Tendering in Charlottetown, Gaspe, Sydney, and Bar Harbour

[alwalaska]

We will be on the Norwegian Dawn and we will be tendering in 4 of our ports.

 

The one I am most concerned about is Charlottetown since we were not expecting that one and already have a car rented and a fairly long day planned.

 

Does anyone know where the tenders dock in Charlottetown?

 

And NCL specific - anyone know how long the tendering process takes? We are supposed to arrive at 8am and there are a lot of NCL tours that are at 8:15, 8:30, and 8:45. I'm wondering when we can reasonably assume that we can make it to shore. We do not have access to priority tender tickets, there are 8 of us.

 

Does anyone have pictures or more info on the walk and stairs required after the Gaspe tender ride? Does anyone know how long of a process this is?

 

Any info, pictures, or hints on Bar Harbor or Sydney would also be very helpful.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

[trophy_23]

Interesting that you are tendering in PEI... I should have some pictures for you of Gaspe, I will have to dig a bit and post later. Bar Harbor is easy, everything is very close to the tender dock and the tender ride is short.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[alwalaska]

Thanks. I'm so glad your post mentioned the new app. I was too cheap to pay for tapatalk. I look forward to the pics.

 

There are 2 ships in Charlottetown. I hope that doesn't overwhelm the island.

 

Sent from my PG86100 using Forums mobile app

[purduemom1]

We tendered in Gaspe last fall and I do not recall any steps at the dock. Once off the tender, you walk up to a small port building with a bar, free wifi, restrooms and a few venders. There was a bus that charged $5. to take people into town or you could walk over the bridge into town. This is what we did and it was probably a 15 minute or so walk. I do not know where the bus went since we didn't take it. Some chose to take the ship's tours. We just walked around the small shopping area where we found a dollar store that was full of fellow cruisers. It was located in a small mall. We then walked back to the port, used the wifi and went back to the ship. One more comment on steps. There were some at the port building and it was actually 2 levels but I seem to recall a ramp from one level to the other.

[alwalaska]

Thanks for the info on Gaspe. We have a mini-van reserved and supposedly the Budget location is right across the street from the port building.

 

If there is a ramp, my mom could come with us. Otherwise, she will probably treat it as a sea day.

 

I wonder if we will be the first year that people are tendering at Charlottetown.

[purduemom1]

Ann, you might check with your cruise line to confirm that there will be no steps involved. The ramp I was referring to was inside the port building. You could ask if your mom could bypas the building and go directly to the rental car. The area around the building was landscaped but then just dirt beyond that. It was a rather different set up from the rest of the ports on the cruise. Will your mom be able to manage the tender?

[alwalaska]

Ann, you might check with your cruise line to confirm that there will be no steps involved. The ramp I was referring to was inside the port building. You could ask if your mom could bypas the building and go directly to the rental car. The area around the building was landscaped but then just dirt beyond that. It was a rather different set up from the rest of the ports on the cruise. Will your mom be able to manage the tender?

 

Since we have 4 tendering ports, I really hope so. She can slowly take one stair at a time as long as they aren't too steep and she has someone or something to hold on to. Since Charlottetown and Bar Harbor are pretty protected, I'm hoping there won't be a lot of waves. If things are too rocky, she will probably end up staying on board. I have been on tenders with no steps and ones with huge steps, so we really won't know until we try. :rolleyes:

 

She needs a small step stool to get into vans, etc. We are taking a fold-up one with us, but I doubt the would let her use that on the tender, even if it would help.

 

She is also seeing her rheumatologist this coming week and will probably get a new cortisone shot in her hip and her should and hopefully that will help a lot.

[Urban trekker]

Ann - this link seems to suggest that the tender comes in close to the terminal - doesn't however say how far the tender is - it's not a worry for me because I can get priority tickets if need be.

 

http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination-charlottetown-cruise-port.html

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Urban trekker]

Ann - another thought - it one of those days for me - have you emailed the car rental company and ask them that question. They would likely face that situation a few times each cruise season so should have the answer.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Urban trekker]

Ann - I just tweeted the Charlottetown tourist people about the tender and the distance - will post the response when I get it.

 

Also - here are a couple of toll free numbers

 

PEI tourism - 1 800 463-4734

 

Charlottetown tourism - 1 800 955-1864

 

Hope this helps.

