St John's NF, not St John NB question

[Motorman23]

I will be taking a TA from London to Boston next Sept and we are stopping in St. John's NF. I have googled and looked at a number of things but there just isn't a lot of info so here I go. Please, this is not St John New Brunswick so don't tell me to travel to the Bay of Fundy.... (sorry, but thanks).

 

1) Where in the port do cruise ships dock? I looked at the satellite maps and it looks like there are docks on the north and south side of the harbor (I know the harbor is not exactly north and south but I thought it was best to describe it that way.)

 

2) If you could only do one thing in a 4 hr or less period of time what would you do?

 

3) Is there any shopping, restaurants, bars within walking distance of the port?

 

4) Any recommendations of private tour operators?

 

Thanks, Mike

[LiftLockCouple]

Hello Mike: We are from Ontario and have been to St. John's twice in recent years. On one occasion we stayed at a waterfront hotel which gave me some time to observe the harbour activities. My impression of the St. John's harbour is that it is a working harbour with minimum "people space" ie board walks and waterfront restaurants etc. I would expect the cruise ship to dock on the north side ( town side ) of the harbour. Everything is within walking distance. With 4 hours or less in Sept there are a couple of things that come to my mind for you to consider. One is their museum known as "The Rooms". It should be straight up the hill away from the port. For a young person or a fit older person it would be very walkable but a work out as well. We enjoyed the museum when we visited 2 years ago but we were dropped of and only walked down the hill back to the hotel. The other site that comes to mind is signal hill. You would likely need a cab to get there but it is a very short drive. It would also be a short visit as the time to understand what the site is about would only take an hour max. Now about restaurants, bars, and shopping. At risk of offending someone from St. John's we were a little disappointed with the restaurant selection. There are lots of them but still not quite what we were looking for ie seafood. Our visit was in early July. Bars on the other hand, well St. John's is "known" for the number of bars. George st. is perhaps the most famous. If you are there on a Sunday you may find things quiet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Street,_St._John's. Shopping is ok as well with lots of typical shops etc. I can't comment any further on that since shopping is not really my main objective. I can't say much about tour operators either. We did go whale watching with an operator from a small town about 20 or so mins away. I don't remember the company name but they took us to Bay Bulls and we did see lots and lots of whales, puffins, and other sea birds. I could be wrong but I don't think there is much whale watching in Sept. Also with only 4 hours to play with your time constraint is probably a problem. That is the best I can do to try and help you. Have a great trip.

[Motorman23]

Dear Lift Lock Couple, thanks for the quick reply. I just did another google search and found that the City has a new web site with quite a bit of info but still as you pointed out not all in the downtown area. I love trains and did find a train musuem in the downtown area that looks to be in walking distance so I may check that out. Thanks again, hopefully the winter has not been rough for you in Ontario, we (Rochester, NY) have had almost 30 in of snow since this past Monday and more coming. Oh well... it isnt even officially winter yet. LOL.

 

Mike

[LiftLockCouple]

Hello Mike. We are directly across Lake Ontario from you and we have so far dodged the big snow that has buried London and area west of Toronto. We barely have the ground covered which is normal for this time of year. We usually get significantly less snow that you folks do on the south and south east of the lake.

I did remember the train museum after I replied and yes it is within walking distance from where you are likely to dock. The Newfoundland railroad, I believe, was unique so you may find it interesting. I should add about "The Rooms", it is a modern facility and worth a visit.

Are you going to Halifax as well? Halifax and area is one of my favourite spots in Canada.

The tour we took for whale watching was O'Briens. They were very good and they took us in their van to the port and back. Not sure what they would have to offer you in Sept but maybe contact them anyway and see what they have to say. http://www.obriensboattours.com/

[LeftcoastBC]

Mike...

St John's is unique too bad you only have a short time there.

Signal Hill is a must do. take a cab if you must.

& Cape Spear if you can so you can say you were on the closest land in North America to Where your cruise started.

 

A city bus will get you around really easy for a look see and the drivers were all friendly when I was there.

 

The George Street Bar scene is lively for sure and during the "Festival" much more than that . It's in August or was and a whole week of Screech and beers. WOW..

