Quebec Pier 30 questions

We're going to be docked at Pier 30 in Quebec City on October 4/5. I'm curious about what facilities will be available there and what is the best way to get into the old city. Is there any chance of a shuttle?

We're dealing with a gimp knee, so are trying to limit our walking to the walking we really want to do.

I'd really appreciate any information you can share. If it matters, we'll be on Eurodam.

Thanks.

The only help I can offer is the link to Tom's Port Guide for Quebec which may answer some of your concerns.

CC member Cruzer Two has posted an excellent video of his visit to Quebec earlier this year.

SBtS

Some info. in this recent HAL thread:

"Pier 30, in Quebec"

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2260053&highlight=quebec+pier+30

Thank you for the link. I'm really hoping for a shuttle!

We're going to be docked at Pier 30 in Quebec City on October 4/5. I'm curious about what facilities will be available there and what is the best way to get into the old city. Is there any chance of a shuttle?

 

We're dealing with a gimp knee, so are trying to limit our walking to the walking we really want to do.

 

I'd really appreciate any information you can share. If it matters, we'll be on Eurodam.

 

Thanks.

We just docked at Pier 30 last Friday and there were taxis waiting to take people to old city. I didn't find the walk far but it would be if you had knee issues. I am sorry but I didn't see a shuttle.

We're going to be docked at Pier 30 in Quebec City on October 4/5. I'm curious about what facilities will be available there and what is the best way to get into the old city. Is there any chance of a shuttle?

 

We're dealing with a gimp knee, so are trying to limit our walking to the walking we really want to do.

 

I'd really appreciate any information you can share. If it matters, we'll be on Eurodam.

 

Thanks.

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO Koshlong: Unfortunately, cruise lines don't make arrangements for shuttle buses at Quebec City. It is a walkable city, but, that doesn't help you. You could take a taxi, but, they may be pricey. Or you could take a tour. Many of the tours use buses. Hope you are able to get around and see Quebec City. Been there several times and it really is a nice city.

We were at Pier 30 a few weeks ago on the Celebrity Summit. It was an overnight stay. A shuttle bus was provided (don't know by whom) to the edge of the Lower Town both days. While convenient and got one out of the port area, it was still several blocks to the core of the LT, which could be a problem with bad knee(s) or other impairments to walking. It's a commercial dock area so it wouldn't be a good place to have to walk out of! I don't remember seeing any taxis sitting around, waiting to offer pax a ride.

Thanks for the help. We've been to Quebec a few times, but always on land trips.

I guess the idea is to HOPE for a shuttle, but plan to take a taxi and/or look for a tour.

New question: if we take a taxi, where's a good place to be let off? We want to look around a bit, but also have places to sit to let the knee rest.

Any suggestions for a good place to have lunch?

The ones I've seen with good reviews...

Le Lapin Saute

Cafe du Monde

Le Chic Shack

L'Antique Buffet

Le Petit Cochon Dingue

Check TripAdvisor for more

Thanks for the help. We've been to Quebec a few times, but always on land trips.

 

I guess the idea is to HOPE for a shuttle, but plan to take a taxi and/or look for a tour.

 

New question: if we take a taxi, where's a good place to be let off? We want to look around a bit, but also have places to sit to let the knee rest.

 

Any suggestions for a good place to have lunch?

Place Royale in the center of the lower town is quite large and has a number of large benches. All the streets are cobblestone, but there are smooth sidewalks in many places.

More important is to reply to your cruiseline' telling them that Pier 30 is unacceptable and no reason why Pier 22 cannot be booked as it is so much more convenient. The Canada cruises going to Quebec are not prevalent and generally not cheap. Thus, expecting better placement is a must! In Quebec. If word gets out of how one is docked opposite a Paper Mill, a good distance from anywhere walkable of intetest, bookings will go down. I for one will be asking what pier the ship is docking at before booking this, my favorite cruise again. We were on Celebrity which only does it 3x a year and expect much better! Vicki

I have no idea who decides which ship gets to dock where in Quebec City. I just know that there were already 3 ships there on 9/13 when our ship, the Celebrity Summit, docked that day at 10 am at Dock 30. The HAL Veendam had been there, on the river, since 9/11 and left at 4 pm on 9/13. The World, docked on the river forward of the Veendam, came in on 9/12 and left on 9/14 at 10 pm. The third ship, which we never saw, was a small one (200+ pax) was there from 9/12 until midnight on 9/13. So the port was very busy over that period of time. The Summit was the last of the 4 to arrive. It was also the largest, although not large by today's standard, at 1,950 pax. The next time the Summit visits (9/27-9/28) it may have the more favorable location as only the Veendam will be there and it leaves at 4 pm on 9/27.

I have no idea who decides which ship gets to dock where in Quebec City. I just know that there were already 3 ships there on 9/13 when our ship, the Celebrity Summit, docked that day at 10 am at Dock 30. The HAL Veendam had been there, on the river, since 9/11 and left at 4 pm on 9/13. The World, docked on the river forward of the Veendam, came in on 9/12 and left on 9/14 at 10 pm. The third ship, which we never saw, was a small one (200+ pax) was there from 9/12 until midnight on 9/13. So the port was very busy over that period of time. The Summit was the last of the 4 to arrive. It was also the largest, although not large by today's standard, at 1,950 pax. The next time the Summit visits (9/27-9/28) it may have the more favorable location as only the Veendam will be there and it leaves at 4 pm on 9/27.

