Explorer of the Seas - New England and Canada Review (August 28, 2014)

[clochette]

thanks for the review, I am really enjoying it.

[scotandtamcruzn4fun]

I also was on this cruise and am really enjoying your review.

 

 

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[junior8]

Windjamming.....quick question, for Sailaway is it better to be on port or starboard side??

 

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[ransrider]

It was dark on both sides when we set all August 28. Was planning on being on starboard to view the teardrop memorial as we sailed out. The statue of liberty is on port side so be there if you prefer that view.

 

Deb

[F27TW]

Cape Liberty

 

 

[Aside #2: for a hilarious account of the Cape Liberty check-in experience, read F27TW's review. It's also a terrific review of the Bermuda itinerary.]

 

2 minutes later, we all got off the bus and found ourselves on the gangway. On the Explorer, boarding is on Deck 1. Why is that significant? You know how at other ports, you walk onboard, and the first thing you see is the Promenade or the Centrum, and you're all excited, because the inside of the ship doesn't look like it's a ship? Well, when you get on the ship on Deck 1, you know you're on a ship. It's kind of funny.

 

 

I was just reading along enjoying the review and said "Hey .... dats me you're talkin about!" ... thanks for the kind words! (not everyone on here was so kind after reading what I wrote about Cape Liberty .. LOL!) .. glad u enjoyed the Bermuda review too!

 

And I do agree with you about the boarding down in the engine room on Deck 1 ... its not a spectacular entrance onto your nice ship -- you feel more like youre boarding the Staten Island Ferry or a commuter train! And then everyone mooshing into those elevators to invade the Windjammer ... ya that wasn't such fun ... but still what a great ship and cruise!

 

Loving your review and your writing style ! Also nice to see some of the less reported-on ports being covered too ...

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Thank you for this review. I'm only on page one but I already added Holy Donuts to my list!!! We're doing his trip (but on Brilliance) in two weeks :)

 

 

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[windjamming]

 

It's not a great picture, but gives you an idea of what it looks like. This is down center aisle. I loved the butterflies hanging from the rafters.

 

Oh wow, I never even noticed the butterflies!!

 

I'm so glad you posted this picture, Gwen! I would have never seen this perspective. This is what I love about Cruise Critic - the sharing of our experiences. :)

[windjamming]

thanks for the review, I am really enjoying it.

 

I also was on this cruise and am really enjoying your review.

 

Thanks clochette and scotandtamcruzn4fun! I honestly think the people on this cruise were part of what made this trip so fun and memorable!

[windjamming]

Windjamming.....quick question, for Sailaway is it better to be on port or starboard side??

 

It was dark on both sides when we set all August 28. Was planning on being on starboard to view the teardrop memorial as we sailed out. The statue of liberty is on port side so be there if you prefer that view.

 

I agree with ransrider. You can see the Statue when you're in port, and since Bayonne is further out in the harbor, it's not like you'll get a much better view of her during sailaway. (Unlike ships sailing from NYC, for example.)

 

The real view - I think - is sailing under the Verrazano. The ship really looks like it won't make it - and it barely does (by 12 feet). Sometimes trucks will honk their horns. The good news is that pretty much anywhere outside gets a good view.

 

Enjoy! This is a neat sailing!

[windjamming]

I was just reading along enjoying the review and said "Hey .... dats me you're talkin about!" ... thanks for the kind words! (not everyone on here was so kind after reading what I wrote about Cape Liberty .. LOL!) .. glad u enjoyed the Bermuda review too!

 

And I do agree with you about the boarding down in the engine room on Deck 1 ... its not a spectacular entrance onto your nice ship -- you feel more like youre boarding the Staten Island Ferry or a commuter train! And then everyone mooshing into those elevators to invade the Windjammer ... ya that wasn't such fun ... but still what a great ship and cruise!

 

Loving your review and your writing style ! Also nice to see some of the less reported-on ports being covered too ...

 

Hiya F27TW, welcome!! Your review was a hoot! (Everyone, really, go read his review. It's a classic. If it were a movie it would involve Ben Stiller.) And LOL on the "mooshing" - I'm stealing that word!!

 

Thanks for stopping in!!

 

Thank you for this review. I'm only on page one but I already added Holy Donuts to my list!!! We're doing his trip (but on Brilliance) in two weeks :)

 

Thanks smileyperry. You'll love Holy Donuts. I saw on their webpage that they now have apple cider donuts!!!

 

Thanks again for the nice comments, everyone. I got home late tonight, so I won't be able to finish Halifax, but tomorrow for sure!

Edited September 19, 2014 by windjamming

[windjamming]

DAY 6 - HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

 

Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia. When we were here last, we visited the Citadel, right in the middle of town, which was a critical stronghold for the British in the early days of Canada. This time, we decided to walk the waterfront. (We briefly considered going to Peggy's Cove, a nearby seaside town known for its beautiful lighthouses and views, but decided to nix it on account of the weather.)

 

The Halifax Waterfront, according to novascotia.com:

 

Walk the ocean’s edge along the historic Halifax waterfront. Start at Pier 21 – the gateway into Canada for one million immigrants – and then explore eclectic shops, some of the city’s best restaurants, and ships including the last of the WWII convoy escort corvettes.