 

Your ship should be within a short walk of down Town near the end of the Harbour which is the South End ;) or the bottom of a map and an easy walk to George St.

 

If you Lift Lock folks are where I think you are I'm from a spot 28 miles south of you where at one time the Ferry's from Rochester used to land until they changed to Cobourg :(

& on the off chance were you on the Infinity once through the canal ? I'm in BC now.

[Delbie]

I will be taking a TA from London to Boston next Sept and we are stopping in St. John's NF. I have googled and looked at a number of things but there just isn't a lot of info so here I go. Please, this is not St John New Brunswick so don't tell me to travel to the Bay of Fundy.... (sorry, but thanks).

 

1) Where in the port do cruise ships dock? I looked at the satellite maps and it looks like there are docks on the north and south side of the harbor (I know the harbor is not exactly north and south but I thought it was best to describe it that way.)

 

2) If you could only do one thing in a 4 hr or less period of time what would you do?

 

3) Is there any shopping, restaurants, bars within walking distance of the port?

 

4) Any recommendations of private tour operators?

 

Thanks, Mike

 

1) The ship will dock on the downtown side of the harbour - you will be approximately a two minute walk from Water Street which is the main drag downtown. I don't think I have ever seen a ship dock on the other side of the harbour.

 

2) The big tourist attractions in the St. John's area are: Signal Hill, Cape Spear, the Rooms, walking Quidi Vidi Village (an old fishing village within the St. John's limits), walking the Battery (an area in St. John's where the houses are built into the cliff) and walking the downtown/historic ares. If you are more interested in art than museums I would recommend private galleries, rather than the Rooms.

 

3) shopping - yes there are shops downtown within easy walking distance of the harbour, but the shopping in NL is not generally thought to be great, plus there is a 13% tax. Bars/restaurants - St. John's has lots of great places and lots of crummy ones. What kind of place are you looking for? Bianca's on Water Street is very good, but kind of fancy (and it has better atmosphere in the evening rather than at night) and the latest darling on the dining scene is Bistro Sofia on Water Street - it's a good lunch or dinner spot. Yellow Belly Brewery on Water street is a brewery with pub food - they can't get the food right, but the beer is good and the atmosphere is great. Gypsy Tea Room is also good, but more of a dinner spot than lunch. The restaurant in the Rooms has the best view in the city, but the food is fairly standard.

 

4) I really can't think of anything off the top of my head. My boyfriend would suggest you rent a car (there is a car rental place within a two minute walk of where you will dock) and go for a drive around the bay to look at the cute bay towns - this is something we do pretty regularly when we have good weather.

 

Enjoy your visit, and let me know if I can answer any questions! I just moved here 16 months ago, and I love it.

[Delbie]

. Now about restaurants, bars, and shopping. At risk of offending someone from St. John's we were a little disappointed with the restaurant selection. There are lots of them but still not quite what we were looking for ie seafood.

 

Where did you end up eating I wonder?

[LiftLockCouple]

Where did you end up eating I wonder?

I have been trying to figure that out. It was a small restaurant on Water, we stayed at the Quality Hotel on that visit and we stopped on the way back to the hotel. I have been unable to determine from Google what the name was. Seems to me thee was a stair way beside the restaurant up to Duckworth maybe... It wasn't bad but not what we were looking for. To be honest it was our first visit to St. John's ( July 2008 ) and we were looking for seafood restaurants similar to what we were used to in Halifax. Unfortunately on that visit we didn't find what we were looking for. As it turned out the restaurant in the hotel probably had what we were looking for, so on the second visit Labour Day weekend 2009 that is where we went, alas no lobster as it was out of season and to expensive to import from the Maritimes. Next visit, at some point in the future, we will try again.

[Delbie]

I have been trying to figure that out. It was a small restaurant on Water, we stayed at the Quality Hotel on that visit and we stopped on the way back to the hotel. I have been unable to determine from Google what the name was. Seems to me thee was a stair way beside the restaurant up to Duckworth maybe... It wasn't bad but not what we were looking for. To be honest it was our first visit to St. John's ( July 2008 ) and we were looking for seafood restaurants similar to what we were used to in Halifax. Unfortunately on that visit we didn't find what we were looking for. As it turned out the restaurant in the hotel probably had what we were looking for, so on the second visit Labour Day weekend 2009 that is where we went, alas no lobster as it was out of season and to expensive to import from the Maritimes. Next visit, at some point in the future, we will try again.

