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My DW and MIL are going on the Norwegian Dawn this Sept. from Quebec City to Boston. They have a couple of questions:

 

1. Are these enough things to see in port or do they need to sign-up for excursions? Ports include: Cornerbrook; Sydney, Nova Scotia; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Saint John; and Bar Harbor, Maine

 

2. Are the seas usually rough at that time of the year?

 

Thanks.

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We did a New England/Canada cruise in mid Sept. 2011 and loved it! The seas were a bit more choppy due to an active hurricane season going on at this time, so depends on the storm activity. Weather was warm enough for capri pants and short sleeves with an all weather jacket for backup. Novia Scotia is a wonderful port with a huge waterfront shopping area, ship museum, and restaurants. Loved this port, but really loved an excursion we took to Peggy's Cove. Bar Harbour, Maine was my favorite port and you could absolutely spend the day with no booked excursion, sightseeing in the city port area. St. John, to me would have to be an excursion trip as I don't remember it being too great a port area. I don't know about the other ports, but hope this was helpful to you!

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Cornerbrook; Sydney, Nova Scotia; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Saint John

 

Halifax is a wonderful port to explore on your own, but it is also great to rent a car and go to Peggy's Cove or even as far as Lunenburg.

 

For Sydney you need to get out to town and have three choices:

 

1. Fortress Louisbourg - you can get there by renting a car easily or take a private or ship's excursion

 

2. Baddeck and possibly Iona - as above, but I recommend renting a car because you can do more such as take the scenic drive to Iona

 

3. See a small part of the Cabot Trail. Ship's tours go as far as Ingonish Beach. On your own you could get a bit farther.

 

 

For Cornerbrook, I would rent a car and drive into Gros Morne National Park.

 

For these and other ports if you go back to the main Ports of Call - Canada page and do a search you will find many previous posts.

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We just returned from a Carnival cruise to Sydney, Halifax & Saint John on Sunday. Here's my impressions:

 

Saint John - 1-some shopping in the area, 2-the reversing rapids - the harbor walkway is under construction so to get there you have to walk along some train tracks or cut through a ship yard. We actually ended up on the street & walked - it was a long walk & I'm sure that there was an easier way to get there. Once at the rapids, there is a look out area, also you can walk down to where they have the ziplining (only available through the ship) & jet boat rides (can book on own - you will get wet). Both were fun to watch.

There were maps given out as soon as you got to port. The locals would suggest diy walking tours (as I'm sure there are some threads on here that do). You can rent bikes if you feel like it at the port. We found it interesting enough to do without doing an excursion. Others on our ship rented cars & drove to the seacaves & really liked it.

 

Halifax - 1-we took a public bus to the Fairview cemetary - info desk at port mapped it out for us. Cost 2.25 pp U.S. & you ask for a transfer when you get on. We ran into two other families doing the same thing. I really liked the cemetary - maybe I just felt that it was more authentic than other Titanic attractions because here I felt like I was actually paying my respects to those that died that day. There are plenty of tours that will be there & you can stand nearby to hear their guide tell their stories of different headstones or passengers.

2-after the cemetary, we used our transfer to return to town & take a bus up to the Public Gardens. they were free to get in & beautiful. Shopping available around this area as well. 3-you can walk up to the Citadel. We went up but did not pay to go in as no one in our party was that into old forts. but it was a nice view of the city. 4-from there, you can walk down to the Mariner Museum & shops along the wharf. We didn't go into the museum because it was cold & the kids were anxious to get back on the ship. We did do some shopping though.

 

Sydney - probably the prettiest of the three ports since it really is a small northern coastal town. There is a harbor walkway which had a man with guitar singing (I could have listened to him for a while). Some crafts & shopping at the port (also a museum upstairs) as well as crafts at St. George's church. Not much else though so some will tell you that you have to go on an excursion since there is nothing really in Sydney. Maybe because it was the last port & we were close to the end of our cruise, we just had fun wandering around. Others on the ship hated the port so its all opinion. There truly isn't much to do aside from shop & wander around the town but I liked it. On the way back there was a man playing bagpipes in the port (waiting for a tour to begin). I loved standing there listening to him.

