Needing Advice for Canada/New England Excursions

Good Evening, I posted a similar message on the Canada/New England forum, but perhaps you good people could give me some further insight...:) My 87 year old mom is getting excited for our July cruise and wants, of course, to help select the family's shore excursions. We have wheelchair and a cane to assist her mobility. I am about to call Holland America to ask some questions because I find the tour descriptions confusing... How accurate are the ratings for each tour? (I realize we won't be hiking, climbing, or biking.) Frankly, there isn't much to offer the mobility challenged at some ports. I am particularly worried about Quebec City. Should I be looking for private tours? Any information or advice would be helpful.

Thanks,

A Concerned Daughter

Oh, if this helps, Mom is still capable of climbing some stairs, but she wobbles on uneven surfaces and walking long distances is out.

Depending on which spot the ship is docked at in Quebec City, it can be a long hike just to get outside the terminal. Then it's more than a decent walk to the old city, and very steep hills up to the Chateau Frontenac area.

Personally, if I were your Mom, I wouldn't want to be on a walking tour, even with someone pushing me. Oh, and there are cobblestones, too, so that makes it tougher.

I would look into booking a tour---either private or HAL. When you call Seattle, ask to talk to someone in Access & Compliance. They are the ones who should know (or be able to find out) such things as distances, difficulty, etc. for your particular situation.

Don't forget that Bar Harbor is a tender port, with a very steep hill going up as you come off the tender. Then, there's more hill into town.

You didn't say which ship you will be on. HAL's smaller ship has a staircase outside the ship to get to the tender dock. The larger ship has an elevator down.

In my experience, the ratings of tours on cruise ships with regards to accessibility is very bad. They obviously have able bodied persons that do these ratings and have no idea of what a disabled person can or cannot do. I've taken many tours in the past where it was rated as "easy and accessible" but they weren't anywhere near to being any kind of easy. I remember one tour I took was rated as very easy, but when we got there, I found I had to climb three flights of stairs without handrails.

Quebec City will be difficult in the Old Town area because it's cobblestones and not at all disabled friendly. But as long as you take your time and realize that it will be a bumpy ride, it's an area that's very much worth seeing.

We had two days in Quebec with Cunard. Very close from terminal to town but streets were cobbled and many of the shops were inaccessible due to steps. It really is a pretty place worth a walk around though. There's a funicular railway that goes up to the hotel at the top but wheelchair access is around the back. We made the mistake of planning it for the second day when they were doing maintenance so normal operation was okay but wheelchairs were no go. Bah!

As Ruth says, Bar Harbor is a tender port. I didn't find the steep climb into town much of a problem, we just went to the right along the front and found a road where the climb was a bit easier then tracked back to the left. However, they have a massive tidal range so the difference between arrival and departure made the gantry to the jetty very, very steep. It took three crew members to steady my chair down to the tender.

If Mum can climb the couple of steps on to a tour bus I'd thoroughly recomend the tour to Acadia Park. The scenery was terrific even though we were a couple fo weeks ewarly for the full Fall colours. Book a disabled seat at the front and put the wheelchair under the bus in the luggage compartment.

You don't say what the other ports are, but briefly I'd say:

• Halifax is well worth spending time just noodling along the waterfront. There's lots to see if the weather is good.
  
• Newport is a tender port as well but reasonably flat and very pretty. The local lobster is terrrific.
  
• Portland is flat, but rather uninteresting and some of the shops have one or more steps so are difficult to access.
  
• If you are unfortunate enough to have a stop at Corner Brook, I'd think twice about getting off ship. It's a steep climb with poor quality or no drop kerbs and the place is a dump. But others who took the 4 hr ship's tour were very complimentary about the scenerey outside.
  

I hope this helps.

.

