Canada/New England Excursions

[Randyxl]

Hello all!

 

We are travelling in Sept on the Maasdam on a Canada/New England 7 day cruise. Looking for excursion suggestions with touring companies, as we have a group of 5 people and the ship excursions get kind of spendy. Included in my group are my parents which have difficulty walking moderate distances (will actually will be renting wheelchairs for them). Our ports are Montreal (fly in the night before), Quebec, Charlottetown, Sydney, Halifax and Bar Harbor. Checked out the comments on Port of Calls but did not see things for some of these ports.

 

Thanks cruisers!

[sparky-elpaso]

Try doing a search for each port - most cities have internet sites where you should be able to find info on local tours, etc.

 

Also check Google Earth to see what each city looks like - gives you an idea of where things are, etc.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In Bar Harbor we have done both the ship's tour which starts and ends where the ship is and Oly's Trolley to Acadia. The only problem with Oly's Trolley -- it ends way from the ship -- and it is quite a hike back to the ship -- mostly down hill.

 

In Halifax we took the Hop On Hop Off bus to view the sights. The price is the same whether you book the tour on the ship or in the terminal. You do not have to get off the bus/trolley at any of the stops -- but it does give you a great overview of the attractions. Since 2 people will be in wheel chairs it might be hard for them to walk the board walk from the ship -- shops and restaurants and the maritime Museum. We have also been to Peggy's Cove -- not recommended for wheel chairs since it involves a hill from the bus parking lot out to the Lighthouse.

 

Charolettetown -- the first time we were here we went out to the House of Green Gables. There is a trollye tour here -- but it only shows about half the sites. For what the trolley does you can walk the entire route -- level -- and stop and view everything on your own.

 

Hope this helps.

[dmwnc1959]

In Sydney (if you are a history buff) dont miss going out to the Fortress of Louisbourg! It is an amazing site!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Louisbourg

 

http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/index.aspx

[dmwnc1959]

In Halifax I did a full city tour that included the Citadel, Maritime Museum, Peggys Cove Lighthouse (beautiful!!!), and a side trip out to the Titanic gravesites.

 

http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mmanew/en/home/whattoseedo/default.aspx

 

http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/titanic/victims.htm

 

http://www.titanic-whitestarships.com/Halifax.htm

 

http://www.peggys-cove.com/image_gallery.shtml

[dmwnc1959]

In Quebec I did a self guided walking tour (I had bought a tour guide at the local bookstore). START at, and walk through, Old Town taking your time enjoying the cute shops along small cobblestone streets. Then take the The Old Quebec Funicular (fun!) and to the stunning Notre Dame Cathedral, over to the to the Chateau Frontenac Hotel, and finally to the Citadel. GREAT views from the last two sites.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Quebec_Funicular

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Qu%C3%A9bec_Cathedral

 

http://www.telegraphe.com/sites/citadelle/indexen.html

[dmwnc1959]

In Bar Harbor do not miss taking a tour through Acadia National Park! Also DONT miss the stunning stained glass windows at St. Saviour's Parish Episcopal Church. They were done by Tiffany. Eat a Lobster Roll (the best in the country!!!) and enjoy the vistas from the waterfront. Bar Harbor, last I checked, was strictly a 'anchor out' town with no pier, so be preparred to take the boats.

 

http://www.acadiamagic.com/

 

http://www.newenglandlobsterbake.com/pics/lobster%20roll.jpg

[fann1sh]

With mobility impaired passengers, you might like to ride instead of walking in Quebec City. The cobblestones streets can be hard on wheelchairs. Consider a caleche (carriage ride of old Quebec City). Prices are around C$30 for adults (10% off for seniors) for about 40 minutes.

 

Visit the boardwalk just outside the Chateau Frontenac for amazing views down across the city and river.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree about Quebec City -- very hilly!!

 

Yes -- Bar Harbor is a tender pier.

[sail7seas]

We very much enjoyed Acadia National Park and Lobster Lunch tour in Bar Harbor. Went with friends on a really beautiful day and thought it very pleasant. Lived in Boston all my life and never knew Maine had such gorgeous pink marble in her hills until we took that tour. :)

 

I also found the Titanic Cemetary very interesting. Can't say I usually enjoy visiting cemetaries but we had a wonderful guide who gave lots of interesting info re: Titanic that I had never heard before. That tour combined with The Museum and a driving tour around Halifax and history of the huge fire. The excellent guide made a huge difference in quality of the tour IMO

 

Normally in Halifax, if the weather is favorable, we love walking the long, level boardwalk and stopping to roam into shops, having great lobster lunch and enjoy this wonderful city.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In Sydney -- one time we did an all day tour.