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One more thing about Sydney - on another thread there is great detail about how to take a public bus to the miner's museum. the bus is around $2.75 pp, the museum is $6 & then the mine tour is another $6. We almost did that.

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Quebec City, Quebec

10:00am - Overnighter - 4:00pm. We berthed at the Quebec City Wharf #93 which is on the edge of Old Quebec. Easily walkable. Grab a seat in The Bar at the Edge of the Earth on Deck 11 to view the impressive approach to the city via the Saint-Laurent Seaway, berthing just below the imposing fortification defenses and Chateau Frontenac. We arrived about 11:00 am to 20-30 mph winds, rain, sleet, heavy snow and a 33-degree high. It was downright miserable, so we wasted no time and went for a walk, thankful for our rabbit-lined mad bomber hats we purchased at the L.L. Bean Outlet in Portland, Maine. We had originally intended to visit Montmorency Falls but saved it for our second day in hopes that the wether might improve.

 

Quebec City's population speaks French. All the signage is also in French. We strolled the many shops in the lower city, with friendly greetings of "bonjour" upon entry at each, as we worked our way up to Chateau Frontenac --- a very impressive hotel and landmark that was built in the late 19th Century. It turned out to be our respite from the sandblasting sleet and cold. Once we warmed up we headed out for a tour of the Citadel.

 

The Citadel (a AAA Gem) was built from 1820 to 1850 and contains over 25 buildings. It is a huge fortification and home to the governor-general. Since it is still an active military facility (the largest fortification in North America garrisoned by regular troops), guided tours are mandatory. We slogged our way through two inches of accumulated snow and heavy winds to the entrance where there is a small museum display. Continuing into the Citadel, we made our way to the tour office where we were greeted by a guide. We signed up for a tour ($10 pp), which turned out to be a private tour since apparently no one else was crazy enough to show up in this weather. The tour lasted about 75 minutes and included time in two museums on the site. The museums included dioramas, weapons, and artifacts on the many wars that occurred here and those overseas in which Canadians fought. Exiting the Citadel, we got some great winter pictures of the fortification walls, arches, and fairy tale like streets of the city.

 

We woke up the second day to beautiful sunny skies. Having not noticed any local taxis at the pier on day one, we opted for a ship excursion to Sainte-Anne-De-Beaupre (St. Anne Basilica) and Montmorency Falls. It was a 3-hour morning tour for $56 pp, plus tip, including all entrance and parking fees. The bus ride out of the city gave us picturesque views of a snow-dusted country side as we made our way out to St. Anne Basilica. It's a huge complex. The church itself is stunningly beautiful, with its stained glass windows, archways, ornate columns, and mosaic ceilings. It houses two relics: an arm bone and another bone fragment from Saint Anne (Mary's mother, Jesus' "grandmother"). The main floor includes numerous alcoves dedicated to specific Saints for individual prayer. Doors and pews are carved. The entrance doors are adorned with embossed scenes --- two on each side of every door.

 

The second stop on the tour was Montmorency Falls (a AAA Gem). The Falls are 270-feet high --- about 50% taller than Niagra Falls (though not nearly as wide). There is a visitors center at the bottom of the falls. A gondola ($8 pp) provides rides to the top and there is also a footpath with grueling stairs that will take you the long way around to the top as well. We opted for the bus ride to the top instead. There is a footbridge which spans the top of the Falls. And once again you have a choice as there are two routes to the bridge. The easiest route is to take the path above Montmorency Manor. The more scenic path, with a couple of stairways starts in front of the Manor. It's about the same distance either way. We opted for the easy route up and the scenic route back. Lots of good picture taking opportunities. Our tour guide was very good and provided us with great information. Upon our return to the ship I found several taxi van tours offering a similar tour for $41 pp for parties of 6. I would recommend this tour.