No, I checked with Officer Kim before my gripe to Celebrity. All 3 NE/CA cruises are scheduled for Pier 30'and have been since early February. Obviously there is more to this situation than we will ever know, but important for those with challenges to know....pier 30 is not convenient to anything in Quebec Perhaps they could make the tours they do supply from there more accessible and easier to book. Such a disappointment as in 2012 with Celebrity we were at Pier 22 opposite the hotel and being overnight enjoyed the city and all its beauty day and night. V.

No, I checked with Officer Kim before my gripe to Celebrity. All 3 NE/CA cruises are scheduled for Pier 30'and have been since early February. Obviously there is more to this situation than we will ever know, but important for those with challenges to know....pier 30 is not convenient to anything in Quebec Perhaps they could make the tours they do supply from there more accessible and easier to book. Such a disappointment as in 2012 with Celebrity we were at Pier 22 opposite the hotel and being overnight enjoyed the city and all its beauty day and night. V.

Yes, it was a disappointment to be so far from the city and even the shuttle left pax on the edge of the Lower Town, several blocks from any of the attractions there. I guess we've become used to the fact that the larger ships we cruise on are not always docked in convenient places, making it even more difficult for pax with disabilities.

Here is present schedule. I don't know how often this is updated

http://www.portquebec.ca/en/cruises/vessel-schedules/seasonal-schedule

Here is present schedule. I don't know how often this is updated

 

http://www.portquebec.ca/en/cruises/vessel-schedules/seasonal-schedule

Updated 10/7/15 @ 13:20.

We were on the Serenade a few weeks ago and had the same issues with no transportation to the old town. The taxi's were only for tours. I asked about a shuttle service and spoke with a port supervisor and was told they had asked the ship about providing this service as they often do at this location and they were told NO. She was very surprised by this. I timed our walk to the Funicular and it was a good 40 minute walk. We had many older people on he cruise. They shore staff told them it was a 10 minute walk, or worse said they were already in old town??!! It's a 10 minute walk if you're 18 and on the track team!

I was also told that HAL get's preference on the dockage as they go there all summer. I don't know how true that is but it's what the shore staff told me:rolleyes:

For people preparing their cruise for next year... More info. on the Quebec City port area and pier 30 in this recent HAL thread (post #18-19):

"Cruise Review of Eurodam - Quebec to Ft Lauderdale Oct 2015"

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2273279

We were on the Serenade a few weeks ago and had the same issues with no transportation to the old town. I timed our walk to the Funicular and it was a good 40 minute walk.

 

I was also told that HAL get's preference on the dockage as they go there all summer. I don't know how true that is but it's what the shore staff told me:rolleyes:

I was a little upset when our ship Celebrity Summit docked at Pier 30 in Quebec on October 11. A few days later, I was quite happy when we docked at the pier in Sydney while the HAL Maasdam was in the bay using tenders. I was wondering if the lines trade off on good vs bad docking for these Canada/New England cruises. I imagine there is a lot of competition between the different lines to get a favorable spot.

Some of it has to do with how big the docks are as well as how much the cruise line wants to pay. I believe that the port costs are lower when you don't use the docks.

Also I was reading Tom's guide to Quebec and there was a note about a dock that was being repaired and scheduled for re-opening in 2016. The dock is just below the two preferred docks and looks large enough to handle the bigger ships. It could be that dock 30 could be a substitute for this other dock while it was being refirbd.

. . .I was wondering if the lines trade off on good vs bad docking for these Canada/New England cruises. . . .

I don't think so as we had Pier 30 in QC and tendered in Sydney on our 2-week RT cruise out NYC on the Celebrity Summit, 9/6-9/20! A Crystal ship got the pier in Sydney.

Looked into this further and was told HAL gets pier 22 as it comes there more often. Hugely inconvenient is pier 30. It certainly affects my future plans with Celebrity as it WAS a favorite of ours. Vicki

More important is to reply to your cruiseline' telling them that Pier 30 is unacceptable and no reason why Pier 22 cannot be booked as it is so much more convenient. The Canada cruises going to Quebec are not prevalent and generally not cheap. Thus, expecting better placement is a must! In Quebec. If word gets out of how one is docked opposite a Paper Mill, a good distance from anywhere walkable of intetest, bookings will go down. I for one will be asking what pier the ship is docking at before booking this, my favorite cruise again. We were on Celebrity which only does it 3x a year and expect much better! Vicki

Final assignments are made by Harbormaster though it sometimes depends upon what the cruise line is willing to pay.

We sailed Maasdam, b-to-b, Boston to Montreal to Boston, a great many times and every time we were in Quebec City we had the great dock. It was so convenient and such a beautiful view to wake in the morning and look up from our verandah to Chateau Frontenac. It's a fabulous port.

Calling to ask which dock a cruise line will use is not particularly helpful as it often can change. Once we were scheduled for our usual dock at Quebec City but Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were scheduled to visit same day. The navy vessel on which they were sailing was scheduled to dock at the 'good dock' but that changed and we were happy to wake in the morning at our usual dock. :)