First time in New England

A little bit of advice if you don't mind please. We are booked on the 21st October 'New England and Canadian Sojourn II' on the QM2 and it is our first time in that part of the world. Naturally, there's a huge selection of shore excursions and we don't know where to start- of course we would like to see the autumnal colours but apart from that we would like a good 'taste' of the area. We're a reasonably fit 50something couple and are quite happy to get out and about by foot.

For information the ship's itinerary in the voyage order is- Newport RI, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John and Halifax.

A couple of extra questions to end with- what are the chances of seeing any wales at this time of the year (we have one sea day from Halifax to NY) and could we get away with US $s for the very limited time in Canada.

Thanks for any advice given

If you like US history I suggest the Freedom Trail in Boston: http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

Newport has the "cottages" of which several are open to the public:

http://www.newportmansions.org/

Bar Harbor is beautiful & quaint. Just walking around is delightful and it is also near a fabulous park:

http://www.barharborinfo.com/

My wife and I did this cruise back in 2010, and had a splendid time on on the ship and on land.

Visit the ports of call forum - there is lots of information available for all the ports, and alternate shore excursion information.

Taking the ports in order

Newport - Tender port. If it's a nice day the 'Cliff Walk' can be interesting. There are also tours available for the robber baron era 'cottages' along the coast.

Boston - Docks at the 'Black Falcon' terminal. Public transit is a short walk from the terminal. Easy to get to the typical downtown attractions [Quincy Market].

Bar Harbor - Tender port. This is probably the best port for fall foliage. There are two companies running bus tours through the Acadia National Park.

Saint John. Take a look in the ports of call section for a link to an interactive Google map of attractions in the area.

Halifax. In 2010 there were taxi tours available. This was a days excursion by taxi for a flat fee. The old fortress on the top of the hill was worth a visit.

From where you are docked in Halifax it is a short walk along the boardwalk, which is right outside the terminal, to the heart of town. You can see everything there by foot. Perhaps a half day tour to Peggy's Cove and then the rest of the day walking around Halifax would be good. You would see some of the area outside the city and then easily do the city in the afternoon.

I took my sister on this trip two years ago. The best foliage for colours was in Bar Harbor. But it can certainly vary from year to year.

A word of advice - dress in layers. It was a beautiful day when we tendered ashore in Newport. The fog rolled in and the temperatures dropped a good 10 degrees and the dampness cut right to the bone.

We walked along the boardwalk in Halifax and I was glad of the layers. There is no way of telling what you will encounter.

I can only confirm what was said before and would like to add the Bay of Fundy - absolutely amazing!

:)

Walking the boardwalk right from where the ships dock is wonderful. We love walking along the water and stopping in the various little shops, getting a great lobster lunch, enjoying the wonderful setting. They've done a good job there IMO

We've watched through the years as it was developed and new buildings were added.

what are the chances of seeing any wales at this time of the year

Late October is the end of the whale-watching season in New England and the Canadian Maritimes. The New England Aquarium in Boston runs whale watch cruises daily @ 10 AM through October. Bar Harbor, New Brunswick, and Halifax also have companies that offer whale watch cruises through October.

(No guarantee of seeing any. I've seen smaller whales - Finbacks and Minkes - in late September out of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. )

My opinions on what to see in a couple of your ports:

Boston - I'm a Boston native. To me, Quincy Market is nothing but a tourist trap. Skip the eateries there and head to Boston's North End, an old Italian neighborhood. Eat seafood at the other ports. For excursions, you can walk the Freedom Trail on your own. (Unfortunately, the Swan Boats in the Public Garden will have ended their season in Sept.; they're a Boston must-do.) Here's an interactive map that shows some points of interest in Boston: http://www.aviewoncities.com/maps/boston.htm

Bar Harbor - Acadia National Park is the not-to be missed main attraction, not the town. You can spend the whole day in the park - driving, biking, hiking, or taking a carriage ride. Lunch or tea on the lawn at Jordan Pond House in the park...

A little bit of advice if you don't mind please.

I have info on these ports. My e-mail is gthiel at tampabay dot rr dot com

A big thank you to all of you who have taken the trouble to reply- it has given me lots to go on.

Very interesting to hear the comments on layers...I'm not really sure what to expect....i was hoping for shorts but I guess not unless somebody knows differently.

I did mention about the use of US$s in Canada and Nova Scotia ....has anybody any experience?

Thanks again D

I did mention about the use of US$s in Canada and Nova Scotia ....has anybody any experience?