 

After lunch we set out for the Farmers Market (Place du Marche du Vieux Port). The Farmers Market is the best place in town to buy maple syrup ($8 for a 524 ml can), maple butter, maple fudge, produce, seafood, wine, and other products de Quebec. It's a level 30-minute walk or take Quebec City's small white and blue electric bus called The Ecolobus. It's free, and it's ideal for cruise ship passengers, as it starts its route right at the Ferry Terminal (which, depending upon where your ship is docked, either right at, or within two blocks, of your ship). It runs every 20-minutes. You catch it at any regular bus stop along the route, which includes access to the upper town as well. We caught the Ecolobus next to the Ferry Terminal (it's a glass-enclosed bus stop at the corner of du Marche-Champlain and Dalhousie) and then walked back.

 

Halifax, Nova Scotia

10:00am - 6:00pm. We berthed at Pier 20 which is the closest pier to town. It is easily walkable. Halifax offers a local FRED (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown) bus that runs from 10:30am - 5:00pm. It stops at the Cruise Ship Pavilion/Pier 21 on the :30/:10/:50 and at the Top of the Halifax Citadel on the :48/:28/:08. Frankly, we never saw the bus. It's easy to walk around town but it is a tough 30-minute walk up to the Citadel as it is mostly uphill all the way. We did it, as did many others, so don't let the hill dissuade you. Once inside the Citadel ($7.25 pp, AAA Gem) there were a number of very interesting demonstrations by members of the 78th Highlanders regiment in period uniforms. They discussed each piece of the uniform, fired weapons, and demonstrated cannon movement. A 50-minute movie on the history of Halifax was also worthwhile, as were the museum displays. You'll enjoy panoramic views from the top of the fort as well.

 

Walking down from the Citadel was easy. We lunched at McKelvies (located directly across the street from the Maritime Museum). McKelvies is where you want to go to enjoy tender, buttery, melt in your mouth, Digby scallops, and lobster rolls (properly moistened with a little mayonnaise, and bits of celery and onion). It all goes down good with a Garrison Irish Red draft beer. This is where we enjoyed the best Digby scallops and lobster rolls on this cruise.

 

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic ($8.50 pp, AAA Gem) has numerous ship related exhibits including the Titanic, sunken treasure, lighthouses, ship models, and other maritime artifacts. A short movie on the 1917 explosion in Halifax Harbour (the world's largest man-made explosion before Hiroshima) was very interesting.

 

Hint: A short 10-minute walk from the ship is an Atlantic Super Store (grocery). Take a left on Terminal and a quick left on Hollis. You can't miss it. Good opportunity to pick up a 12-pack of your favorite soda (made with sugar instead of corn syrup), or other sundry items you may have forgotten to pack.

 

Sydney, Nova Scotia

8:00am - 4:00pm. We berthed at the Sydney Marine Terminal located at the corner of York and Esplanade. You are in town. There really isn't much of note in the town itself. You've got to get out of town. Fortunately, they have good local bus service. We set our sights on The Miners' Museum (a AAA Gem) located in nearby Glace Bay. They are open 10:00am - 6:00pm and costs $6 pp + Mine Tour $6 pp. The bus stop is about 4 blocks from the pier. Take Esplanade to Dorchester to George. Wait at the glass-enclosed bus stop on Dorchester just short of George Street. Take the #1 Glace Bay bus at 9:00am. It may arrive early but it will wait and leave on the hour. The ride takes about 50 minutes. Once you arrive in Glace Bay, get off on Commercial (between Marconi and York, across the street from Tim Hortons). Walk downhill on Commercial St. Commercial becomes South after you cross over a stream. Continue on South St and turn left at Birkley St. The museum will be straight ahead, about 2 blocks. (Total walk is 1.1 km, which will take you about 20 minutes). You will see occasional signage.

