St. Johns NB and Halifax Cruise Questions

Can anyone tell me what there is to do at Pier in St. Johns NB and Halifax right when you get off boat? Looking for suggestions for bars, restaurants, shopping and general points of interest without necessarily paying for excursion.

in halifax there is a boardwalk that we walked down last year when we were there, there was also a big market (farmers market with crafts and such) and a number of stores, we arrived on a sunday so less was open early

i would check the destination boards (Canada) for more info or google each city to see an overview - both have resturants close to the pier

halifax has a museum right at the pier, if i remember correctly, in Saint John we did the Trolly to Reversing Falls and then walked back from the City Market (big Farmers Market that has been in around since the 1880's if i remember correctly.

Check out Cruisehalifax.ca, lots of info there. Its been a while since I had a liberty there, but I alwys enjoyed The Lower Deck and the Split Crow for a good meal and a nice pint. The Halifax Citadel is worth visiting, plus there's also a casino on the water somewhere. All of those are a very short cab ride or a 30-40 minute walk. Halifax is a great a great town with a wonderful seafaring tradition.

Can anyone tell me what there is to do at Pier in St. Johns NB and Halifax right when you get off boat? Looking for suggestions for bars, restaurants, shopping and general points of interest without necessarily paying for excursion.

 

We were at these 2 ports in August 2012. We did not book any excursions and just planned to walk around the area. At Saint John, we ate lunch at Grennan's. Their millionaire fish and chips was wonderful! We walked up the skywalk to an indoor farmers market area. It was fun browsing and shopping. There were plenty of opportunities to buy pink bus tours, but we ended up back on the ship in the serenity area.

At Halifax, there was a festival going on, so my son and I walked down to watch some of the performers, did a little shopping and headed back.

Try looking at the port of call threads for Canada, they have good ideas there too!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=39

I am originally from Halifax. There are many bars and restaurants on the waterfront and area. You could do a Alexander Keiths brewery tour. The Halifax Citadel is nice spot to visit. It is up a very steep hill though so you may want to cab it.(very close though). They shoot of a canon everyday at noon. There is a small ferry that you can take to the other side of the harbour also. You should do the tour of Peggy's Cove.(very nice scenery)

In ST JOHN as soon as you leave the port gates head to the LEFT

About two blocks up turn right and there is a small pub called CALLAHAN's on the right. They have a wide assortment of beer from all over.

It was the old POST OFFFICE that got converted. Super friendly people that run it and some old photos all over the walls, a real story teller location.

The Garrison brew pub is next to the pier in Halifax.

If you're looking for a Senor Frogs or Carlos and Chariles type of place, you're not going to find it. There are some good bars though.

In Halifax and Saint John (note correct name otherwise you might find yourself looking up things in Newfoundland) the ships dock in the downtown area.

As mentioned, Halifax has a wonderful boardwalk that you can walk down and stop at shops/restaurants/museums. There is enough in the downtown Halifax area that you won't need to do a ship tour.

Saint John is a little smaller but the port area is surrounded by shops and restaurants that are worth visiting. If you are open to a long walk (60 mins?) you can walk along the harbour to the reversing falls. You can also catch a local transit bus or cab to take you there.

Is there a store that sells Pandora charms near where the ship docks in either port?

Laura

No, but there are shops in two local malls. Micmac mall in Dartmouth and the Halifax Shopping Centre. They are a long way from where you dock. http://www.pandora.net/en-ca/stores?q=halifax%2C%20nova%20scotia

Within a short walk from the cruise terminal in Saint John is the New Brunswick Museum which is well worth a visit. It is located in Market Square( also has shops) which is connected to Brunswick Square ( shopping centre) and the fantastic Old City Market (a must). You can visit all three locations without going outside in case of bad weather. Within walking distance from the terminal are also numerous pubs and art galleries. If you are up for a bit of a walk you can travel all the way to Reversing Falls where you might enjoy the Zip Line or Jet Boat ride. The thrill ride on the Jet boat is quite the adventure.

http://www.saintjohnadventures.ca/

http://jetboatrides.com/

Almost all of these eating locations are within walking distance from the cruise terminal.

http://directory.uptownsj.com/group/dine/forum/topics/list-of-uptown-restaurants?page=1&commentId=4103863%3AComment%3A2267&x=1#4103863Comment2267

Check out this video of the Jet Boat ride at Reversing Falls in Saint John.

http://jetboatrides.com/?page_id=41

Can anyone tell me what there is to do at Pier in St. Johns NB and Halifax right when you get off boat? Looking for suggestions for bars, restaurants, shopping and general points of interest without necessarily paying for excursion.

For Saint John there are a lot of things to do within walking distance. Check out my other thread for details.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1653563

For Saint John there are a lot of things to do within walking distance. Check out my other thread for details.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1653563

Where's the 2013 guide? ;) But really... that is a great thread, thanks for the information.