 

One of our stops was at the Nova Scotia Highland Village in Iona - we got to tour the grounds at our own pace. At the end where we all were to meet, in the information building they served us shortbread cookies - yummy. They have resurrected what a typical scottish village would have looked like 180 years ago. From the village you can look down onto the Bras d'Or Lakes - which we passed by on our way here.

 

In Baddeck - home of Alexander Graham Bell - we stopped at an inn for lunch. This was the only bad part of the excursion. We just happened to be seated at the last table to be called for the buffet lunch. When we got to the tables, there was hardly any food left - the chicken was gone, the fish had only a couple of pieces left, green beans - only a couple of spoonfuls left, potatoes nearly gone and they weren't making any attempt to bring out anything more. The 6 of us at our table had a roll and a dessert (pastry) for lunch. The workers said they were working on getting out more food. But unfortunately we could not wait as our bus driver and tour guide told us that it was time to leave. A few miles down the road we stopped for some shopping - only a couple of stores were open - really a waste of time.

 

Our last stop before returning to the ship was the Alexander Graham Bell Museum which we were able to tour on our own. it was very interesting. You could barely see Bell's home across the lake from here because of all the trees that have grown over the years.

[Thecat123]

Hello all!

 

We are travelling in Sept on the Maasdam on a Canada/New England 7 day cruise. Looking for excursion suggestions with touring companies, as we have a group of 5 people and the ship excursions get kind of spendy. Included in my group are my parents which have difficulty walking moderate distances (will actually will be renting wheelchairs for them). Our ports are Montreal (fly in the night before), Quebec, Charlottetown, Sydney, Halifax and Bar Harbor. Checked out the comments on Port of Calls but did not see things for some of these ports.

 

Thanks cruisers!

 

What date are you sailing?

[Strode Wallace]

In Sydney, Enterprise Rent a Car will meet you at the dock. For $50-$70 you, your spouse and maybe a couple of new friends for the ship can explore the coast. Great savings vs high priced cruise line tours. It is $14-$18 a person...and you get to make the decisions where to go and when to do it.

[catergirl]

that would be the most economical for all of you. rent a vehicle that would work for you and then you canse what you like, stop when YOU want and go at your own pace. it, ive been told is fairly easy to get around. maps on the internet, CAA/AAA and at the rental places too. ive booked rental at most of our stops and got my places planned.:)

[3rdGenCunarder]

In Sydney (if you are a history buff) dont miss going out to the Fortress of Louisbourg! It is an amazing site!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Louisbourg

 

http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/index.aspx

 

We got weathered out of a stop in Sydney on a Canada cruise several years ago, and were disappointed to have missed Louisbourg. Have you taken one of HAL's tours to Louisbourg? I'm thinking ahead to next fall, and looking at this fall's options for Sydney, I saw tours that included special activities, one of which was "clothing and chocolate." Expensive, but the handds-on opportunities unded fun. We love historic sites, and when curators from both Winterthur and Williamsburg say it's a not-to-be-missed site, we really want to see it.

[Jade13]

We got weathered out of a stop in Sydney on a Canada cruise several years ago, and were disappointed to have missed Louisbourg. Have you taken one of HAL's tours to Louisbourg? We love historic sites, and when curators from both Winterthur and Williamsburg say it's a not-to-be-missed site, we really want to see it.

 

Interesting. We are scheduled to take HAL's tour here but only because everyone says it's not to be missed.

 

There seem a lot of good options in Sydney, including driving along the Cabot Trail.

[Randyxl]

Thanks everyone for your responses!!!

[dmwnc1959]

We got weathered out of a stop in Sydney on a Canada cruise several years ago, and were disappointed to have missed Louisbourg. Have you taken one of HAL's tours to Louisbourg? I'm thinking ahead to next fall, and looking at this fall's options for Sydney, I saw tours that included special activities, one of which was "clothing and chocolate." Expensive, but the handds-on opportunities unded fun. We love historic sites, and when curators from both Winterthur and Williamsburg say it's a not-to-be-missed site, we really want to see it.

