Canada/New England rough plans!

Hi,

I am going on Royal Caribbean in October and here are my plans(very rough) - any suggestions would be wonderful

Boston - arriving 2 days before. Friday night - North End for dinner and bed. Saturday thinking of doing the free walking tours - maybe North End and Freedom Trail. Then just wander around the markets and shops. Not much planned here.

Halifax- will do the Halifax Cruise Ship Tours found on trip advisor for about 4-5 hours. Then not sure - go to the town - walk around. Heard I should go to Alexander's Keith Brewery - is that close to the port.

St John - going to rent a car. Will have a GPS but will have to get addresses for where to go.

Bar Harbor - Acadia National Park Tours. Then the town. Any suggestions

Portland - City & Lighthouse Tour and then town.

So the big question is the towns - I can walk around from the ship - right?

What are must sees in the town? Where can I get the best lobster roll and clams.

Thanks

Briody

Hi,

 

....

 

Bar Harbor - Acadia National Park Tours. Then the town. Any suggestions

 

....

 

So the big question is the towns - I can walk around from the ship - right?

What are must sees in the town? Where can I get the best lobster roll and clams.

 

Thanks

Briody

FYI, unless you can walk on water, you won't be able to walk to the town from the cruise ship :D. Bar Harbor is a tender port, but it is an easy walk from the dock you are dropped off at.

I would do a tour of Acadia National Park with either Oli's Trolleys or Acadia National Park Tours. Both are good, just be sure to do the long tour.

Besides walking the town, try to walk the Shore Path, and if you are there at low tide, take a walk out to Bar Island. Recent thread on walking to Bar Island.

I would recommend either the West Street Cafe on West St, Stewman's Lobster Pound on West St or the Fish House Grill at the town (tender) Dock

The first street you come to as you leave the tender dock is West St. Turn right, Stewman's is about a 2 minute walk and on the right; West St Cafe about a 3 minute walk and on the left.

SBtS

Thanks SailBadtheSinner - wow!

Thanks for all your suggestions - guess I better do a better job on proofreading or

How do you know I can't walk on water:rolleyes:

Briody

Thanks for the restaurant suggestions. Since it's a tender port, we want to have lunch in town. One of my friends was there many years ago, and recommended the Lobster Pound, but couldn't remember any details about location, or even knew if it was still open.

Kathy

October is a super busy month in Boston and hotels can be expensive. Have you made a hotel reservation? What dates will you need.

I know I am coming a terrible weekend 10/18 to 10/20 - then start the cruise. I got reservations at Hotel Langham on Franklin Street.

Thanks for the warning :)

Thanks for the restaurant suggestions. Since it's a tender port, we want to have lunch in town. One of my friends was there many years ago, and recommended the Lobster Pound, but couldn't remember any details about location, or even knew if it was still open.

 

Kathy

If you did a Google search on Bar Harbor lobster pound, here are some of the results:

Stewmans Lobster Pound - on the water front, next to the tender dock.

Downtown Lobster Pound - about a 10 minute walk from the tender dock and waterfront; has only 1 review and it was negative; you could do better.

Bar Harbor Lobster Pound - about 10 miles from the tender dock

Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound - about 15 miles from the tender dock but on the water and you eat in the rough.

Abels Lobster Pound - about 7 miles from the tender dock but on the water.

You have many to choose from; if it has to have 'lobster pound' in the name, then go to Stewmans.

SBtS

Hi,

 

I am going on Royal Caribbean in October and here are my plans(very rough) - any suggestions would be wonderful

 

Boston - arriving 2 days before. Friday night - North End for dinner and bed. Saturday thinking of doing the free walking tours - maybe North End and Freedom Trail. Then just wander around the markets and shops. Not much planned here.

 

Halifax- will do the Halifax Cruise Ship Tours found on trip advisor for about 4-5 hours. Then not sure - go to the town - walk around. Heard I should go to Alexander's Keith Brewery - is that close to the port.

 

St John - going to rent a car. Will have a GPS but will have to get addresses for where to go.

 

Bar Harbor - Acadia National Park Tours. Then the town. Any suggestions

 

Portland - City & Lighthouse Tour and then town.

 

So the big question is the towns - I can walk around from the ship - right?

What are must sees in the town? Where can I get the best lobster roll and clams.

 

Thanks

Briody

If you don't mind spending $$$$ on restaurant.

Skip North End for first night dinner head to waterfront district,

try Menton.

Yelp reviews etc

Menton

178 reviews Rating Details

Categories: French, Italian [Edit]

354 Congress st

(between A St & Pittsburgh St)

Boston, MA 02210

Neighborhoods: Waterfront, South Boston

(617) 737-0099

mentonboston.com

While in Boston - definitely take the free "Freedom Trail" walk - you can just follow the red line and will pass many historical spots. We did the entire walk over two days.