 

The Miners' Museum has a movie and exhibits on coal mining, methods, tools, and history. The real value in visiting the museum is the tour, led by retired coal miners who share with you their coal mining experiences. You go underground into a 1932 'room and pillar' coal mine where you will see coal-lined walls and learn from a true insider about the mining methods and working conditions. He will share his stories with you as you enter one tunnel after another. The tour is advertised to last 20 minutes. Our 10-person tour lasted at least an hour. Highly recommended!

 

Catch the return bus on Marconi Street, near where you arrived, at Noon or 1:00pm (and arrive 1 hour later). If you get back to the bus stop a little early, stop in at Tim Hortons for a fresh Krispy Kreme-style doughnut or muffin, and coffee or hot chocolate.

 

Cost for the bus is $3.25pp 1 way (except Saturdays where all fares are just 1 Loonie). Discount bus fare books of $13.75 can be bought for $12.50 at any Shoppers Drug Mart store or Sydney Citizen Service Centre (320 Esplanade in Sydney 8:30am - 4:30pm). Allow a total of 6 hours for this excursion (1.5 hours for the bus and walk each way and 3 hours for the museum and mine tour).

 

Saint John, New Brunswick (Bay of Fundy)

8:00am - 6:00pm. We berthed at the Marco Polo Terminal (formerly known as the Pugsley Terminal), which is literally right in town and close to the Harbour Passage Walking Trail. Upon arrival, women were presented a rose and men were given a lapel pin souvenir. You can walk to Reversing Falls (no falls, really just rapids) along the Harbour Passage from the cruise area in about 50 minutes. If you get there while the tide is rising you'll see the river water running inland from the ocean. The rapids occur when the rising tide coming in is fighting the out flowing river water.

 

Exit the pier and turn left. Follow the red sidewalk along Water Street until you see a Moose on your left. Turn left and walk towards, and then around along the boardwalk in front of, the Hilton. Once you clear the Hilton you'll see an entrance to the Harbour Passage with a sign overhead and the red sidewalk once again. Follow the riverside trail until it dead ends under a bridge, then backtrack a little and follow the red concrete trail to the road. (Ignore all of the other forks you encounter along the way). Turn left and stay on the sidewalk next to the highway all the rest of the way. Don't worry that they failed to paint this sidewalk red. You will eventually get to the Reversing Falls lookout which once again will feature a Harbour Passage sign overhead and a red walkway. Most folks continue from here and cross over the bridge to the other side of the river for more impressive views. There are two restaurants and one has a short movie you can view. There are a number of good lookout points as well as a dock for river tours. Across the parking lot is an elevated park with great views of the surrounding area.

 

If you don't want to walk back, you can catch the #2 Bus back into town. Catch the bus at the corner of the parking lot, at the entrance, across from where the restaurants are. Bus fare is $2.50 pp and it runs every 20 minutes. The ride will take just 10 minutes. Get off at Barbours General Store, about 2 blocks from the ship. If you don't wish to walk at all, there may be a private shuttle boat called the Falls Shuttle Service and they go out to the falls and back for $4.00.

 

Back in town we visited the New Brunswick Museum ($6.00, AAA Gem) in market square. This family museum has dioramas of logging operations, intensive shipbuilding exhibits, artifacts recovered from sunken ships, art, whale and mastodon skeletons, a hall of stuffed birds, and children's discovery exhibits. Worthwhile.

 

We ate lunch at Billy's Seafood Company located at the far end of City Mall on Charlotte Street across from Kings Square. We enjoyed a pint of Pump House Blueberry draft beer with our "Seafood Splash" which consisted of a 1.00lb lobster, 8 Digby scallops, 8 Grand Island clams, and a dozen P.E.I. Blue Mussels. It was a good sampler platter ($36).

 

Celebrity Constellation and Seven New England and Atlantic Canadian Ports: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/constellation.html

Detailed information on the Celebrity Constellation and the ports of Boston, Portland, Halifax, Quebec City, Charlottetown, Sydney, and Saint John.