 

You might have a point - I can't really think of where I would send people for seafood in St. John's (other than Ches's for fish and chips or By the Beach in St. Philip's for fish and chips), but I can think of a few spots in Hali. I would think most of the restaurants do seafood though, just not as a specialty. I have blackened salmon once a week from Bianca's (a work perk courtesy of my boss!) and it is perfect every time.

[LeftcoastBC]

The Classic Cafe of old was pretty good but I see the name has changed since I was there to Classic Cafe East so I don't know I'd that means a new owner or what...

[Motorman23]

The Classic Cafe of old was pretty good but I see the name has changed since I was there to Classic Cafe East so I don't know I'd that means a new owner or what...

 

 

Wow, thanks for the info it is appreciated from all of you. I will most likely create a link from our roll call to this thread so others can see your suggestions.

 

Regarding the Ferry from Rochester to Cobourg... being a member of the railway historical society I have seen many pictures of crossings in the 1940's and 50's (I think) and it looked like the ran until the ice froze them out in either Rochester or Cobourg. Lots of pictures of folks freezing on the decks of Ontario I and Ontario II (The Ferry's) The dock they used is long gone but for a very short period around 2000 or so we ran a high speed ferry to Toronto that I rode on and it was fun but not profitable and is now somewhere in Europe. Kind of sad.

 

I actually met a women on a RCL Panama Canal Cruise who's father was the Captain or First Mate on Ontario I and she shared some great memories and descriptions of the ferry ride and of Cobourg where she still lives. Sadly, I do not have her name but she was a great trivia player and I think an author. If you want a link to some of the historical pictures of Ontario I and II let me know and I will post it if I can locate it;).

 

Mike

[LiftLockCouple]

If you Lift Lock folks are where I think you are I'm from a spot 28 miles south of you & on the off chance were you on the Infinity once through the canal ?

LeftCoastBC, we have been on two cruises and no neither were the Infinity. Yes we are close to Cobourg, it is a growing place these days.

 

Mike: Glad we were of some assitance, hope you have a great trip and enjoy St. John's. A recent TA by the Jewel of the Seas had to by-pass St. John's due to poor weather which caused a detour away from Newfoundland. Sept is the season for the storms in the North Atlantic that start as hurricanes further south. I always find it fascinating when advice for ports on the Canadian boards draws comments from all corners of the country and sometimes other places as well. We have had work related opportunities to travel coast to coast over the past few years. It has been a great priviledge so visit such places as St. John's and also Cornerbrook and then over to the west coast to Vancouver and one of my favourites, Victoria, and places in between. Repeat visits in many cases.

 

One off topic question, given your interest in trains, have you ever taken the VIA Rail train across Canada? We have been between Cobourg and Halifax a few times and once from Vancouver to Edmonton. We really enjoy the train.

[Motorman23]

edited

 

One off topic question, given your interest in trains, have you ever taken the VIA Rail train across Canada? We have been between Cobourg and Halifax a few times and once from Vancouver to Edmonton. We really enjoy the train.

 

I have taken trains through Ontario and Quebec but not the rest of Canada. A few years back we were able to do a circle trip around Lake Ontario by taking Amtrak from Rochester to Schenectady NY, then Schenectady to Montreal and then overnight with rooms on the Cavalier VIA train from Montreal to Toronto (at about 30MPH so we would arrive in the early AM) and then Amtrak again to Rochester. We had about 30 couples and had a great time. We did it twice and really had a great time by enjoying the transfer points as we had lots of time at each transfer. Another time we did a trip from ROC to Niagara Falls to Burlington to London to Stratford to Toronto and back to Rochester. Made a lot of friends and really enjoyed the hospitality shown to us by the CN and CP Crews. We actually had the chance to ride in the engines on a number of the trains (pre 9/11 times were different) and got a full tour of the land.