We were in Boston for four nights a year ago in late September, and our favorite meal was at Il Villagio in the north end. Small restaurant with an intimate ambiance, and really delicious Italian food.

We will be on the New England/Canada cruise later this week, and we are planning on arriving a day early into Boston. Staying near the waterfront, so that's where we'll eat this time around. We have reservations for Atlantic Fish - hope it's a good choice :rolleyes:

We really enjoyed our time in Boston last year - thought the city was great for walking, and found the people who live there to be friendly and helpful.

Atlantic Fish should be good.

If you want sublime, and you have deep pockets, the 2nd floor restaurant at Legals' Harborside is as good seafood as you are going to get here, complete with water views.

Hi,

 

I am going on Royal Caribbean in October and here are my plans(very rough) - any suggestions would be wonderful

 

Boston - arriving 2 days before. Friday night - North End for dinner and bed. Saturday thinking of doing the free walking tours - maybe North End and Freedom Trail. Then just wander around the markets and shops. Not much planned here.

 

Halifax- will do the Halifax Cruise Ship Tours found on trip advisor for about 4-5 hours. Then not sure - go to the town - walk around. Heard I should go to Alexander's Keith Brewery - is that close to the port.

 

St John - going to rent a car. Will have a GPS but will have to get addresses for where to go.

 

Bar Harbor - Acadia National Park Tours. Then the town. Any suggestions

 

Portland - City & Lighthouse Tour and then town.

 

So the big question is the towns - I can walk around from the ship - right?

What are must sees in the town? Where can I get the best lobster roll and clams.

 

Thanks

Briody

We did this cruise and loved Halifax! We took a full day tour and it was the highlight of the trip! We went to picturesque Peggy's Cive. A quaint photographers dream of a fishing village with great lighthouse. Do not miss it! Then we went to the cemetery to see where Titanic victims were buried and heard the stories. Great! Also took a stroll through the formal Victorian garden and got to a maple shop for yummy treats. Last we went up to the Citadel and watched the Changing if the Guards and chatted with the boys on duty. If you want look at my photos in my shutterfly link in my signature for an idea if what we saw. Do not just stay in town!

Hi Briody! Going on the Brilliance in October as well! In the early planning stages too. Love your pick for Halifax. I'm emailing them to see if they have openings. Would love to go Whale watching somewhere using a local tour operator instead of a "cattle car" ship sponsored tour. Anyone heard of such a thing? Smaller boat with only a few people? Or is an October 12th departure past whale watching season?

Hi Briody! Going on the Brilliance in October as well! In the early planning stages too. Love your pick for Halifax. I'm emailing them to see if they have openings. Would love to go Whale watching somewhere using a local tour operator instead of a "cattle car" ship sponsored tour. Anyone heard of such a thing? Smaller boat with only a few people? Or is an October 12th departure past whale watching season?

There are 3 whale watch boats that depart Bar Harbor. I believe the cruise line uses Bar Harbor Whale Watching Tours; the others are Bar Harbor Tours and Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company.

SBtS

Hi Briody! Going on the Brilliance in October as well! In the early planning stages too. Love your pick for Halifax. I'm emailing them to see if they have openings. Would love to go Whale watching somewhere using a local tour operator instead of a "cattle car" ship sponsored tour. Anyone heard of such a thing? Smaller boat with only a few people? Or is an October 12th departure past whale watching season?

By mid-October, the water is getting cold and most whales are heading to warmer climes.

Also, insofar as boat size, although you may think you would have a better view on a boat with fewer passengers, all boats are governed by the same laws regarding how close they can approach the whales.

Hi Briody! Going on the Brilliance in October as well! In the early planning stages too. Love your pick for Halifax. I'm emailing them to see if they have openings. Would love to go Whale watching somewhere using a local tour operator instead of a "cattle car" ship sponsored tour. Anyone heard of such a thing? Smaller boat with only a few people? Or is an October 12th departure past whale watching season?

While researching a question on whale watching from Bar Harbor, I found the following:

From late April through October, a number of cetacean species feed in the Gulf of Maine, including humpback, finback and minke whales. Later in the summer, around August, northern right whales arrive. All of the various kinds of whales remain off the Maine coast into October before they head out in search of warmer waters.

Excerpted from the article Whale Watching in Bar Harbor, Maine posted at:http://www.associatedcontent.com/

SBtS

While researching a question on whale watching from Bar Harbor, I found the following:

 

From late April through October, a number of cetacean species feed in the Gulf of Maine, including humpback, finback and minke whales. Later in the summer, around August, northern right whales arrive. All of the various kinds of whales remain off the Maine coast into October before they head out in search of warmer waters.

