Lunenburg at Halifax?

[dbdave]

Can anyone tell me anything about the Lunenburg Getaway excursion offered by Princess at the Halifax port stop. Sounds interesting but wondering if it is too much bus riding and not enough time. Would love to hear from someone that has taken this excursion.:)

[Coral]

I did not do that excursion but I hired a driver and we stopped at Peggy's Cove, the Swiss Air memorial next to it and then drove the lighthouse route to Lunenburg and then back.

 

Looking back - it was too much driving. I would have preferred to just do Peggy's Cove, the SwissAir memorial, the Titantic cemetery and then stayed around Halifax as we didn't have time to see Halifax.

[apeller]

I did not do the cruise tour either, but I did book an independent tour that went to Lunenburg, (as well as Chester, Mahone Bay, and Peggy's Cove). It was a lovely town, but I have to admit that I agree with Coral. It was too much to cram into one day and we had no time to see Halifax by the time we got back to the ship. If this is your first trip, you might want to consider a shorter tour so you can see some Halifax as well.

[Putterdude]

That whole Atlantic shore of Nova Scotia is beautiful however I must say as much as Peggy's Cove, Chester and Mahone Bay are wonderful I do feel that Lunenburg has a very special charm about it and some very interesting maritime displays. It is a place that I would visit time and time again.

[Atomica]

If you have been to Halifax before, the excursion to Lunenburg would be very worthwhile. If you have never been to Halifax before, though, there is more than enough to see and do there, not to mention Peggy's Cove!

[dbdave]

Thanks all for the replies! Since this is our first trip to Halifax we may just save the Lunenburg stop for next time. Gives us a reason to plan another trip. :)

[Travelbug 2]

Thanks all for the replies! Since this is our first trip to Halifax we may just save the Lunenburg stop for next time. Gives us a reason to plan another trip. :)

 

 

 

Having lived in Halifax for many years of my working life I can agree with your thoughts. There is so much to do and see in Halifax, the waterfront is very special, the Citadel is well worth a visit, try to squeeze in the great interactive show and display of the horrific Halifax explosion in the early 1900s. The city is very walkable and interesting do not miss the wonderful public gardens at the top of Spring Garden Rd, a very pleasant walk. Take the ferry ride to Dartmouth and back, a very relaxing 20min sail each way. Definitely leave the other stuff for next time, enjoy Halifax and all it has to offer, you will not be disappointed. If you like to have a little flutter there is a great Casino on the waterfront. A ship ex' is not necessary as all of these things can be done on foot, get a good city map and you are all set.

 

When we first moved to Halifax in 1972 the waterfront was non-existent, just rat ridden warehouses and many undesirables, it was a place to stay away from. The difference now is absolutely stunning, it is the centerpiece of the city.

 

Do a search for web sites about Halifax, they are very informative.

[dbdave]

Thanks Tbug!

[DanJ]

I also recommend the Harbour Hopper tour. It is similar to the "duck" tours offered in cities like Boston and Portland Maine, and other cities with water. (although they are quick to tell you on the tour that these vehicles are not ducks, they are newer and bigger). The tour lasts about an hour and is split between a city tour and a harbour tour. After many visits over 25 years to see my family there, we finally did this tour a couple years ago and it was like seeing a whole new city.

[donaldsc]

Halifax has 2 wonderful museums at the waterfront. One is a maritime museum. The 2nd is on Canadian immigration. Between the 2 of them, you could spend an entire day - we did.

 

DON

[DanJ]

Indeed, the terminal where the ship is docked (Pier 21) has a museum on the second floor. Pier 21 is Canada's Ellis Island, where most immigrants landed and the troops went to war.

[davidnsteph]

We just returned today from the Caribbean Princess. We took the ship's tour called "Lunenburg Getaway". The drive was 75 minutes each way. A tour guide named Dennis wore a Scottish kilt, and led us down the steep walk from the Lunenburg Academy to the waterfront. We had approx. 100 minutes in Lunenburg, so we went to the Fisheries Museum, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We learned about Lunenburg's great fishing and ship-building past, and toured two old fishing ships. On board were retired fishermen available to answer questions. We would have liked a little more time in Lunenburg to walk the town a bit more.

 

We also stopped in Mahone Bay for 90 minutes. This is a quaint village on a bay with 3 churches side by side at the waterfront. There is plenty of unique shopping and sightseeing. If you eventually get to do this excursion on a future cruise, it has plenty to offer.

 

DavidnSteph

[donaldsc]

We just returned today from the Caribbean Princess. We took the ship's tour called "Lunenburg Getaway". The drive was 75 minutes each way. A tour guide named Dennis wore a Scottish kilt, and led us down the steep walk from the Lunenburg Academy to the waterfront. We had approx. 100 minutes in Lunenburg, so we went to the Fisheries Museum, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We learned about Lunenburg's great fishing and ship-building past, and toured two old fishing ships. On board were retired fishermen available to answer questions. We would have liked a little more time in Lunenburg to walk the town a bit more.

 

We also stopped in Mahone Bay for 90 minutes. This is a quaint village on a bay with 3 churches side by side at the waterfront. There is plenty of unique shopping and sightseeing. If you eventually get to do this excursion on a future cruise, it has plenty to offer.

 

DavidnSteph

 

I have not taken this tour but based on the time spent on the bus and the time sightseeing, it does not seem to make much sense.

 

It takes 75 minutes each way on the bus for a total of 150 minutes. You are at Lunenberg 100 minutes and at Mahone Bay 90 minutes for a total of 190 minutes. If the museum in Lunenberg is any good, there is no way that you can see it properly in the allotted time; if you can see it in such a short time, it is probably not that good.

 

This means that the ratio of bus sitting time to sightseeing time is only 1.3. IMHO, you are better off spending your time in Halifax which is a wonderful city. We spent 3 days there on a land trip as well as going to Lunenberg and Mahone Bay and I enjoyed Halifax much more.

 

DON