 

Mike

[LeftcoastBC]

LiftLockers.. We met folks from the "Lift Lock City" on an Infinity trip..just thought it might be a small world. I'm originally from Port Hope :)

 

Mike no need for the link have seen them off an on online but nothing was like in Person lol. Thks

 

Little envious of you folks being able to take the train around in a circle. Out here we can just go out and back. But the scenery is better.:)

Rocky Mountain Rail is the way to do the Calgary -To West Coast portion of any trip. It's all done in Daylight with an overnight.

[LarLa]

Hi Mike. I live in St. John's and can be of assistance. Cruise Ships dock on the north side of the harbour. There are shops, restaurants and pubs within a quick walk. If you don't want a ship shore excursion there are private operators and taxis dockside. Taxi drivers offer a flat rate (I think its around $30) and will take you where you want to go. Attractions include:

 

1. Signal Hill National Historic Site - Site of military and communications history from the 1700s. This is where Marconi received the first wireless transatlantic message in 1901. You can get a birds eye view of St. John's from the top. This is a must see for anyone coming to St. John's.

 

2. Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site - about a 20 minute drive outside St. John's, this is the most easterly point in North America. Beautiful coastline scenery. Site of the oldest lighthouse in the province.

 

3. The Rooms - Site of the Newfoundland and Labrador museum, art gallery and archives. And a great view out the narrows (what the locals call the entrance to the harbour - you'll see why when you come in)

 

For more on St. John's: http://cruisetheedge.com/stjohnsport.asp

[LarLa]

I have been trying to figure that out. It was a small restaurant on Water, we stayed at the Quality Hotel on that visit and we stopped on the way back to the hotel. I have been unable to determine from Google what the name was. Seems to me thee was a stair way beside the restaurant up to Duckworth maybe... It wasn't bad but not what we were looking for. To be honest it was our first visit to St. John's ( July 2008 ) and we were looking for seafood restaurants similar to what we were used to in Halifax. Unfortunately on that visit we didn't find what we were looking for. As it turned out the restaurant in the hotel probably had what we were looking for, so on the second visit Labour Day weekend 2009 that is where we went, alas no lobster as it was out of season and to expensive to import from the Maritimes. Next visit, at some point in the future, we will try again.

 

 

If it was by stairs there is a good chance it was either the Duke of Duckworth or The Ship. Both are pubs that serve food in the great British tradition. The Hungry Fishermen would have been a good seafood choice. Other great restaurants with seafood are Portobellos (the scallops there are divine), and Blue on Water. The Cellar, Raymonds and Yellowbelly should have some seafood as well.

[LiftLockCouple]

If it was by stairs there is a good chance it was either the Duke of Duckworth or The Ship. Both are pubs that serve food in the great British tradition. The Hungry Fishermen would have been a good seafood choice. Other great restaurants with seafood are Portobellos (the scallops there are divine), and Blue on Water. The Cellar, Raymonds and Yellowbelly should have some seafood as well.

Found it, we dined at Oliver's, I would not have found it except we had a picture taken inside. The few photos on the web for Olivers gave it away. The food, service, and restaurant were very good. We did have seafood although I don't remember exactly what. Not lobster though since they didn't have it on the menu. The unfortunate thing is that when we got back to the hotel, their restaurant did have it and it was advertised at the door. A fact that we missed on the way out. We left the next day bound for Cornerbrook and Stephenville so did not have anouther chance for Newfoundland lobster.

[Motorman23]

Hi Mike. I live in St. John's and can be of assistance. Cruise Ships dock on the north side of the harbour. There are shops, restaurants and pubs within a quick walk. If you don't want a ship shore excursion there are private operators and taxis dockside. Taxi drivers offer a flat rate (I think its around $30) and will take you where you want to go. Edited

 

For more on St. John's: http://cruisetheedge.com/stjohnsport.asp

 

LarLa thanks for the ideas, very much appreciated.

 

Mike

[missmollytoo]

LarLa thanks for the ideas, very much appreciated.

 

Mike

 

Hi Mike.

 

Looks like LarLa beat me to replying. I'm also a local here...she gave great advice. Your Railway Museum is about a half hour walk from where the ship will dock and is interesting, but don't give up Signal Hill or Cape Spear for it. Newfoundland really is different and an exciting landscape. If you wanted to learn more about the physical place the Geo Centre located half way up Signal Hill is an underground geology museum and science centre and explains our ties to Africa. If another couple will share a cab that would be the best way to go. Her dining advice is perfect.