 

Excerpted from the article Whale Watching in Bar Harbor, Maine posted at:http://www.associatedcontent.com/

 

 

SBtS

Sales propaganda/advertising.

Have you yourself been out at that time of year?

First of all, it's incredibly cold out on the water at that time of year, unpleasant, unless you are particularly hardy, for standing outside on the deck to get a good view if some creature comes along.

The poster asked about mid-October. Even the advertising talks about "into October". Do these whales have an exact departure schedule we can refer to (AA flight 203 leaving on October 29th at 6pm from Logan? ;-)

Most whale watch cruises give a "guarantee" that if no whales are seen they give credit for another voyage, not very useful to a short-time visitor, but there is also a big difference to the quality of the experience in seeing a couple of whales whose backs appear like a sliver on the horizon, and lots of whales very close to the boat or right under it.

Thanks for the input............

but the 3 whale watch companies I listed in my earlier post do offer tours into late October, i'm just sayin'

I kept my sailboat in the water on Block Island Sound/Long Island Sound until mid-November. it was cold but great sailing.

SBtS

As you should well know if you are on the water, there is normally a vast temperature difference (air) between Maine and that area, as well as in water temperature (even in summer).

Can't fault those companies for wanting to make money, but that's what it's about at that time of year, stretching the tourist season to the breaking point before the long, cold, quiet winter. At what point do extreme conditions and very few whales left in the water make the expensive trip less of a pleasure and less of a value for money/time invested? The poster should take these factors into consideration.

thank you again for your input...........

40° water temperature is the same where ever you go; for air temperature, you dress accordingly.

thank you again for your input...........

 

40° water temperature is the same where ever you go; for air temperature, you dress accordingly.

Water temp is the same wherever you go? Like Maine and say, Florida?

Sorry but it is not. For example, you can stay in the ocean to swim for quite some time during the summer in the area you mention. In Maine and parts of the MA and NH coast north of Boston, you can hardly stay in for a few minutes in summer, if you can even bear that. As the weather cools, the water cools, but according to location, until dead winter sets in.

As far as dressing "accordingly", on summer whale watches, passengers might start out in the shorts and T-shirt they were wearing on land where the temps were in the 80s, but usually end up at least in heavy long sweat pants and a fleece jacket once on the water. It can actually be a pleasant relief on a very hot day. If land temps start at a mid-October average of 50 degrees, though, imagine what dressing "accordingly" involves in order to stand out on deck for 2 hours trying to see whales while the boat is moving out on the water, the wind is whipping, and cold salt spray is flying onto the deck and passengers, and not turn into a Popsicle. As I said, up to the poster to decide if that is fun, or to wait for an opportunity for a whale watch in better weather.

your opinions are always welcome, keep 'em coming.......

As for my comment about water temperature, if the WT in the Gulf of Maine is 40°, it is no different than a 40° WT in Long Island Sound. Certainly the air temperature will be different.

Whale watch boats have cabins, don't they?

your opinions are always welcome, keep 'em coming.......

 

 

As for my comment about water temperature, if the WT in the Gulf of Maine is 40°, it is no different than a 40° WT in Long Island Sound. Certainly the air temperature will be different.

 

Whale watch boats have cabins, don't they?

Sure they do. You just can't see the whales from inside them. And more than one person can't exit at the same time from the door. The whales don't wait around for a line of people to get out on deck.

And yes, of course, 40 degree water is 40 degree water.

The point, however, was that the water in Maine is colder than LI Sound, as are air temps, so how long you personally can endure sailing has little to do with how long whales stay in Maine or how comfortable it might be for spectators on a boat looking for some of them.

And, gee, I REALLY appreciate your permission to respond! Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Day to day WT on the GoM will be colder than the WT on LI Sound; day to day air temperature will be colder on the GOM than the AT on LI Sound. Dress accordingly where ever you may be.

Thanks everyone for your input. I am going to forgo the plans for whale watching as I agree the season is stretched out in order to make money. That and I don't want to freeze trying to see them if there are any. How about Boston? Is Boston a little warmer for both whales and humans? My mother was hoping to see some, but I doubt it will ever compare to her experience in Sitka, Alaska in September. Lots of whales seen then. We also went in a local guide's personal boat with a total of 6 people on it. Best excursion I've ever booked. It's a hard one to beat! Looks like whales are out for this trip.

I've booked a ship sponsored tour here....Portland Highlights and Schooner Adventure. 2 hours land tour that goes to the lighthouse and the other 2 hours sailing on the Schooner Bagheera or Wendameen. Has anyone done this tour?