Good Evening, I posted a similar message on the Canada/New England forum, but perhaps you good people could give me some further insight...:) My 87 year old mom is getting excited for our July cruise and wants, of course, to help select the family's shore excursions. We have wheelchair and a cane to assist her mobility. I am about to call Holland America to ask some questions because I find the tour descriptions confusing... How accurate are the ratings for each tour? (I realize we won't be hiking, climbing, or biking.) Frankly, there isn't much to offer the mobility challenged at some ports. I am particularly worried about Quebec City. Should I be looking for private tours? Any information or advice would be helpful.

Thanks,

A Concerned Daughter

 

Oh, if this helps, Mom is still capable of climbing some stairs, but she wobbles on uneven surfaces and walking long distances is out.

If you list your ship and itinerary, we all could help a lot more. Can she manage on a scooter? Practice at Walmart? If so, highly suggest as lots of walking on NE/CAN itinerary, even to just get to transportation. V.

We will be traveling on Holland America's Veendam this July. Ports of call include Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, PEI, and Quebec City. Our journey begins in Boston and ends in Montreal. Mom is capable of climbing some stairs, but walking long distances is out. Currently she isn't interested in a motorized scooter although I keep bringing it up. We will be traveling with a light weight foldable wheel chair.

I hope this information is helpful... Thank you to everyone who has contributed information.

Concerned Daughter :)

We will be traveling on Holland America's Veendam this July. Ports of call include Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, PEI, and Quebec City. Our journey begins in Boston and ends in Montreal. Mom is capable of climbing some stairs, but walking long distances is out. Currently she isn't interested in a motorized scooter although I keep bringing it up. We will be traveling with a light weight foldable wheel chair.

 

I hope this information is helpful... Thank you to everyone who has contributed information.

 

Concerned Daughter :)

A few comments.

Quebec, Quay 22 is downtown, the closest to sites. However, too far pushing a wheelchair as a long way out and then cracked sidewalks, cobblestones, steep inclines. Much too difficult. Hope your w/c is Not just a transfer chair with small wheels. Impossible.

So, i'd take a taxi and go to the Basilica. Regardless of religion, Mom would love that and it is accessible by an elevator or ramp. Another recommendation is the Falls. Accessible at the bottom, but a long push. If you choose to go to the Hotel, have the driver bring you to the front entrance. Perhaps have "high tea" there. It is beautiful. Be aware, taxis charge approx. $65/per hour and most speak French. If at Quay 22, there is an information center after you get off the ship.

Halifax

Tides here vary so there can be an incline getting off/on. Transportation is right outside pier 21 which most likely is your dock. Wonderful inside vendors (permanent) here. Also entrance to Pier 21 (immigration museum to Canada). Desk is right inside pier 21 by staircase that goes outside. It's approx. $12, accessible and a very nice, small museum. Old dolls, old luggage, stories of travels, etc., then a 45 minute tear jerker movie of an entry, and done. Wonderful place, especially if weather is inclement.

Peggy's Cove. If you can get an excursion, go. However, again, I'd take a taxi. It's a 45 minute ride. The Cove is gorgeous, BUT 1/2 hour and done? Aside from beauty there is nothing there for Mom. There is no place to sit and the area is all slightly inclined. There is a restaurant and a gift shop, but generally mobbed.

Harbor Walk

About 1/3 mile from pier 21 (to the right) is a green banner that says Harbor Walk. This is a modified boardwalk...but flat and is wonderful on a nice day. It follows the water, some shops, vendors, etc. about 3/4 mile is the Maritime Museum (Titanic Exhibits) but not a lot. Nice. Further up is a real restaurant called Murphy's. Lovely walk, but again, not with a transfer chair. It is flat but rough in spots. A cab to here would cost $10 and there are lots of local cabs just outside the pier (Casino Cabs).

Sydney

Not a lot here to see. If the cruiseline has a Fiddle Show, grab it. It's a young girl, her father and friend who put on an excellent fiddle/dance show inside by the port. There is also some art/crafts shoping (crochet items, etc., in the main building where the show is 2nd level (elevator up).

Alexander Graham Bell Museum is accessible, about 45 minute ride, but not very interesting. However scenery around in its town is nice.