 

I haven't decided what to do there yet - leaning towards a DIY tour and a car rental -

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[alwalaska]

Thanks Dennis. I don't currently have Canada long distance (grrr - don't get me started on my stupid phone company), but I will be calling Budget before the cruise to make sure they have info.

 

I will definitely be calling and double checking with all of our rental car people before the cruise to coordinate walking or pick-ups for the cars.

 

It seems like there are a fair amount of things to do just in Charlottetown, but we want to see the Anne stuff - just not on a bus with 100 other people, so we are doing the self driving thing. I can post our tentative route to the SkyDrive file if you are interested.

[sail7seas]

Wow, I'm amazed about all that tendering.

 

We sail Maasdam every summer to Sydney, Charlottetown, Bar Harbor, Halifax, Quebec City and Montreal from Boston and the only port we tender in is Bar Harbor.

 

Charlottetown has a big dock and terminal..... must be another ship using it?

Same for Sydney. We always tie up.

Edited July 6, 2013 by sail7seas

[Urban trekker]

There are two ships in Charlottetown that day so the Dawn has to tender.

 

Ann - those are both 800 toll free numbers - most are accessible from both the US and Canada so don't know why you can't access them - if necessary next week I can try for you.

 

Did get a response to the tweet but it just answered what we already know - that we will be tendering - I will follow up with some more specific questions.

 

Next help - finding the answer about Sydney NS and tendering.

 

Cheers and hope you have a great 4th of July weekend.

 

Dennis

[maryann ns]

Prince Edward Island has beautiful pastoral scenery with rolling hills and tidy fields and homes. The north shore has beaches and red cliffs on the shore. Rent a car and take a drive.

[alwalaska]

The weird thing in Charlottetown is that the other ship is half our size. Every other pairing during the year, the smaller ship tenders. It is probably done like most things, the cruise line that gets their money in first is the one that gets the dock. That makes sense from a business standpoint, so I understand it, even if I'm not thrilled with the 2 extra tender ports we weren't expecting.

 

Both ships that have the docks when we tender are Holland America ships.

 

I found this picture on the Charlottetown port site, so it doesn't look like it is far tender ride as long as there are enough boats working to get people off the ship at a decent speed.

 

[Urban trekker]

They could have 6 or 8 tender boats working but can only load one or two at a time and then it would also depend how many can dock at the tender pier at any given time - thankfully this isn't a customs and immigration port otherwise the line up would be even longer.

 

They are likely to have one boat for the tours at the start and the other one for priority but what you never know is how many people are taking tours and how my priorities there are likely to be.

 

Perhaps some of us who have priority but choose to take a ships tour could be a good nice person and give you and your group our priority tickets - probably will get flamed by some lurker or troll but that in fact does occur.

 

Have a good weekend - off to a picnic lunch shortly with a group associated with my former employer - beautiful setting in Stanley Park.

 

Sunny and warm again here in Vancouver.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[alwalaska]

We visited Stanley Park when we were in Vancouver and it is definitely beautiful! Hope you have (had) a great time.

 

Only 1 or 2 of us would need to get off quicker so that we could go and get the rental car and bring it back for everyone else. I should be Gold and have my own priority tickets (I think) for the southbound cruise (Sydney), but not in time for Charlottetown.

 

I'm not too worried about Gaspe. We have plans that will work even if we don't get off until 10am.

 

Thanks for all your help. Make that final payment so that you can start getting excited about this! ;)

[Urban trekker]

According to my notes my TA will take my final payment tomorrow so then it will be full speed ahead on the planning etc.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[trophy_23]

Here are a few pictures from Gaspe, They are from end of September 2009 so there could be changes:

 

Tendering in the fog

 

Tender dock and bridge to town

 

Tender dock taken from the bridge

 

What I thought was a funny sign as you walk over the bridge. Also Tim Horton's in the background for you coffee lovers.

 

A view from the path under the bridge so you can see the distance to town. (Tender dock visible left side)

 

If you need any more pictures of other ports let me know, I take a lot of pictures!

[purduemom1]

Ann,

 

Trophy 23' s picture of the tender doc taken from the bridge shows the port building as well as the surrounding area. Hopefully you can drive your rental up near the building and pick her up so she doesn't have to walk too far. I do seem to recall port employees posted near the entrance from the street to the area around the building so I hope there aren't any restrictions about driving up near the building.