 

Boston is a great city. You'll have a blast!

A Week In Boston: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/boston.html

Detailed tips to get the most out of your trip to Boston.

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Dear Caribbeanbound: Wow! Thanks so much for posting this. Your intelligence and interest in life shines through. You have given clear descriptions of what you saw and did and how you went about it. I will be keeping this link in my notes.

 

You will have to come back again several times at least to do all the things you did not get to on this trip. These are great ports to visit.

 

For those reading this, the reason the OP did not see FRED in Halifax is that it is no longer operating.

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maryann ns,

Thank you for the kind words. We look forward to a return trip this summer to Halifax and St. John. We will be renting cars in both locations. Will definitely visit Peggy's Cove with lunch at Ryer Lobster Pound. Interested in any other suggestions you may have for these two cities.

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Please note Harbour Passage is unfortunately closed this summer (from Long Wharf onwards) due to construction on bridge above section of passage. You'll need to take a bus or cab to reversing falls. (2013 anyhow)

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

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For visiting Bar Harbor Maine take a look at the New England port Boards a lot of info there. A couple of years ago we had a wonderful am tour to Arcadia National Park with Oli's Trolley. You need to call them ahead of time and make reservations as the tour is quite popular. We returned at apx 1130 or so and plenty of time for lunch and just walking around. Bar Harbour is very pretty and lots of fun shops to browse through. This was one of our favorite ports.:)

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One more thing about Sydney - on another thread there is great detail about how to take a public bus to the miner's museum. the bus is around $2.75 pp, the museum is $6 & then the mine tour is another $6. We almost did that.

 

I just moved to Sydney and have already found several things of interest (I haven't had much time off from work yet, but I am collecting a list of "to do") I have already visited an Interpretive Centre for the local aboriginal peoples http://www.membertouheritagepark.com there was a nominal fee of I think $7.50 and when I was there they had a smudging (blessing) and dance ceremony. lasted about an hour. I believe I saw a sign stating they had free shuttles at the pier for their museum. If you rent a car there is a golf course only 10 minutes out of town -Fabulous Foursome Golf Courses http://www.golfcapebreton.com This is on the way to Glace Bay where there is the Miner's Museum and they have tours down into the mines - I did that years ago and loved it! If you are not tired of the water there are several tour operators doing Kayaks tours and that is on my upcoming list as summer is here. was 33 celcius today!

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Allow a total of 6 hours for this excursion (Miners' Museum) (1.5 hours for the bus and walk each way and 3 hours for the museum and mine tour).

 

Can anyone else comment on the time this takes? I will be in Sydney for 7 hrs total. Is it too much to try to fit in?

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Sydney has several historic homes. I'd recommend the Jost House. Entry was $2 or $3.

The ship offered a walking tour. We did it on our own but I met the tour guide who was our guide at the Jost House.

Halifax. At Pier 21 (when you get off the ship turn left) and visit the Immigration Museum. Good film, lots to see, and take the free tour for more description. Make sure you walk thru the train exhibition and listen to some of the immigrants stories. Moving.

There also is a nice boardwalk from the ship to the Maritime Museum (when you leave the ship turn right). It has an exhibit on the Titanic (many are buried in Halifax) and an exhibit on the explosion in 1917 in Halifax Harbor. The city of Boston was one of the first responders and each year Halifax sends a beautiful Christmas tree as thanks.

It was too foggy at port for us to even see the Citadel so we decided not to hike up the hill (we'll save it for another visit). There are 2 breweries -- one right across the pier from the ship -- if you want to try a local beer.