PEI

Nice shopping, flat, paved. Nice restaurant with ramp. Enough there to keep you happy. Taxi to Anne of Agreen Gables is not far, accessible but some grass, narrow rooms, etc. i believe disabled is free.

Do consult the Port boards and Tom's is an excellent source. Find out from Access Dept beforehand because generally on the ship they know very little.

Don't worry about tides. The crew always helps. Enjoy. Vicki

We all have our own perceptions and interests, but I must disagree with two comments from posters above.

Many people put the Alexander Graham Bell Museum on the top of the list of highlights when visiting Nova Scotia. We spent hours there reading exhibits and learning about this remarkable man. The museum is modern and accessible.

I also would most certainly disembark in Corner Brook if it were on a ship's itinerary, if only to meet Newfoundlanders, who are among the friendliest folks in the world. Just ask the thousands of air passengers the island hosted for a week after 9/11 when flights were grounded. Calling the town of Corner Brook a "dump" does a disservice to both the residents and potential visitors.

I took a Quebec City to Boston cruise with NCL in 2014 for my parents (mom in wheelchair full-time, dad just a bit elderly and slow, friend with limited walking ability, friend's husband recovering from cancer, plus me, just fine).

We found that there were very limited wheelchair-accessible excursions from NCL. And the ones that did exist were expensive, and had limited room for non-wheelchair-using companions. In the end we only ended up booking one NCL wheelchair-accessible excursion, in St. John, New Brunswick. That one was excellent, with a very professional driver taking several wheelchair users and their companions on a tour of the city. The driver and vehicle were well-qualified to handle extensive mobility needs. But it's true that there weren't a lot of extra seats on the special accessible bus for non-wheelchair-using companions.

For Bar Harbor, my mom and my mobility-limited friend just stayed on the ship instead of trying to deal with the tender boats. My mom could not use them at all, and they would have been a challenge for my friend with a cane. So that was the day when I signed up for a bicycle tour arranged by the cruise, and my dad and my friend's hubby just went into town in search of the best lobster roll in town. :D

For the rest of the ports -- Sydney, Halifax, and the starting port of Quebec City -- we had rented a minivan from Enterprise that would handle all of us. It was a great, flexible option -- people could decide on the day of the port visit whether they had enough energy and interest to get off the ship. Anyone who didn't want to get off the ship could decide that very day to skip the trip. The rest of us would pick up the van and head in whatever direction we wanted to go. If my mom went along, we folded up her wheelchair and took her along. If not, we hopped in the van without her. Enterprise doesn't even require pre-payment, so we could have canceled entirely if none of us wanted to leave the ship.

As it turns out, we used the rental vans to get to Quebec City for the start of the cruise (from Montreal, where we had arrived the night before by train), enjoying a lovely drive full of autumn leaves. Then in Sydney, NS, my dad and my friend's hubby and I were the only ones interested in leaving the port, so we drove to the Fortress of Louisbourg. In Halifax, I dragged everyone off the ship and took them on a day-long drive to the Aspotogan Peninsula, Hubbards, and Peggy's Cove. For St. John, NB, we relied on the ship's excursion and then wandered around a bit on our own (in the rain). Then as I mentioned, we split up in Bar Harbor because of the tender boats. And after disembarking in Boston, we had an accessible hotel room and rented a scooter for my mobility-limited friend. We used taxis and a car service to get my mom around town, including a day at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and lunch at Faneuil Hall.

We used Amtrak to get us to the starting point and ending point of the trip. It was quite an adventure, but we enjoyed it very much.

We all have our own perceptions and interests, but I must disagree with two comments from posters above.

 

Many people put the Alexander Graham Bell Museum on the top of the list of highlights when visiting Nova Scotia. We spent hours there reading exhibits and learning about this remarkable man. The museum is modern and accessible.