 

Weather is a bit unpredictable around here so come prepared for wet and cool and you'll likely be surprised to find a wonderful day...

 

Visitors always comment on how personable everyone is around here....I hope you enjoy your visit.

 

Margaret

[ashleynfld]

Hi Mike,

I am from St.John's, born and raised! all the previous suggestions are great. Quidi Vidi Village is quite special, (if I do say so myself) on any given day we can have seals on our back deck, bald eagles perched on our dock, otters playing by our boat and of course we can watch the whales frolic in our "backyard"! (I'll be happy to send you some pics if you're interested) Quidi Vidi is also where the most easterly houses in north america are located! (basically)...you'll see.

There is also a great double decker tour bus that does all the major attractions in St.John's.

Newfoundland is considered to have the friendliest people on earth, so regardless where your day in port takes you, I'm certain you'll have a wonderful time! We're probably one of the only places left in the world that dosen't feel the need to lock our doors!

 

Have a great time and please feel free to ask me anything!

Cheers,

Ashley

[Motorman23]

Hi Mike,

I am from St.John's, born and raised! all the previous suggestions are great. Quidi Vidi Village is quite special, (if I do say so myself) on any given day we can have seals on our back deck, bald eagles perched on our dock, otters playing by our boat and of course we can watch the whales frolic in our "backyard"! (I'll be happy to send you some pics if you're interested) Quidi Vidi is also where the most easterly houses in north america are located! (basically)...you'll see.

There is also a great double decker tour bus that does all the major attractions in St.John's.

Newfoundland is considered to have the friendliest people on earth, so regardless where your day in port takes you, I'm certain you'll have a wonderful time! We're probably one of the only places left in the world that dosen't feel the need to lock our doors!

 

Have a great time and please feel free to ask me anything!

Cheers,

Ashley

 

Ashley, thanks for the info and I look forward to the visit. Happy New Year (you may be among the first in N America to celebrate it!).

 

Mike

[dextaaah]

Also from Newfoundland and I'd like to add Fort Amherst its directly across from signal hill on the other side of the narrows And I can't believe no one else has mentioned it George Street a street completely made up of bars. As for places to eat here are some good ones Aqua, BACALA, and Biancas, Irish inspired pub style food try Celtic Hearth which is part of a pub called Brdie Molloys on George Street. As you could try some fresh fish & chips from Ches's fish & chips.

[Motorman23]

Also from Newfoundland and I'd like to add Fort Amherst its directly across from signal hill on the other side of the narrows And I can't believe no one else has mentioned it George Street a street completely made up of bars. As for places to eat here are some good ones Aqua, BACALA, and Biancas, Irish inspired pub style food try Celtic Hearth which is part of a pub called Brdie Molloys on George Street. As you could try some fresh fish & chips from Ches's fish & chips.

 

Thanks, enjoy your upcoming first cruise. You are sure to have a fun time!

 

Mike

[gone sailing]

Hi, I'm a local as well, but I see you've already gotten some great information. I would recommend The Gypsy Tearoom and have attached the link to the website which has their lunch and dinner menus. It is close to where cruiseships dock.

Hope you enjoy your visit!

 

http://gypsytearoom.ca/public/index.php

[Motorman23]

Hi Folks, finally stopped raining here in Rochester and we even had a few days in the 90's!

 

I finally decided on what to do in St John's and I think it will be great. We booked a half day private excursion with a guy who is a photographer and his father who is an author and historian. They are picking us up around 8:30am and finishing around 12 noon.

 

We plan to go to Cape Spear, St. John’s, Signal Hill and Petty Harbour and stop at at number of locations for photo's and historical overviews. I think it will be great, the company is called far east photography and tours and the owner is Maurice Fitzgerald. Any of you folks from NF know about his tours? He seems real nice and has a 12 passenger van with A/C so we should be quite comfortable with only 8 of us as passengers. We plan to spend the afternoon wandering around downtown so that will also be fun.

 

Thanks again for all your help and insight.

 

Mike