 

While on the Rotterdam VI from NY-Montreal I did the Holland America tours in Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, and Boston. I did self guided tours in Charlottetown, Quebec City, and Newport, RI having purchased (or borrowed from the library) several books on sightseeing and walking tours.

 

The tour of the Fortress of Louisbourg in Sydney was very interesting and fun. I enjoyed the history of it all, the amazing recreation of the huge fortress, and live character interaction of the members of the fortress in period costume. Well worth the time and money! Because it is such a large expansive area with extensive walking required on natural roads and pathways it may be difficult for anyone who is mobility impaired.

[RustaRoo]

Consider a caleche (carriage ride of old Quebec City). Prices are around C$30 for adults (10% off for seniors) for about 40 minutes.

I returned 3 days ago after spending 8 days in Quebec City. The carriages rent per carriage not per person. The charge is $80 + tip for approximately 45 minutes. All passengers would split the cost so depending how many people, it could be around $25 per person, for example, if 4 people rode in the carriage. I enjoyed my carriage ride very much.

 

Please note: There are very strict laws in place to care for the horses, limiting the number of trips each horse can do each day (I believe it's 4); they are all under a vet's supervision, and all carriage rides must cease operation if the temperature reaches 32 Celsius (approx 90 F). There are also spots where the horse stops to drink water during the ride - they are well cared for.

 

Click here to see a photo: http://rustaroo.smugmug.com/Vacation/Quebec-City/13217541_3qaeQ#959697818_fTT6h

[fann1sh]

RustaRoo, thanks for correcting/updating my post, regarding pricing. I wanted to give the OP an idea of costs, but you've nailed it down.

 

Great photos!

[Stevesan]

I took the NE/Canada cruise on Sea Princess, but most of the ports are probably the same. Here is a ports extract of my review:

 

There are a number of tour choices. Here is my take on the tours I took:

First stop - Newport - Vanderbilt’s Breakers and Marble House was my favorite tour. Breakers is a magnificent mansion, and the resident tour guide is among the best in the business. Well worth the money.

http://tickets.newportmansions.org/mansion.aspx?id=1000

http://tickets.newportmansions.org/mansion.aspx?id=1004

Boston – Unless you’re interests reside outside the city limits, I can recommend the Old Town Trolley. With fourteen stops you can visit many of the most interesting parts of Boston. The drivers provide continuous narration. Some are very good, one was really bad. You’ll immediately recognize him. Take note that some places of interest are closed Mondays, Including USS Constitution. The museum is worth a brief visit and is open Mondays.

http://www.trolleytours.com/boston/aquarium-faneiul.asp

Bar Harbor – I booked two tours, the Acadia National Park for morning which included a narrated drive thru the park with a stop atop Cadillac Mountain.

The Bar Harbor Walking tour was absolutely great. Our tour guide is a good ol’ gal from N. Carolina. She summers here and provides marvelous stories about Bar Harbor’s history and people. A wonderful guide.

St John - St Andrews and the Fairmont Algonquin. A pricey tour, but well conducted and worth the time and money.

http://www.fairmont.com/algonquin/?cm_mmc=icppc-_-Branded-ALG%20-%20Algonquin%20-%20Canada-_-google-_-fairmont+algonquin+hotel

Halifax – A day of semi rest. Just took a morning walking tour, and then wandered the town.

Most passengers, at least ten buses full, opted for the Peggy’s Cove tour. You drive to the cove, look at a lighthouse, and then drive back.

Sydney – The Grand Tour Bras D’or Region was my second favorite. An excellent guide with gorgeous scenery. The Highland Village stop was a highlight. This is a reconstructed village simulating living conditions in the lake region from its earliest inception. Some cabins and equipment are original. It’s an easy walk and each stop includes a local docent guide/ demonstrator.

Charlettown – The Ah Shucks Seafood Tour. My advice: do something else. According to the description, a seafood lunch is included. Fuggedaboudit. For $99 you watch a guy shuck some shellfish who then distributes mini appetizer samples. That’s all folks!

The “tasting” is followed by a one-hour tour of town in a minibus.

Quebec – Since I booked an overnight stay, I took the countryside tour. An excellent guide conducted the countryside tour. His skill as a guide is remarkable considering tour guiding is a part time job for him. Like most locals, he works at multiple jobs to pay the local taxes. On day two I toured Quebec City on my own. With a bit of research, the latter is very doable. The Info Center in has good highlighted maps. Audio tours are available, too.