HELP - Is Anyone Familiar with Halifax, St. Pierre, St. Johns?

[lucyd]

I am on the Rotterdam Transatlantic Cruise leaving N.Y. on May 16th. No ship shore excursions are offered for Halifax, St. Pierre (France) or St. Johns Newfoundland.

I am willing to adventure forth on my own but would appreciate any information on tours, local sites, transportation options in these ports as I have never been to any of them.

Any local residents reading this post....or past cruisers..please respond.

[Northender]

For St. John's Newfoundland - check out McCarthy's tours. We have them booked for TA in Sept. We then plan to spend some time in local pub or restaurant - lobster - YUMMMM:D

http://www.mccarthysparty.com/nft_sightseeing.asp

 

For Halifax - a wonderful city and lovely time of year, can be chilly or nice.

The Waterfront area is very nice. :)

 

St. Pierre & Miquelon (is this the area you are talking about?)

It is a cool climate - 61 is average for summer - no heat waves here:eek:

Find the FAQs, very informational.

 

http://www.st-pierre-et-miquelon.com/english/index.php

 

Hope this helps some

[lroche_nf]

For St. John's I would check out McCarthy's or Wildland Tours. There are also taxi drivers who will do city tours of St John's for a flat rate.However I do find it odd that no shore excursions are listed for St John's. Atlantic Cruise Ship Services out of Halifax does all the Holland America excursions in Atlantic Canada and I would imagine that they would have something planned. There is usually a City Tour excursion including Signal Hill, an excursion to Cape Spear and Petty Harbour, and sometimes depending on time they go to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve just south of St. John's.

 

Saint Pierre is a french island off the coast of Newfoundland. And by french I mean part of France. Its a small island so you would have no trouble if you just wanted to walk around and enjoy the French bread and wine (which is excellent). Also Al Capone used St Pierre as a snuggling base during prohibition which is quite interesting.

[eh2zed]

St. Pierre is part of France right off the coast of Newfoundland and is a lovely fishing village. We just walked into town, shopped at the stores and enjoyed the ambiance.

[lucyd]

Thank you all for the information on tours in St Johns and St. Pierre.

I have also been trying to find ferry information to McNabs Island in Halifax but many of the ferrys may not be in service to McNabs in mid-May.

Cynthia

[Cardex]

Thank you all for the information on tours in St Johns and St. Pierre.

I have also been trying to find ferry information to McNabs Island in Halifax but many of the ferrys may not be in service to McNabs in mid-May.

Cynthia

 

Here's a link to a list of companies that may be able to help

http://www.mcnabsisland.ca/GettingThere.htm

You can also try http://www.taylormadetours.ca/index.htm

[woodworker&knitter]

You may call MIke Tilley (aka Captain Red Beard) 1-800-326-4563 or 902-465-4563. Captain Red Beard opertes the ferry service

[Janet524]

We have visited Halifax the last two years on cruises. Your ship will most likely dock a short walk from the waterfront attractions, shops and restaurants. If you are interested in maritime history, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is an excellent venue. They feature a good deal of Titanic memorabilia as well as exhibits on the marine history of this part of Canada. This is located right on the waterfront and easy to get to from the ship.

 

A few blocks back from the waterfront (not far from the Maritime Museum) is the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia which features regional artists and has a wonderful collection of Native American art. They also have a feature gallery of art by Maud Lewis, a primitive artist from Nova Scotia. While I have never been a fan of primitive art, I fell in love with her work. It was absolutely "joyful".

 

We really enjoyed Halifax. IMO it is not necessary to take a ship's tour. Just get off the ship and head toward the town. There are lots of things to do.

[townie]

St. John's Newfoundland

It will be iceberg season in Newfoundland, so if you have never seen one, it is a great opportunity. Iceberg locations can be tracked here: http://www.icebergfinder.com/iceberg-guide/how-to-watch-bergs.aspx

 

You will be about a 25 minute drive from the most eastern part of North America: Cape Spear (http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/spear/index_e.asp).

 

The usual tourism information can be found here: http://www.stjohns.ca/visitors/links.jsp

 

Walking tour info: http://www.wordplay.com/tourism/scenictours/avalon/stjafoot.html

or the Grand Concouse walking trails (http://www.grandconcourse.ca/flash2004/walks-current.asp)

 

If you decide to walk up to Signal Hill, be aware it is very steep road. If it sounds daunting, take a cab because the view is worth it.

 

British Island tours will most likely be operating a double decker bus tour from the pier. You can contact Larry or karen (karen@corporateconciergeservices.ca) for information.

 

For a small private driving tour you can also contact RJ Tours (709.691.0875).

 

If you want to rent a car, I highly recommend advance bookings since there is always a shortage.

 

Not sure if they will be open but a couple of other interesting sites include:

Newman wine vaults: http://www.historictrust.com/newman.shtml

If you are a diver, then Bell Island has ship wrecks which were torpedoed by U boats in WWII: http://comerfords.e.tripod.com/conceptionbaydiving.html

 

Since you are from California, you will most likely find it cold. Expect the lower end of 50 - 55 deg F. If there is any wind, an umbrella will be useless.

 

There is lots to see and do within a short walk from the dock, so you won't be bored.

 

Be careful and pay attention when near any cliffs.

 

Hope it helps, and have fun in my home town.

[Crusin6]

Hi ,

responded to you on the White Plains thread with some info. We did the Halifax cruise a few years ago and loved it. Please Please go to Pier 21, the Ellis Island of Canada. DH came thru there many years ago and he gave them a first person account when we were there in 2007!

Pier 21 is right at the port. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic ( Titanic and Expolsion of 1907? atrifacts) is a must see as is the Citadel. We took a cab up to the Citadel and then walked down hill to the Museum. There are many brewery's in Halifax as well. You could also take a cab to the Titanic Cemetery, I forget the exact name.

 

 

It will be cold in May so dress accordingly and expect poor weather! Sorry.

[lroche_nf]

By the time the ship gets to St. John's some things will be open for the season. Signal Hill and Cape Spear begin their official season on May 15 so all facilities will be open and staffed. The GeoCentre and The Rooms (the home of the Newfoundland and Labrador museum, art gallery and archives) will also be open as they are year round operations. There will be taxis on the dock that offer tours of St. John's for around 40 dollars Canadian. All the stops in downtown St. John's will be open. The port of St. John's will have a welcome for the ship which usually includes a Newfoundland dog (which is always a big hit). St. John's had a ship in May last year (the Breman was in early) and excursions were offered.

[maryann ns]

The weather in Halifax in May can be cold, but it can just as easily be warm. I just replied in another thread here to the person asking about renting a car in Halifax to go to Peggys Cove. That is another option. Peggys Cove is spectacular year round.

 

For St Pierre, just walk around the town and take in a French meal. Hotel Robert has some Al Capone artifacts. If you get lucky as we did many years ago, you will meet the owner and hear some great tales from Prohibition days.

[NancyIL]

Last October we did the 5-hour tour of Halifax and Peggy's Cove with Bruce's Tours (http://www.brucestours.ca/). Our guide wasn't Bruce, but his friend Garry Jollymore, and he gave us a fabulous tour.

[librarycin]

I'll second the people who have mentioned Cape Spear and Signal Hill in St. John's.

 

When I was there, it wasn't part of a cruise, so timing wasn't an issue. I was also there in August, so this may be different, too, but I did a fabulous whale watching tour! I also did whale watching in Alaska, but the one in St. John's was soooo much better, I thought. Wish I could remember the name of the company - I believe it was out of Bay Bulls, though, just outside St. John's.