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Quebec City, Quebec

10:00am - Overnighter - 4:00pm. We berthed at the Quebec City Wharf #93 which is on the edge of Old Quebec. Easily walkable. Grab a seat in The Bar at the Edge of the Earth on Deck 11 to view the impressive approach to the city via the Saint-Laurent Seaway, berthing just below the imposing fortification defenses and Chateau Frontenac. We arrived about 11:00 am to 20-30 mph winds, rain, sleet, heavy snow and a 33-degree high. It was downright miserable, so we wasted no time and went for a walk, thankful for our rabbit-lined mad bomber hats we purchased at the L.L. Bean Outlet in Portland, Maine. We had originally intended to visit Montmorency Falls but saved it for our second day in hopes that the wether might improve.

 

Quebec City's population speaks French. All the signage is also in French. We strolled the many shops in the lower city, with friendly greetings of "bonjour" upon entry at each, as we worked our way up to Chateau Frontenac --- a very impressive hotel and landmark that was built in the late 19th Century. It turned out to be our respite from the sandblasting sleet and cold. Once we warmed up we headed out for a tour of the Citadel.

 

The Citadel (a AAA Gem) was built from 1820 to 1850 and contains over 25 buildings. It is a huge fortification and home to the governor-general. Since it is still an active military facility (the largest fortification in North America garrisoned by regular troops), guided tours are mandatory. We slogged our way through two inches of accumulated snow and heavy winds to the entrance where there is a small museum display. Continuing into the Citadel, we made our way to the tour office where we were greeted by a guide. We signed up for a tour ($10 pp), which turned out to be a private tour since apparently no one else was crazy enough to show up in this weather. The tour lasted about 75 minutes and included time in two museums on the site. The museums included dioramas, weapons, and artifacts on the many wars that occurred here and those overseas in which Canadians fought. Exiting the Citadel, we got some great winter pictures of the fortification walls, arches, and fairy tale like streets of the city.

 

We woke up the second day to beautiful sunny skies. Having not noticed any local taxis at the pier on day one, we opted for a ship excursion to Sainte-Anne-De-Beaupre (St. Anne Basilica) and Montmorency Falls. It was a 3-hour morning tour for $56 pp, plus tip, including all entrance and parking fees. The bus ride out of the city gave us picturesque views of a snow-dusted country side as we made our way out to St. Anne Basilica. It's a huge complex. The church itself is stunningly beautiful, with its stained glass windows, archways, ornate columns, and mosaic ceilings. It houses two relics: an arm bone and another bone fragment from Saint Anne (Mary's mother, Jesus' "grandmother"). The main floor includes numerous alcoves dedicated to specific Saints for individual prayer. Doors and pews are carved. The entrance doors are adorned with embossed scenes --- two on each side of every door.

 

The second stop on the tour was Montmorency Falls (a AAA Gem). The Falls are 270-feet high --- about 50% taller than Niagra Falls (though not nearly as wide). There is a visitors center at the bottom of the falls. A gondola ($8 pp) provides rides to the top and there is also a footpath with grueling stairs that will take you the long way around to the top as well. We opted for the bus ride to the top instead. There is a footbridge which spans the top of the Falls. And once again you have a choice as there are two routes to the bridge. The easiest route is to take the path above Montmorency Manor. The more scenic path, with a couple of stairways starts in front of the Manor. It's about the same distance either way. We opted for the easy route up and the scenic route back. Lots of good picture taking opportunities. Our tour guide was very good and provided us with great information. Upon our return to the ship I found several taxi van tours offering a similar tour for $41 pp for parties of 6. I would recommend this tour.

 

After lunch we set out for the Farmers Market (Place du Marche du Vieux Port). The Farmers Market is the best place in town to buy maple syrup ($8 for a 524 ml can), maple butter, maple fudge, produce, seafood, wine, and other products de Quebec. It's a level 30-minute walk or take Quebec City's small white and blue electric bus called The Ecolobus. It's free, and it's ideal for cruise ship passengers, as it starts its route right at the Ferry Terminal (which, depending upon where your ship is docked, either right at, or within two blocks, of your ship). It runs every 20-minutes. You catch it at any regular bus stop along the route, which includes access to the upper town as well. We caught the Ecolobus next to the Ferry Terminal (it's a glass-enclosed bus stop at the corner of du Marche-Champlain and Dalhousie) and then walked back.

