Canada/New England on Holland America

I just returned from the Montreal to Boston cruise on the Veendam.

Montreal, Quebec City, Charlottetown PEI, Sydney/Cape Briton, Halifax Nova Scotia, Bar Harbor Maine and Boston.

This was my first Cruise on Holland America.

I have gone on Royal Caribbean, Disney, NCL and Princess. After reading some other reviews I wasn't sure what to think.

I was looking forward to being on a smaller ship and I was very pleased.

We went with 6 of us. My wife and myself in our 40's, son 14, daughter 10 and in-laws 70's.

We had 2 spa cabins and one vista suite. All the rooms were very comfortable.

The Vista suite was in the back of the ship and the 2 Spa suites were in the front. We did feel some movement on 2 nights but it was fine.

The spa suites were ocean view which were converted to balcony cabins by adding 6 small balconies on each side of the ship in 2009.

The spa balconies were much smaller than the vista suites. There was no room for a lounge chair on the spa balcony.

Having said that I spent many hours on the balcony. It was actually slightly larger than on NCL.

There was only one 110v outlet and one 220 v outlet(for the hair dryer) by the desk and one "shaver" outlet above the mirror in the bathroom .

I brought a small power strip but the orientation of the outlet did not allow the mini power strip to fit.

The decor was slightly "lighter" than the other cabins.

[/img] small balcony[/img]

We did get some discounts at the spa but it took a few days and asking several people what they were.

The staff on the Veendam were very accommodating. They were able to allow access to more than one cabin on the key card.

The other passengers were very nice. The average age was 65-70 but were very active and friendly.

There were a few scooters but mobility issues were not an issue.

There were about 20 children under 18 on board but my kids were mostly with us.

The ship was pretty full with 1294 passengers.

Our cell phone service worked most of the time on the ship.

There were no problems getting seats at the buffet, lounge chairs by the pool, or seats at the shows. You could easily get a drink at the bar.

The pool, spa and gym were never crowded.

Probably the biggest disapointment was the main dining room. We had anytime dining and could only get in at 5:45 or 7:45. They seemed understaffed there.

I usually don't go to the buffet on a cruise but we went to the buffet 3 times and the Pinnacle once, this was everyones favorite meal.

I really enjoyed the happy hour in the Crow's Nest. Buy one drink and get the second for $1. I was able to take a few cans of beer and soda back to the room.

I enjoyed the shows. I liked that they were short, usually about 40 min.

Getting on and off the ship was very easy.

The first port was Quebec City. There was a marathon that day so we were unable to get a taxi at the port.

I would have appreciated this information prior to getting off of the ship so I could have changed my plans.

Chateau Frontenac

Quebec City[/img]

More about the other ports of call to come

Thanks. I look forward to more posts. We're getting ready to do Canada/New England in October.

Our first cruise on HAL was this same itinerary and the same ship, Veendam, two years ago. I LOVED everything about that cruise and we are now committed HAL cruisers.

One of our favorite things about the ship was the piano bar. Is "Barry from Boston" still the pianist?

Our first cruise on HAL was this same itinerary and the same ship, Veendam, two years ago. I LOVED everything about that cruise and we are now committed HAL cruisers.

 

One of our favorite things about the ship was the piano bar. Is "Barry from Boston" still the pianist?

No Barry form Boston....but they had the HALCats, the Neptunes and Annika in the piano bar.

We arrived in Charlottetown on the HAL Veendam at 7 AM and all aboard was at 5:30 PM.

What a great port.

I booked Top Notch Charters for the 1 1/2 Lobster tour after reading reviews on Trip Advisor.

Capt. Mark and his brother Cody take 12 people out and teach them about lobster and sustainable fishing in PEI.

The kids got to drive the boat and haul in the traps.

As it was not their season to fish we released the crabs and lobsters that we caught.

Capt Mark with Larry the Lobster.... a 10 pounder for teaching only

When we got back to the pier we got some fries at the Queen of fries on Prince street and then went to Sims for Oysters.

Sims was open for lunch and had a nice selection of Oysters from different coves around PEI and many beers on tap.

The staff was nice.

After lunch we got a taxi to take us to the north shore.

The farms and views are well worth the trip.

We did not seen Ann of Green Gables but there are a lot of tours to see that.

Area by Stanley Bridge

New London Range Rear lighthouse

On the way to the lighthouse

I mostly wanted to see lighthouses and eat lobster (or in PEI oysters) on this trip.

The ships dock right in Charlottetown and you can easily walk to many restaurants, stores and sights.

I was happy to see the north shore.

We passed both mussel and oyster farms.

The taxis/minivans could hold 6 ppl and charged 70 CAD.

They had bus tours that charged 12 CAD/person.

Lighthouse on the way out of Charlottetown harbor

Capt. Mark in Top Notch doing an evening lobster tour and dinner

We arrived in Sydney at 8 AM. All aboard was 4:30.

Sydney is a nice but small town and I read that you are better off doing excursions out of Sydney.