One post above mentions the New Brunswick Museum in St John. The library is located in the same building and if you have your own device, you can sit in comfortable chairs and use their service. Stop by the desk for the password.

For Saint John there are a lot of things to do within walking distance. Check out my other thread for details.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1653563

Fundy....it sounds as if you are from the area so I have a question for you. If we go to Irving Nature Park or Rockwood Park do we need to rent a car or is there public transportation which will not only get us there but also back to the ship. We will be there mid Sept if that makes a difference. Thanks for the info!!

Hi fundy,

I would also be interested in transportation to Rockwood Park in Saint John.

Thanks!

Debbie

Fundy....it sounds as if you are from the area so I have a question for you. If we go to Irving Nature Park or Rockwood Park do we need to rent a car or is there public transportation which will not only get us there but also back to the ship. We will be there mid Sept if that makes a difference. Thanks for the info!!

From the ship you can take a taxi to Rockwood park and it will cost $7 for one person, $8 for two, $9 for three etc. the fare is fixed as $7 and any extra persons is a dollar more. You can always flag one back to the ship. Distance-wise its about 5-8min to the park. Public transport does not pass by the ship terminal and you will need to transfer a bus to get back n forth which maybe confusing if you are not used to the system.

To the Irving Nature park the fixed fare is $10 and a dollar for every extra persons. Distance-wise maybe 10-12min.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, fundy, that does help. My only concern would be in flagging down a taxi for the return to the ship. How difficult is that? Can one make arrangements to be picked up at a certain time?

Debbie

Thanks, fundy, that does help. My only concern would be in flagging down a taxi for the return to the ship. How difficult is that? Can one make arrangements to be picked up at a certain time?

 

Debbie

The Irving Nature Park is not an area where taxis would be lingering. I would certainly have a cell phone with me to call a cab in case your driver doesn't come back for you. The park is certainly a nice place to walk the shoreline. It takes about two hours but there are several entry points where you can leave the trail and walk on the road back to the entrance.

The entrance is at the end of a road so you wouldn't get taxis just passing by.

It is possible that you might flag a taxi at the entrance to Rockwood Park but you might have to wait a bit for one to go by. Best to call or have a prearrangement. Rockwood Park has swimming facilities, a nice children's playground and a cafe overlooking a small lake. The walking is less strenuous than the Irving Park.

Just wanted to thank both Fundy and sapper1 for their information. It is extremely helpful!!

Very helpful! Thanks to sapper for the taxi information! We've been to Irving Nature Park and thought we might like to wander around Rockwood this visit.

Debbie

Very helpful! Thanks to sapper for the taxi information! We've been to Irving Nature Park and thought we might like to wander around Rockwood this visit.

 

Debbie

Debbie

I have sent an email(7/6/13) to the taxi company in Saint John asking for information. If or when I receive a response I will share it with you here on this thread. Did you enjoy Irving Nature Park?

Larry

Hi Larry,

Thank you very much! That will be greatly appreciated.

We did enjoy Irving Nature Park. We were on a ship's excursion and it only took us 2 hours to hike the trail. There are some ups and downs, and typical in trail maintenance, but we didn't find it to be anything too difficult. The scenery was gorgeous. I would probably appreciate it even more on my own as I'm not a big fan of group excursions.

Debbie

Hi Larry,

 

Thank you very much! That will be greatly appreciated.

 

We did enjoy Irving Nature Park. We were on a ship's excursion and it only took us 2 hours to hike the trail. There are some ups and downs, and typical in trail maintenance, but we didn't find it to be anything too difficult. The scenery was gorgeous. I would probably appreciate it even more on my own as I'm not a big fan of group excursions.

 

Debbie

Debbie

Here is the response that I just received. Hope you find it useful:

The Ambassator Bus Tour, which runs on cruise ship days stops in Rockwood Park. The bus is a hop on, hope off style, therefore there would be more than one chance to take the bus.

http://www.ambassatours.com/saint-john-big-pink-hop-on-hop-off-tour

The Saint John City Transit also runs regularly and has a variety of stops, this is the website and schedule:

http://www.saintjohn.ca/site/media/SaintJohn/Route%2025%20Millidgeville%20North%20April%202,%202012%281%29.pdf

http://www.saintjohn.ca/en/home/cityhall/transportation/transit/routesschedules/default.aspx

Car rentals are also an option, a few car rentals in the area include:

http://www.yellowpages.ca/search/si/1/Car+Rental/Saint+John+NB

Taking a cab to both locations is also very feasible:

http://www.yellowpages.ca/search/si/1/Taxis/Saint+John+NB

Have you have any additional questions please let me know.

Thank you,

Emilie Chiasson