Thanks again D

You can use USD but expect Canadian money back for change.

A big thank you to all of you who have taken the trouble to reply- it has given me lots to go on.

Very interesting to hear the comments on layers...I'm not really sure what to expect....i was hoping for shorts but I guess not unless somebody knows differently.

I did mention about the use of US$s in Canada and Nova Scotia ....has anybody any experience?

Thanks again D

I'm from New England and I wear shorts until Thanksgiving. My son wears them practically year round. Where are you from?

Also, from your first post, you mentioned wanting to see some fall foliage. I think you will be late especially since the experts are writing that changes will be sooner. You may luck out with your southern New England ports of call. Anyway, take a look at the interactive fall foliage map here.

SBtS

HI all!

SBtS ~ thanks for that website, very interesting.:D

SS Warringtonia ~ here's a website about whales that might be of help to you.

whales-online.net

I'm going on my 1st Canada/New England cruise on Sept 28 & am really getting excited about it even tho' I have always lived where the leaves change colour.;)

~ Jo ~ :)

StbS

thanks for the info- for the record I'm from Cheshire England

My opinions on what to see in a couple of your ports:

 

Boston - I'm a Boston native. To me, Quincy Market is nothing but a tourist trap. Skip the eateries there and head to Boston's North End, an old Italian neighborhood. Eat seafood at the other ports. For excursions, you can walk the Freedom Trail on your own. (Unfortunately, the Swan Boats in the Public Garden will have ended their season in Sept.; they're a Boston must-do.) Here's an interactive map that shows some points of interest in Boston: http://www.aviewoncities.com/maps/boston.htm

 

Bar Harbor - Acadia National Park is the not-to be missed main attraction, not the town. You can spend the whole day in the park - driving, biking, hiking, or taking a carriage ride. Lunch or tea on the lawn at Jordan Pond House in the park...

This post is right on. DO NOT miss a tour of ACADIA PARK! It is gorgeous.

As another poster said, you may be a bit late for the peak foliage but it still will be gorgeous.

Also correct about skipping Quincy Market or only spending limited time there; it is a "tourist trap" but, hell, you are tourists correct?

Look up some favorites for lunch in the North End. We like Strega, Mother Annas, and several others.

One other idea, on your way back to the ship stop at the new Legal Sea Foods "flagship" restaurant, Legal Harborside. It is about a mile or mile and a half from Black Falcon pier. It is three levels, right on the water with great views. Have a cocktail, some oysters and enjoy the view of Boston Harbor.

This post is right on. DO NOT miss a tour of ACADIA PARK! It is gorgeous.

As another poster said, you may be a bit late for the peak foliage but it still will be gorgeous.

 

Also correct about skipping Quincy Market or only spending limited time there; it is a "tourist trap" but, hell, you are tourists correct?

 

Look up some favorites for lunch in the North End. We like Strega, Mother Annas, and several others.

 

One other idea, on your way back to the ship stop at the new Legal Sea Foods "flagship" restaurant, Legal Harborside. It is about a mile or mile and a half from Black Falcon pier. It is three levels, right on the water with great views. Have a cocktail, some oysters and enjoy the view of Boston Harbor.

Thanks for these suggestions. We will be in Boston first week of Oct. on the Canda/NE cruise. Were planning to eat at Quincy Market as we thought it would be a quick stop on our Freedom Trail walk. However, the Italian restaurants sound great too. Also you mentioned the mile or mile and a half back to the pier. Is it doable from either Boston Common or Quincy Market? Or should we get a cab? Thanks for your help.

Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co does whale watching trips through October. They charge $59 for adults. The trip starts at noon and takes 3 - 3.5 hours. So make sure you'll have time to catch your tender back to the ship! If you go, bring a photo ID. I don't know why, but they require it for all adults.

Here's a link: http://www.barharborwhales.com/default.php

I live in the Boston area, but just did a Montreal to Boston cruise this August, so I've recently come in to my home port more as a tourist would...

I wouldn't count on wearing shorts in late October, unless you are exceptionally warm-blooded. Of course, New England weather is notoriously fickle, so you could luck into very warm days, or have a mixture of warm days and cold ones. My personal approach is to travel with lightweight layers and wear as many as I need.

For late October in New England, I would travel with a set of silk long underwear that could double as sleepwear or keep me warm down to 40 F days under regular cotton chinos and a turtleneck with only a sweater or rain jacket on top. I've lived here for 11 years, and have seen snow on Halloween one year and sun-bathing teenagers in swimsuits this late another year.