Prior to the cruise I had hired Don Blackwood of Blackwood tours.

His assistant Tom McDonald met us at the pier on time.

We had a Dodge caravan that could fit 6 passengers.

We paid 80 CAD/hour. (In PEI it was 70 CAD/hr and in Halifax 50-55 CAD/hr)

At the end of the tour Tom asked for $80 US, but let's just assume it was an honest mistake.

He had me wait until Don came. Don also wanted $80 US.

I guess it was good that I'm not from Europe or he may have asked for 80 EURO.

There were plenty of taxis for hire at the port and you can rent a car as well.

I had arranged to go to the Louisbourg lighthouse and then to Baddeck but Tom said that we should go to Baddeck first.

I'm still not sure why.

Baddeck is a nice town with more to do than the Louisbourg....but I was more interested in seeing lighthouses and eating lobster.

Baddeck is about 1 hr 20 min for Sydney. They have a nice waterfront but are mostly known for the Alexander Graham Bell museum.

View of the Kidston Island Lighthouse from the Alexander Graham Bell Museum

McNeil Beach Lighthouse by the Seal Island Bridge, Cape Breton

Next off to North Sydney for lunch at the Lobster Pound.

It's open from 12-3 for lunch. We went but couldn't get in before 1 PM without a reservation.

Off to Louisbourg. About 1 hr 15 min from North Sydney and 50 min form the port.

The lighthouse was at the end of a narrow and winding road. Not easily accessible with a tour bus.

for me it was TOTALLY WORTH IT !

Not many people at all. Nicer than the Peggy's Cove lighthouse.

There are views of the rugged coast line and crashing waves....

....did I mention that there were VERY few people here.

Louisbourg lighthouse, you can see the fortress across the bay in the background

View by the Louisbourg Lighthouse

You can do some light hiking down along the coast.

....and one more look at the lighthouse

You could see the Fortress of Louisbourg but I was more interested in the lighthouse.....and lobster.

Once we left the lighthouse on the way back to the pier I saw a sign for the Lobster Kettle.

A small restaurant on the water with very good, inexpensive food.

Lobster Kettle for a lobster and Keith's Red

Maybe it was partly because I wasn't expecting much from our time in Sydney but I really enjoyed it.

Mostly the bright blue sky and the beautifull lighthouse without the hoards of tourists.

We were recently in Halifax on the Veendam, a ship with 1300 passengers.

The Anthem of the Seas was also in port....with 4200 passengers.

Welcome to Halifax. That's the Anthem of the Seas behind Georges Island.

Georges Island lighthouse

You can find Fort Charolette (1750) on Georges Island.

Prior to going we booked a tour with the Halifax tour guys based on TripAdvisor reviews.

I had read that we needed to get to the Lighthouse at Peggy's cover early, so we met out guide Earl McGee at 8:45 AM and went directly to the lighthouse.

We got there in about 50 min.....and it was already crowded. There were about 8 tour buses already.

Whenever I would look at the live webcam in Peggy's cover it was foggy.

....and it was foggy when we went as well.

So it was foggy and crowded.

Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

Peggy's Cove

The town of Peggy's cove is very nice. Small, only about 40 people, not families but people.

Peggy's Cove

Earl was a great tour guide. He grew up in Halifax and told us all about the area.

Prior to going to Halifax I read about Lunenburg and was very interested to see it.

The town was laid out in England in 1753 and the streets and parks as well as many buildings are the same.

There are a lot of German decedents there and so they have a piece of the Berlin wall there.

View of Lunenburg from the golf course across the bay

It was about 1 hr 20 min to get to Lunenburg from Peggy'Cove.

We toured around a bit, had lunch and had to head back to the ship before 2 PM as we had 1 1/2 hour ride to get back to Halifax.

They have a built up the waterfront by the cruise ship pier and there are a lot of restaurants and shops along the boardwalk.

I really enjoyed Lunenburg.

We did the same cruise a couple Summers ago and had a great time as well.

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So, did you pay Don Blackwood of Blackwood Tours in Sydney USD 80 per hour or CAD 80 per hour? (That's about a 20% difference at today's exchange rate.) And did you have the quoted rate in writing?

So, did you pay Don Blackwood of Blackwood Tours in Sydney USD 80 per hour or CAD 80 per hour? (That's about a 20% difference at today's exchange rate.) And did you have the quoted rate in writing?

Nothing was in writing, he sent me an e-mail confirmation.

I paid him in CAD....we were in Canada.

The ship made announcements stating that merchants would accept US currency but that they would give you a 1:1 exchange.

It all worked out.

AMEX cards don't charge a fee when using the cards in another country.

You also get the current rate when using your ATM card but you should notify your bank that you are going to be traveling before using it.

Don Blackwood had mixed reviews on TripAdvisor and I would agree.

Our final day was spent in Bar Harbor, Maine.

We arrived back in the US Bar Harbor at 8 AM.

