Yay or Nay?

[Xoe]

We'll be on HAL's Maasdam Montreal-Boston September 12-19, and are making decisions about shore excursions. In general we prefer a short overview type which leaves us several hours for exploring on our own. As background -- other than Boston, these are all new places to both of us, so we'd like the best "overview" experience possible.

 

Please, if anyone has first-hand information on these choices, we'd love to hear from you! I walk a lot, my husband less so, so we need to keep that in mind -- no "walking tours" per se, but some walking at various stops is fine.

 

QUEBEC CITY: Montmorency Falls & Island of Orleans. Are these falls truly memorable? Or should we take an in-town tour, such as City Tour of Old & New Quebec, then have more time to explore on our own?

 

CHARLOTTETOWN: Tour by double decker bus sounds good to us, being dropped at the Founders Hall at the end and then walking back to the ship.

 

SYDNEY: We have read advice to "Get out of town!" at this port, so are considering the Baddeck & Alexander G. Bell Museum.

 

HALIFAX: We have enjoyed Hop On Hop Off buses elsewhere, and think this would suit us.

 

BAR HARBOR MAINE: Acadia National Park & Lobster Bake interests us, but would like to hear from someone who has done this specific excursion and can tell us about how the "lobster bake" is handled. Nice setting? Good food? Comfortable seating while dining? PLEASE, if anyone has done this, we'd love a report! We'd like to have some assurance that our mental picture of this aligns reasonably well with how it really is. Of all our contemplated excursions, this is the one about which we most hope for feedback.

 

(Perhaps I'd better post this one under New England, too -- I'll do that.)

 

Thanks for all your anticipated help!

[rimau]

We have seen the falls and they are very nice but my advice is, if you only have one day, see the old town.

[maryann ns]

For Halifax, take the Harbour Hopper tour. This will give you a quick and fun overview. It goes both on land and in the water.I think you can get info about it where you arrive. If not walk north along the boardwalk on the harbour's edge and you will see a ticket booth. You should take time to enjoy the Halifax waterfront.

 

The Maritime Museum is interesting and has artifacts from the Titanic.

 

You should also check out Citadel Hill, the fortified hill facing the Harbour. The Harbour Hopper will take you up for a glimpse.

 

The hop on and off bus may work for you. I don't know it's schedule. However most things of interest are within a short walking distance of the harbour. Mind you you need to be able to walk uphill.

 

Charlottetown: I don't know how long you have there, but if you can be sure your tour takes you to the north shore with it's gorgeous scenery and beaches. Charlottetown itself you could walk around.

 

Quebec: Stay in this wonderful city. It is unique in North America. You can just walk around, but there are many tours.

 

Sydney: You should get out of town for sure. I don't know how much time you have but there are three main things to do: (1) drive around the Cabot Trail. This takes most of a day. (2) Take a trip to Louisbourg which is absolutely incredible. It is a restored French Fortress from the year 1744, built on the actual site to detailed plans that have been found. It has many costumed citizens, and you can get the feeling of being back in time. (3) Baddeck and the AGBell Museum, certainly interesting, but ranking third in my opinion.

[Xoe]

Mary ann NS, your input is invaluable and much appreciated. We will rethink and revise our plans based on your "voice of experience".

[aarep]

We were on this cruise June 20-27. I think all of your planning sounds good with the exception of Quebec City. I would definitely take the City Tour and skip the Falls. So much to see in Quebec. Also great restaurants. Nothing much to see in the port area in either Charlottetown or Sydney so tours would be advisable. I would also take the tour in Bar Harbor. On our cruise it was either raining or foggy with the exception of Quebec City in the afternoon so we were not able to see much. However we had been on the same itinerary with the exception of Charlottetown 3 previous times.

[rsquare]

If renting a car is an option, that's what I would do in Charlottetown. There is a circular route called the Blue Heron trail, marked on road signs as well as on the provincial road map which will take you to the picturesque north shore, with its many lighthouses, then down to the Confederation Bridge to the mainland and the quaint town of Victoria-by-the-sea and back in to Charlottetown. We spent a great day doing this in May, and the car, with LDW, was less than a hundred dollars.

 

In Sydney, you can get cabs to take you to Baddeck and Louisbourg; there are fixed prices for such tours, any driver at the cruise terminal will show you the list. We chose Baddeck and A.G. Bell Museum and really enjoyed it, and then had enough time to visit two 18th century houses only two blocks from the cruise terminal, Jost House and Cossit House, before reboarding.

[Xoe]

I'd be interested to know approximate costs for the cab tours w/ fixed prices to Baddeck and Louisburg, if you can recall. That might suit us better than being part of a large tour group. We have had private tour guides a few times in the past and very much enjoyed them; Acapulco, Barbados, and Rome are ones I especially remember.

 

We've adjusted our plans and now will be taking the short overview tour in Quebec City, then explore on our own. Nothing is as valuable as help from those who've been there, done that.

[maryann ns]

You now have great plans for Quebec.

 

I agree with the idea of renting a car in Charlottetown and taking the drive suggested.