I don't think Boston's cruise terminal is in a GREAT area for walking into the city (compared to, say, Montreal where the ship is within sight of the main tourist area), so decide what you want to do before deciding how to leave the port. If you are spending the day walking downtown, you can just walk there, but the first part won't be very attractive. If you are thinking of a visit to Walden Pond or the battlefields of Lexington and Concord or some other suburban attraction, consider having a tour right from the port so you don't have to deal with Boston's ugly traffic, confusing streets, and inconsiderate drivers. The public transit is quite good, and easy to navigate, but only buses get near the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, and not as close as *I* would want to call it "easy" to get to.

Saint John, NB and Halifax, NS were both very easy ports from which one can walk to the heart of the downtown core. Saint John even has a series of about five buildings with skybridges so you can go blocks without being exposed to bad weather, though I hope you don't find any! These held a public library, shops, banks, inexpensive (quick) restaurants, a brewpub, etc. The covered marketplace in Saint John (a different one!) was a nice mix of things for sale, and I found a lovely tea shop there, which I was desperate for, because I have yet to experience a decent cup of black tea on a ship (Carnival and HAL--I hope Cunard's is better with its British heritage!)

Halifax has a pedestrian boardwalk right from the cruise terminal to the downtown. I did observe, however, that most the city is a steep climb UP from there. We did a horse-drawn trolley tour of Halifax, which was pleasant, but pretty shallow, and more than I would prefer to pay for such a brief tour. (Having learned the hard way the day before that bus tours make my young son carsick, I took whatever excursion exchange HAL would give me to avoid the beautiful WINDING road to Peggy's Cove! :D)

--willo

Thanks for these suggestions. We will be in Boston first week of Oct. on the Canda/NE cruise. Were planning to eat at Quincy Market as we thought it would be a quick stop on our Freedom Trail walk. However, the Italian restaurants sound great too. Also you mentioned the mile or mile and a half back to the pier. Is it doable from either Boston Common or Quincy Market? Or should we get a cab? Thanks for your help.

What I meant was the new Legal Seafood restaurant "Legal Harborside" is only about a mile from where the ship docks at Black Falcon pier. So, it is a good place to stop for a quick drink or some seafood with a great view on the way back from the ship.

It is walkable from Quincy Market and the Common but a bit of a hike and not much of noteworthiness to see so I'd cab it.

Also, this is the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park so if you are interested in sports or baseball at all I've heard the tours are pretty good. Go to redsox.com or just google "fenway park tours" And, don't pay any attention to our record this year................:rolleyes:

meant to say "great place to stop on the WAY BACK to the ship", sorry

Willo,

thanks for the detailed info,

Dave

can't wait....four weeks on Sunday

BOSTON !BOSTON ! BOSTON ! there isnt much of what you are looking for that you cant find in Bean Town ! foliage from a distance, history , GREAT FOOD... GO TO DURGIN PARK FOR SURE !!!!!!!!!! ayep BOSTON !!!

BOSTON !BOSTON ! BOSTON ! there isnt much of what you are looking for that you cant find in Bean Town ! foliage from a distance, history , GREAT FOOD... GO TO DURGIN PARK FOR SURE !!!!!!!!!! ayep BOSTON !!!

LOL, well, oneluvable pest, your enthusiasm is great and we thank you for the plug. However, NO ONE in Boston calls it "Bean Town", it is the ultimate sign of a tourist! Not that there is anything wrong with being a tourist, we all are when cruising, correct??:D

And, IMHO and I repeat IMHO, I wouldn't walk across the street for a FREE meal at Durgin Park. Overrated is kind, the wait staff strive to live up to their stupid and mind perplexing reputation of being rude and the food is marginal at best. Head on over to the North End for some great Italian food!

Again, no offense intended just the opinion of a local geek. Over and out!:D

BOSTON !BOSTON ! BOSTON ! there isnt much of what you are looking for that you cant find in Bean Town ! foliage from a distance, history , GREAT FOOD... GO TO DURGIN PARK FOR SURE !!!!!!!!!! ayep BOSTON !!!

Oh geez.

Durgin Park is a great place to find the other passengers on your ship. You won't find any Bostonians there (other than the help!) Biggest tourist trap this side of "Cheers".

And call it Beantown at your own risk. If you want to "fit in", call it "The Hub", or "Bawston".