We turned our clocks back 1 hour so we had an extra hour in the morning.

We had to pass through US CBP before going to the tenders.

This was basically showing them your passport.

The tenders were the life/rescue boats from the ship. They hold 60 passengers.

We had an 8 min boat ride to the dock.

Prior to the cruise I booked a tour with At Your Service Tours.

We were interested in seeing Acadia National Park and going for a lobster lunch.

We met our tour guide, Dave Reed, at the pier.

He took the 6 of us in a mini van to get our $25 car pass before going to the park.

Dave was great. He is retired from the parks department and worked at the park before retiring. He is a lifelong resident of Bar Harbor.

The tour was $80/hour.

We went to the top of Cadillac mountain and then to Thunder Hole.

View of there Porcupine Islands from the top of Cadillac mountain. You can see Veendam in the harbor

As the ship left Bar Harbor the tide was out and we could see people walking from Bar harbor to Bar Island.

Another view from the top of Cadillac Mountain

View of the coastline from Thunder Hole

As we drove around the entire park Dave gave us a history of the park and Bar Harbor.

Next it was off to Trenton Bridge Lobster pound for lunch.

When we were here 15 years ago we ate here every night and I wanted to go back.

It's about a 40 min drive from the pier.

Trenton Bridge Lobster pound

The place is just over the Trenton Bridge that connects Dessert Island to the mainland.

It's right on the water.

You pick your lobster and they weigh it for you. I think it was about $12-13/pound.

They then put the lobster in a net bag and boil it in sea water outside.

The last time I was there they didn't have beer, now they have beer and wine.

The blueberry pie and cake was great.

Next it was back to Bar Harbor where we did some shopping and then to the tenders back to the ship.

The last tender was at 4:30.

Veendam in Bar Harbor

Egg Rock lighthouse as we leave Bar Harbor. Notice all of the lobster trap buoys in the foreground.

We decided to spend a night in Boston before heading home to NY on Sunday.

We did the Duck tour which uses WW II amphibious vehicles and takes you around Boston and then into the Charles River.

A free student led tour of Harvard was included.

We went to Little Italy for dinner.

We went to the Paramount restaurant in Beacon hill for breakfast. We waited on line for 1 hr 20 min before we got to order....we all thought is was worth it.

We then went to Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall and some of the Freedom trail before catching a train back to NY.

I hope this review and pictures gets people excited to go on their cruise to Canada/New England.

Thank you. Great review

Thanks for the detailed review! We are sailing on the Veendam in September from Boston to Montreal, spending time in both cities before and after. I'll bookmark your review for my research. Glad you had a good time. :)

Shopperwhite, thank you for retrieving this really great review, which I missed when drneal first posted it last year. We're going on the same cruise in a little over a week we did the same itinerary in 2015 on the Maasdam. It's a terrific itinerary, and I appreciated drneal's review of his cruise and especially his excellent pictures.

Thank you, drneal, for a very useful and detailed review. Took long notes.:D

Thanks for the review, we are going on this itinerary on the Veendam in September. I am looking forward to the smaller ship since most of our recent cruises have been on much larger ones.

I enjoyed the review and port information, thank you. I am sailing on the Veendam in September with my husband and another couple, so the information was helpful.

We did this on the Veendam a couple of years ago. Since many of the pictures have been taken down here is a link to some of ours.

https://markandkarencanadanewengland.shutterfly.com/pictures

So there has been a change with Photobucket.

As of Aug 17, 2017 they no longer allow 3rd party sharing (without a $400 paid subscription) so you will not be able to view the photos......

unless you use Chrome or Firefox browsers AND embed a free extension

Shutterfly and SmugMug allow 3rd party (i.e Cruise Critic) sharing

Please see the original post below for additional information

Never underestimate the power (at least for now) of a bunch of techies p!$$ed off at a tech company:

 

If you use Chrome, and I've also read Firefox, Google "photobucket embed fix". For Chrome, this is a free extension that appears to intercept the HTML call to an embedded Photobucket picture and instead link to the underlying photo and display the photo in the embedded location.

 

In other words, with the extension, you see the photo rather than the "PB 500" graphic. You may have to clear your photo cache. Just tested it on another forum, and it definitely works in Chrome...

 

Photobucket has been closing every user friendly API, such as shutting down the interface Smugmug used for its Smuglr app, and the "download folder" feature (which they claim is "broken" and being fixed). Unless this is so fundamental as to render Photobucket unusable if they close it, they'll probably close it...

So there has been a change with Photobucket.

As of Aug 17, 2017 they no longer allow 3rd party sharing (without a $400 paid subscription) so you will not be able to view the photos......

unless you use Chrome or Firefox browsers AND embed a free extension

Shutterfly and SmugMug allow 3rd party (i.e Cruise Critic) sharing

Please see the original post below for additional information

For those of us who are not tech savvy, could you provide an example of an "embed a free extension"? What is an embed a free extension, and where would it be found?

SBtS