 

Halifax, Nova Scotia

10:00am - 6:00pm. We berthed at Pier 20 which is the closest pier to town. It is easily walkable. Halifax offers a local FRED (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown) bus that runs from 10:30am - 5:00pm. It stops at the Cruise Ship Pavilion/Pier 21 on the :30/:10/:50 and at the Top of the Halifax Citadel on the :48/:28/:08. Frankly, we never saw the bus. It's easy to walk around town but it is a tough 30-minute walk up to the Citadel as it is mostly uphill all the way. We did it, as did many others, so don't let the hill dissuade you. Once inside the Citadel ($7.25 pp, AAA Gem) there were a number of very interesting demonstrations by members of the 78th Highlanders regiment in period uniforms. They discussed each piece of the uniform, fired weapons, and demonstrated cannon movement. A 50-minute movie on the history of Halifax was also worthwhile, as were the museum displays. You'll enjoy panoramic views from the top of the fort as well.

 

Walking down from the Citadel was easy. We lunched at McKelvies (located directly across the street from the Maritime Museum). McKelvies is where you want to go to enjoy tender, buttery, melt in your mouth, Digby scallops, and lobster rolls (properly moistened with a little mayonnaise, and bits of celery and onion). It all goes down good with a Garrison Irish Red draft beer. This is where we enjoyed the best Digby scallops and lobster rolls on this cruise.

 

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic ($8.50 pp, AAA Gem) has numerous ship related exhibits including the Titanic, sunken treasure, lighthouses, ship models, and other maritime artifacts. A short movie on the 1917 explosion in Halifax Harbour (the world's largest man-made explosion before Hiroshima) was very interesting.

 

Hint: A short 10-minute walk from the ship is an Atlantic Super Store (grocery). Take a left on Terminal and a quick left on Hollis. You can't miss it. Good opportunity to pick up a 12-pack of your favorite soda (made with sugar instead of corn syrup), or other sundry items you may have forgotten to pack.

 

Sydney, Nova Scotia

8:00am - 4:00pm. We berthed at the Sydney Marine Terminal located at the corner of York and Esplanade. You are in town. There really isn't much of note in the town itself. You've got to get out of town. Fortunately, they have good local bus service. We set our sights on The Miners' Museum (a AAA Gem) located in nearby Glace Bay. They are open 10:00am - 6:00pm and costs $6 pp + Mine Tour $6 pp. The bus stop is about 4 blocks from the pier. Take Esplanade to Dorchester to George. Wait at the glass-enclosed bus stop on Dorchester just short of George Street. Take the #1 Glace Bay bus at 9:00am. It may arrive early but it will wait and leave on the hour. The ride takes about 50 minutes. Once you arrive in Glace Bay, get off on Commercial (between Marconi and York, across the street from Tim Hortons). Walk downhill on Commercial St. Commercial becomes South after you cross over a stream. Continue on South St and turn left at Birkley St. The museum will be straight ahead, about 2 blocks. (Total walk is 1.1 km, which will take you about 20 minutes). You will see occasional signage.

 

The Miners' Museum has a movie and exhibits on coal mining, methods, tools, and history. The real value in visiting the museum is the tour, led by retired coal miners who share with you their coal mining experiences. You go underground into a 1932 'room and pillar' coal mine where you will see coal-lined walls and learn from a true insider about the mining methods and working conditions. He will share his stories with you as you enter one tunnel after another. The tour is advertised to last 20 minutes. Our 10-person tour lasted at least an hour. Highly recommended!

 

Catch the return bus on Marconi Street, near where you arrived, at Noon or 1:00pm (and arrive 1 hour later). If you get back to the bus stop a little early, stop in at Tim Hortons for a fresh Krispy Kreme-style doughnut or muffin, and coffee or hot chocolate.

