right at Upper Tantallon and follow the Peggy's Cove signs about 15 miles. A couple miles before you get to Peggys Cove is the Swissair 111 Memorial. When you leave Peggy's Cove, you can go left the way you came (turn right at Upper Tantallon, then onto the 103 again a few miles down) or go right and follow the twisty roads again. Either way takes you back to Halifax near the Bayers Lake shopping complex.

 

Also it's important you verify the ships time compared to local time. Halifax is an hour ahead of eastern, and sometimes the ship's don't change to local time.

[stackpool]

Still, Cape Breton Island, the part of NS where Sydney is located is one of the most idyllic parts of Atlantic Canada and tourism is coming to the area in a big way. Between the Fortress of Louisburg, the Bell Museum in Baddeck, the Cabot Trail and Bras d'Or Lake there is plenty to see - just remember you have to drive out of the city.

 

We're still deciding but it would be nice to hear what those who have been there can recommend as decent tours or activities.

 

David

 

 

You might like to know about a new audio guide, called the Cabot Trail Companion. It's available on CD from the boutiques around Sydney's cruise pavilion, and from www.cabotguides.com.

 

It's a must-have, featuring personalities from the Cabot Trail and Cape Breton University. The line-up includes everyone from artists to zoologists — even the ghost of John Cabot himself!

 

It covers a wide range of subjects — including the Celtic Colours festival mentioned above. It's not possible to list all the themes here, but it's a great mix of the activities, must-see sites, little-known facts and hidden gems that make up the true Cape Breton experience. You'll come away with the authentic Cape Breton firmly in your mind and in your heart.

 

If you're hiring a car to go around the Trail, the guide comes into its own. It has a map and a directory of tourist businesses — but the beauty of the CD idea is that you don't have to read up too much beforehand: you can learn as you drive. Even if you don't have time to do the entire Trail, you can finish the CD later — and then, when you're more familiar with the island, hopefully you'll come back to try the tour at a more relaxed pace — because it's impossible to do the Cabot Trail justice in just one day...

[luvnorway]

Apologies for jumping on this thread, but I saw the heading when scanning the forum and noticed it hadn't been active for a while.

 

I was afraid it would be considered a rule violation if I started a new thread to post this recommendation, but was so pleased with the experience, and, knowing Maasdam is doing a lot of Canada/New England cruises this summer and that many other ships call in Sydney in the fall, I thought someone might be interested.

 

We just returned from 29 days on Maasdam (boarded Ft Lauderdale May 8 and did the repositioning cruise to Montreal, and then, because we had never been to the Maritime provinces before, and, because we much prefer longer cruises, stayed on B2B2B, adding the next two 7 day cruises from Montreal to Boston and then back to Montreal)

 

One of the most interesting tours we have ever done was at the Miners’ Museum in Glace Bay, Cape Breton. http://www.minersmuseum.com/

I had read excellent recommendations for this in this forum and they were right. Our guide was a retired, 3rd generation miner. He led us down into the coal mine and his presentation both entertained and informed us. I could have listened to his stories and experiences for hours. He really made the hardships experienced by the miners come alive.

 

We went there on the local bus from Sydney for $3pp.

http://www.cbrm.ns.ca/portal/community/transit/default.asp

The admission to the museum, including the underground tour, was about $10pp. In contrast, the HAL shorex is $79pp. Unbelievably, we even met passengers who had paid much more than that for a local ‘guide’ who just drove them there and waited while they took the same tour as us.

Bottom line - if you want to go, either rent a car (and spend some time at Louisbourg as well), or just take the local bus to Glace Bay.

[ptsaint]

We have been to Sydney twice and we are going again in October. We have an excellent tour reserved with tartan tours. If you would like to read our itinerary, e-mail me: gthiel (at sign) tampabay.rr.com

Leslie

 

Hi

 

We just returned from a fabulous cruise on the HAL Eurdoam 08.27.09 Copenhagen to NY. We were at sea during Hurricane Bill and had to alter course to be safe. I had pre booked with Diane Dover of Tartan Tours in March (for our August Cruise) and sent $100 US to her as a deposit. Please note no contract was signed or indication that deposit was non refundable.

 

I emailed Diane Dover of Tartan Tours as soon as we knew the course we were taking (two days prior to our scheduled arrival in Sydney, within a few hours of the notice from the captain of the changes - I had my laptop with me). She advised that there were no refunds AND the deposit was non refundable.

 

I responded back to her message indicating that we be happy to split the $100 with her - as it was not our fault or hers but nature. However she has not responded back to me, really not good business.

 

In any case we are out $100 for no reason - and she was less than helpful. In my response I mentioned to her that I would post here if I did not hear back - and well I have not so here is the post.

 

Just an fyi - first tour operator that has treated us this way. We made inquiries with other tour operators to find out what the general practise was. All the other tour operators stated that this was not normal business :(

 

Patrice

[travelbig]

Patrice,

I am really shocked about the way Diane handled this. As you pointed out, none of this was your fault and this action on their part was completely unwarranted. I reviewed my e-mail which states all the arrangements we have made, and the one which gave me the instructions on sending the $100 deposit said nothing about it being non-refundable. I also think this is poor business and unethical. I sure hope we don't have to skip this port. I am going to contact her about this cancellation policy.

Thank you,

Leslie

[ptsaint]

Patrice,

I am really shocked about the way Diane handled this. As you pointed out, none of this was your fault and this action on their part was completely unwarranted. I reviewed my e-mail which states all the arrangements we have made, and the one which gave me the instructions on sending the $100 deposit said nothing about it being non-refundable. I also think this is poor business and unethical. I sure hope we don't have to skip this port. I am going to contact her about this cancellation policy.

Thank you,

Leslie

 

 

Thank you Leslie - you rattled her and she emailed me - will post the outcome

 

greatly appreciate your help - we did have a fabulous trip - and your pointers/suggestions were awesome - don't foget us when you stop by the Pacific Northwest ;) will have the wine chilled and waiting

 

thanks again

 

Patrice

[CaribbeanBound]

luvnorway has a great idea. Does anyone know how far it is from the Bus Terminal in Sydney to the pier, and how far it is from the Bus Terminal in Glace bay to the Mining Museum?