 

You will enjoy all the ports on this itinerary and I hope your mom will be able to join you when you explore them.

Sharon

[alwalaska]

Hi all! Just a really quick generic note to let everyone know that I am alive, but super busy. I'm in Wichita boiling in the 100 degree temps and a very small classroom with an A/C that can't keep up. Each everyone I am wiped out, but I still have a bunch of work that needs to get caught up on. I truly hope to be able to read up and catch up with posts and roll calls next week.

[PEICanadaCruiser]

Alwalaska:

 

http://www.historiccharlottetownseaport.com/index.php/cruise/ship-schedule

 

is the website for the Ch'Town cruise terminal. Scroll down and it shows a picture of 1 ship docked, all they can handle, and 2 anchored. The distance is very short and you are in the inner harbour so it shouldn't be rough unless there is a gale on. I suggest you check with the car rental co to determine where you will recieve the car. If you taxi from terminal to car rental store in downtown it's probably $5-6. If you have to go to the airport to pick it up expect to pay $12-15. The service to the airport is contracted out by the airport authority so everyone upcharges. BTW Taxi service is by zone not meter in the city and surrounding areas. Then by the kilometer (mile) to go to a specific destination out of town and by the hour to tour the island. Hope this helps. BTW I'm a born and raised Islander so just ask if you have any questions. Hope you enjoy PEI

[alwalaska]

Thank you all for the pictures, links, phone numbers, and other info. Our rental car company in both Charlottetown and Sydney said they would pick us up at the port. If we can't all get priority tickets or early tender tickets, I will probably go first and get the car then return to the port to pick everyone else up.

 

PEICanadaCruiser - would it be realistic in 6 hours, we are in port 8 1/2 hours - so I already subtracted tender and getting car time, to drive out 2 then 20 to about the end of the island, stopping only briefly to take pictures or visit the Gouda store, taking 20 past French river to 6, stop briefly to check out red cliffs and some Anne of Green Gables history, and then head back along Brackley Point Rd to Charlottetown?

 

Are there any light houses that are legal and easy to get to? Two people in our group have mobility issues.

 

Thanks for the offer for additional info and sorry for hijacking my own thread. ;)

[trophy_23]

The route we have taken now twice in PEI was basically from Brackley and the Bypass (Car rental place) up to North Rustico, over to Cavendish, then out to the Confederation Bridge then back to town all along the coastal routes with lots if lighthouses and boat harbours. We found this to be very scenic and a nice easy drive, with time left over to explore the dock area and get an ice cream at Cows on the way back.

[PEICanadaCruiser]

Alwalaska:

 

http://peiflavours.ca/index.php/flavours-trail/listing/Island-Farmhouse-Gouda-Inc.-Cheese-Ladys-Gouda/

 

http://www.tourismpei.com/provincial-park/cabot-beach

 

http://www.cowscreamery.ca/tourinfo.php

 

You should be fine with that route. Actual drive time is +/- 2 hrs return. Cabot Park is a Provincial Govt Park which maynot be closed for the season but it may also still be accessable to enter and take some pictures. I think the sandbar islands off the coast are unique. I attached a link so you can check with them on access. The Gouda chesse ladys' farm is just a few miles off your path but very easy to get to and I attached a link to her page. On your trip watch for and go out to Rustico Harbour. They won't be fishing then but it's very quainy & beautiful. When you get to Route 15, depending on time constraints, you can turn right to return to Ch'Town or left to enter the national park. I doubt the toll both will be open but even if it is I don't think you have to pay if your only driving through. Again, with 45-60 mins you could easily drive Gulf Shore Parkway running along the white sand dunes to pick up 6 which will take you back to 15 then back to Ch'town. If you only have an extra 20 mins when you get to 15 you could just drive into the park down to maybe Coverhead bridge and turn around. Enjoy the Island but be warned in late Sept many of the seasonal attractions and shops may be closed for the winter. Also if you need provisions, water, soda, snacks, ice, fresh fruit, packaged meals prepared in a deli etc, there is a Sobeys supermarket close to intersection of 1 and 2. It will be alot cheaper and with a soft sided cooler you could be self sufficient. BTW trophy 23s' itinerary is also great. I added a link to Cows Creamery as well.

 

Blair