 

Cost for the bus is $3.25pp 1 way (except Saturdays where all fares are just 1 Loonie). Discount bus fare books of $13.75 can be bought for $12.50 at any Shoppers Drug Mart store or Sydney Citizen Service Centre (320 Esplanade in Sydney 8:30am - 4:30pm). Allow a total of 6 hours for this excursion (1.5 hours for the bus and walk each way and 3 hours for the museum and mine tour).

 

Saint John, New Brunswick (Bay of Fundy)

8:00am - 6:00pm. We berthed at the Marco Polo Terminal (formerly known as the Pugsley Terminal), which is literally right in town and close to the Harbour Passage Walking Trail. Upon arrival, women were presented a rose and men were given a lapel pin souvenir. You can walk to Reversing Falls (no falls, really just rapids) along the Harbour Passage from the cruise area in about 50 minutes. If you get there while the tide is rising you'll see the river water running inland from the ocean. The rapids occur when the rising tide coming in is fighting the out flowing river water.

 

Exit the pier and turn left. Follow the red sidewalk along Water Street until you see a Moose on your left. Turn left and walk towards, and then around along the boardwalk in front of, the Hilton. Once you clear the Hilton you'll see an entrance to the Harbour Passage with a sign overhead and the red sidewalk once again. Follow the riverside trail until it dead ends under a bridge, then backtrack a little and follow the red concrete trail to the road. (Ignore all of the other forks you encounter along the way). Turn left and stay on the sidewalk next to the highway all the rest of the way. Don't worry that they failed to paint this sidewalk red. You will eventually get to the Reversing Falls lookout which once again will feature a Harbour Passage sign overhead and a red walkway. Most folks continue from here and cross over the bridge to the other side of the river for more impressive views. There are two restaurants and one has a short movie you can view. There are a number of good lookout points as well as a dock for river tours. Across the parking lot is an elevated park with great views of the surrounding area.

 

If you don't want to walk back, you can catch the #2 Bus back into town. Catch the bus at the corner of the parking lot, at the entrance, across from where the restaurants are. Bus fare is $2.50 pp and it runs every 20 minutes. The ride will take just 10 minutes. Get off at Barbours General Store, about 2 blocks from the ship. If you don't wish to walk at all, there may be a private shuttle boat called the Falls Shuttle Service and they go out to the falls and back for $4.00.

 

Back in town we visited the New Brunswick Museum ($6.00, AAA Gem) in market square. This family museum has dioramas of logging operations, intensive shipbuilding exhibits, artifacts recovered from sunken ships, art, whale and mastodon skeletons, a hall of stuffed birds, and children's discovery exhibits. Worthwhile.

 

We ate lunch at Billy's Seafood Company located at the far end of City Mall on Charlotte Street across from Kings Square. We enjoyed a pint of Pump House Blueberry draft beer with our "Seafood Splash" which consisted of a 1.00lb lobster, 8 Digby scallops, 8 Grand Island clams, and a dozen P.E.I. Blue Mussels. It was a good sampler platter ($36).

 

Celebrity Constellation and Seven New England and Atlantic Canadian Ports: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/constellation.html

Detailed information on the Celebrity Constellation and the ports of Boston, Portland, Halifax, Quebec City, Charlottetown, Sydney, and Saint John.

 

Boston is a great city. You'll have a blast!

A Week In Boston: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/boston.html

Detailed tips to get the most out of your trip to Boston.

 

Hello,

We are taking a cruise out of Boston and I was reading some CC notes and I have to say that you are so generous in your details. It shows that you like to help others.

 

I would love to do the website cruise notes like you did. How informative and such a great resource.

Lydia

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Hello,

We are taking a cruise out of Boston and I was reading some CC notes and I have to say that you are so generous in your details. It shows that you like to help others.

 

I would love to do the website cruise notes like you did. How informative and such a great resource.

Lydia

 

Agreed, I should say that I printed out that entire post! :)

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