 

I also would most certainly disembark in Corner Brook if it were on a ship's itinerary, if only to meet Newfoundlanders, who are among the friendliest folks in the world. Just ask the thousands of air passengers the island hosted for a week after 9/11 when flights were grounded. Calling the town of Corner Brook a "dump" does a disservice to both the residents and potential visitors.

Very well said and I totally agree.

You must have lunch in P.E.I. The have their very own small but sweet oysters all of 30 kms from the dock. Love the Red Dog or Devil Dog souveniers. We loved Cornerbrook! I was able to transfer to the front of a large car and out guide was a local. Seems most of the Orthodox up there have huge families and he pointed out all his siblings' homes. I think he had 23. Explained about the Grand Banks but that it did not effect the take per person for home use. Loved how they piped us in and out. We went in the shadow of 9-11 and were well carried for by both our and the Canadian Coast Guard. We spent as much as we could because of all they had done for us and ours. We'd go back again any day! Actually Cornerbrook appeared to be slowly repairing sidealks that had heaved and curbs that had crumbled by using red composite brick and better cncrete. The composite comes from old tires that allow the bricks to expand and retract so they are much preferable up where it truly gets cold. They also had one paratransit van in use for shuttling. I think they charged $6 each way as those funds would be buying a second van solely for their school kids.

Great info, JustAllie!

Thanks to all who gave info. I'm not the original poster, but this will be useful for my sister (taking a NE/Canada cruise in August) who uses a walker following bone cancer surgery,

wow you guys are helpful.. i didn't expect this much from reading here.. but so glad i came across this canada port post.. what about Saint John, NB, is it worth getting off in a wheel chair?thanks in advance!!

wow you guys are helpful.. i didn't expect this much from reading here.. but so glad i came across this canada port post.. what about Saint John, NB, is it worth getting off in a wheel chair?thanks in advance!!

The day we docked in St. John, there was an extensive flea market set up right near the port area. It was all covered with tents, so the rain did not bother us. It helped that my mother had packed a waterproof poncho that fit over her wheelchair! My mother loved shopping in the flea market for souvenirs, scarves, trinkets, food, etc. It was so close to the ship that even someone being pushed in a manual wheelchair could be directed to the market.

I think there was also a row of restaurants near the port. I don't recall whether they were wheelchair-accessible, however.

Some of the other shopping and sightseeing areas in town are not too far away, others are a bit of a hike, including some uphill. There was an indoor mall that had shops and a museum in it, and an indoor market with food, souvenirs, etc. There is some interesting outdoor art and the "Reversing Falls" which are not that exciting but might be worth checking out if you can catch a cab or accessible tour to that part of town.

I think it's worth venturing off the ship and going as far as you feel you want to go.

The day we docked in St. John, there was an extensive flea market set up right near the port area. It was all covered with tents, so the rain did not bother us. It helped that my mother had packed a waterproof poncho that fit over her wheelchair! My mother loved shopping in the flea market for souvenirs, scarves, trinkets, food, etc. It was so close to the ship that even someone being pushed in a manual wheelchair could be directed to the market.

 

I think there was also a row of restaurants near the port. I don't recall whether they were wheelchair-accessible, however.

 

Some of the other shopping and sightseeing areas in town are not too far away, others are a bit of a hike, including some uphill. There was an indoor mall that had shops and a museum in it, and an indoor market with food, souvenirs, etc. There is some interesting outdoor art and the "Reversing Falls" which are not that exciting but might be worth checking out if you can catch a cab or accessible tour to that part of town.

 

I think it's worth venturing off the ship and going as far as you feel you want to go.

again,THANK YOU SO MUCH.. no better person to ask then someone who tried it in a wheel chair.. did you mil also get off the ship at halifax? if so do you ming giving any info on if that one is also worth getting off the ship..? thanks again!!

again,THANK YOU SO MUCH.. no better person to ask then someone who tried it in a wheel chair.. did you mil also get off the ship at halifax? if so do you ming giving any info on if that one is also worth getting off the ship..? thanks again!!

We all got off the ship in Halifax, but rather than stay in Halifax, I picked up a rental minivan from Enterprise rental office near the port, then I drove it back and picked everyone up at the ship. I took everyone on a day-long drive along the South Shore of Nova Scotia, including a stop at Peggy's Cove.

If I remember correctly, there was a wheelchair-accessible tour available from the cruise line, but it was expensive. And since my friends and I have traveled to this part of Nova Scotia before, we had specific things we wanted to see and do on our own schedule.

If you are thinking of just staying down along the wharf area of Halifax, there is plenty you can see and do. But it's a very long wharf area. Getting from where the ship docks to where the shops and restaurants are might be quite a bit of travel -- it's walkable/rollable, but if anyone tires easily, it might be a good idea to take a short taxi ride or use an electric scooter to get to the shops/restaurants. Here is more info to give you an idea of the "Harbourwalk" or boardwalk area, that is quite extensive and includes a number of shops and restaurants (plus a museum or two).

I think there might have been a shuttle van for the passengers to get from the ship out to the public part of the wharf, because our cruise ship docked in an area where the public shouldn't be wandering around (kind of industrial). This can happen when there are multiple cruise ships in port. I can't recall if one of the shuttles was actually wheelchair-accessible -- but given that my mom and the others made it out to the public area where I could pick them up in the minivan, I guess there must have been an accessible option! Then again, you might be lucky and your ship could dock right at the main cruise ship pavilion, so then no shuttles would be required to get to the street.

We all have our own perceptions and interests, but I must disagree with two comments from posters above...........................................

I also would most certainly disembark in Corner Brook if it were on a ship's itinerary, if only to meet Newfoundlanders, who are among the friendliest folks in the world. Just ask the thousands of air passengers the island hosted for a week after 9/11 when flights were grounded. Calling the town of Corner Brook a "dump" does a disservice to both the residents and potential visitors.

Well, it was me who called the place a dump, so if I may I'll put it into context of a question about wheelchair access and hopefully explain my view:

• We arrived aboard QE and moored up next to a paper factory. Stunning views. Everyone should see a paper factory once in their lifetime.
  

• The locals were kind enough to put on a couple school buses doing a free circular tour of the place which (reportedly) took about 20 minutes from start to finish.
  

• The Newfoundlanders were definately warm, friendly and hospitable. Also somewhat embarassed at the crazy arrangements at the quayside.
  

• We had no hope of getting on a bus because the queue was so long and it's difficult to fit 1000+ pax on two buses. We also spoke to people who'd been on the bus, some just went all the way around, some stopped in town then jumped on the return trip pretty quickly. "Dump" wasn't a word I heard from anyone but, "Waste of time, don't bother" came up more than once.
  

• So we headed out into town, me in a wheelchair.
  

• It was quite a steep climb out from the quayside, on paths that were very poor with problem kerbs. On more than one occasion I had to get out of the chair to make progress.
  

• At the top of the hill we went left to get on the level and minimise the pushing effort. The only place I found that was accessible was a tattoo parlour with a ramp. So we turned back and headed down the hill into town. Pavements and kerbs improved but not radically so.
  

• It's a town. Whoopie doo. Nothing special, no great monuments or museums documenting the history of mankind. No great architecture. It's five years ago now, but I don't think I even spotted a traffic light. Totally, utterly uninteresting.
  

• We were back on the ship in time for lunch.
  

• Dump is a relative term, but as a cruise stop I'll stick by my qualified description. It wasn't originally on the itenerary but was a replacement port added to the programme not long before sailing.
  

• As I said originally, friends who took the 4 hour trip to go further afield were very complimentary and thought the scenery was terrific. No doubt the locals they met were terrric people too.
  

If there's something in and around the town that makes it worth wheeling there then I sincerely apologise and I'd love to know what it is.

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We had two days in Quebec with Cunard. Very close from terminal to town but streets were cobbled and many of the shops were inaccessible due to steps. It really is a pretty place worth a walk around though. There's a funicular railway that goes up to the hotel at the top but wheelchair access is around the back. We made the mistake of planning it for the second day when they were doing maintenance so normal operation was okay but wheelchairs were no go. Bah!

 

As Ruth says, Bar Harbor is a tender port. I didn't find the steep climb into town much of a problem, we just went to the right along the front and found a road where the climb was a bit easier then tracked back to the left. However, they have a massive tidal range so the difference between arrival and departure made the gantry to the jetty very, very steep. It took three crew members to steady my chair down to the tender.

 

If Mum can climb the couple of steps on to a tour bus I'd thoroughly recomend the tour to Acadia Park. The scenery was terrific even though we were a couple fo weeks ewarly for the full Fall colours. Book a disabled seat at the front and put the wheelchair under the bus in the luggage compartment.

 

You don't say what the other ports are, but briefly I'd say:

 

• Halifax is well worth spending time just noodling along the waterfront. There's lots to see if the weather is good.
  
• Newport is a tender port as well but reasonably flat and very pretty. The local lobster is terrrific.
  
• Portland is flat, but rather uninteresting and some of the shops have one or more steps so are difficult to access.
  
• If you are unfortunate enough to have a stop at Corner Brook, I'd think twice about getting off ship. It's a steep climb with poor quality or no drop kerbs and the place is a dump. But others who took the 4 hr ship's tour were very complimentary about the scenerey outside.
  

 

I hope this helps.

 

.

Re: Bar Harbor. How do you get to the Acadia bus if it is a tender port and also steep to get up to the town? Is there transportation from the ship to the Acadia bus? Hubby uses a scooter and can only do very short walks.

The tender is the only way to get to Bar Harbor. It is a steep hill up to the road....scooter can make it fine. The street where ship's buses are and all transportation is approximately 1/2 block after the hill. Ollie's Trolley, 1 block. If cruiseline does not allow scooter on tender, most will allow a collapsible wheelchair. But remember, the hill is a push!

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Re: Bar Harbor. How do you get to the Acadia bus if it is a tender port and also steep to get up to the town? Is there transportation from the ship to the Acadia bus? Hubby uses a scooter and can only do very short walks.

As a tender port, you have to be able to make a step aboard with chair or scooter to follow. The tour buses are right beside the quay on the flat. There was also a free local bus doing a circular tour when we were there but I wouldn't bank on it being a permanent fixture.

The hill into the main part of is indeed steep. But I went to the left (as looking from the pier) for several hundred yards, then started to climb at a less steep angle on the back streets. It was wheelable, with moderate effort, and I'm in my late 50s.

Note that they have the second largest tidal range on the east coast so the ramp to the jetty may be quite steep when you return but the crew were terrific in helping to slow my descent and prevent an overshoot into the sea.

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again,THANK YOU SO MUCH.. no better person to ask then someone who tried it in a wheel chair.. did you mil also get off the ship at halifax? if so do you ming giving any info on if that one is also worth getting off the ship..? thanks again!!

Re: Halifax - Been there twice on RCCL. Both times no passengers with Mobility Scooters and Power Wheelchairs where allowed on the tenders as there were no roll-on capabilities. Didn't matter if you were able to walk a little distance there was no room for the scooters and power wheelchairs. Only passengers with Folding Wheelchairs that could walk a little were allowed.

Regardless of the cruise line the Captain has the final decision regarding whether passengers with mobility equipment are allow on the tender. Most cruise lines state this on their websites

Re: Halifax - Been there twice on RCCL. Both times no passengers with Mobility Scooters and Power Wheelchairs where allowed on the tenders as there were no roll-on capabilities. Didn't matter if you were able to walk a little distance there was no room for the scooters and power wheelchairs. Only passengers with Folding Wheelchairs that could walk a little were allowed.

 

Regardless of the cruise line the Captain has the final decision regarding whether passengers with mobility equipment are allow on the tender. Most cruise lines state this on their websites

It surprises me that RCCL ships would have to tender into Halifax. There are five piers for cruise ships there.