 

Discover the oldest continuously operating farmers’ market in North America, and exhibits at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic including displays on the city’s link to the Titanic disaster. End at the timber-frame & stone warehouses of Historic Properties – originally built to safeguard booty captured by legalized pirates called privateers.

 

The boardwalk runs from Pier 21 (where the ship is docked, or close, at least - I'm not sure we were actually at Pier 21) to Casino Nova Scotia, and the length is 3.8 km (just a bit under 2.4 miles) I figured we'd walk until we had enough and turn back.

 

Because of the long distance between Saint John and Halifax, we did not dock until close to 9. (We did manage to do about 19 knots, for those wondering about the propeller situation.) This picture was taken later in the day, but this was pretty much what it looked like in the morning (and all day):

 

 

Again, a jetway was set up at Deck 4. However, each segment was rather steep, and I saw 2 older couples stop to rest on the landings. I wish they could adjust the angle of the jetway a little. It seems like undue difficulty, and with a wheelchair, it could be very dangerous.

 

We left at about 9:30 and went to the visitors desk right in the terminal. I asked about the Farmers Market, and the nice lady said, "oh, you can probably crawl there, it's so close!"

 

First, we looked around the terminal a little. On one end is the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. There is a fee to enter, but a shop that is free to browse. The rest of the terminal was occupied by vendors selling everything from pewter gifts to ceramics to moose/lobster paraphernalia. There was also a decently clean bathroom near the exit. One shop sold beautiful mugs, some of which featured popular dog breeds, like Golden Retriever, or English Bulldog. Sadly, they had run out of ones with German Shepherd. :(

 

Finally, we ventured out of the terminal. Turning right, our first stop on the Waterfront was the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, which had a campus right near the port. They had a small gallery with beautiful items and a small display selling locally made hot sauce! Not being a hot sauce aficionado, I don't know whether the sauce was hot or HOT, but I did see a couple stock up.

 

Next, we hit the Farmers Market. It really was that close! By then it was only just a bit after 10ish, and most of the vendors were still setting up. We did a quick walkthrough and figured we could come back later.

 

Now, we were finally on the boardwalk. The walk was nondescript. We saw some interesting art installations:

 

 

There were a few restaurants along the side, but because it was early, a weekday, and really dreary, there was barely anyone around except for a handful of tourists.

 

We made it about 2/3rds of the way and hit another visitors center, where there were bathrooms. It was at that point when I started feeling not well. I don't know if it was the coffee that morning that was too strong or perhaps food that was too salty or not enough water that morning, but I suddenly felt really tired. Maybe I was dehydrated. I just know I wasn't feeling up to continuing towards the end of the boardwalk and wanted to get back to the ship.

 

Mom and Dad, of course, were worried, and we headed back.

 

Once on board, I got some water in me, and some warm food, and I was back to normal. Afterwards I felt a little silly, because, let's recap:

 

Number of times tiredness was mentioned during a walk:

Mom: 0

Dad: 0

Me: 1

 

After all of my worrying about my parents, I was the one who cut short a day's activities! Humility, you are a kind friend.

 

After lunch, we relaxed for a bit. I was feeling much better by then, so Mom and I headed back outside. (Dad opted to hang out in the room and watch TV. It actually got to be a little funny - almost every time he was in the stateroom just relaxing, they would deliver a plate of cookies or cheese or hors d'oeuvres, like he'd been expecting them!)

 

We went back to the Farmers Market, which by then was in full swing. Lots of interesting eats - more so than in the City Market. One, called Chenpapa really piqued our interest. They sold large Chinese pork buns! We bought a couple, and they were delicious! For something a bit different from the ordinary, definitely give them a shot. Each bun was probably 5 inches in diameter, with a pork and vegetable filling.

 

Note: Halifax has a high tax rate. Each bun was 3.50, but 4.00 with tax. We had some leftover Canadian dollars from an earlier trip and so just used that. Vendors generally accepted US dollars too, at a 1:1 rate.

 

It was drizzling a little, so we went back to the terminal and browsed a bit in the stores before heading back through security. The friendly officer who checked my ID had apparently also checked my ID when we went back to the ship earlier that day. So of course, he had to give me some grief for causing trouble - all of course, with a grandfatherly twinkle in his eye. How nice is that?

 

Feeling somewhat redeemed after at least seeing some more of the Waterfront, I was happy to wrap up the day's excursions. Mom and I happily went back onboard, satisfied with our day in Halifax.

 

 

Summary

 

- The Halifax Waterfront runs 2.4 miles from the Pier 21 (approximately where the ship is docked) all the way to the Casino Nova Scotia. All level ground and easy to walk.

 

- If the weather is bad, totally ok to stay in the terminal! The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is accessible through the terminal and gets good reviews on TripAdvisor. It is the Canadian counterpart to Ellis Island in the US.

 

- The Halifax Farmers Market is just steps away from the terminal. Lots of fun stalls - definitely a good place to get lunch. We had Chinese pork buns at Chenpapa, and they were delicious.

 

- Also in town: further along the Boardwalk, towards the Casino, there is Cows, a well-known Canadian ice cream shop, originally from Prince Edward Island. They have fun flavors like "Moo Henry". We first tried them in Banff and were hooked! Because we didn't continue to the end of the Boardwalk, we missed it. There is also a Battered Fish, a chain specializing in fried seafood, which gets good reviews, too.

 

- The shops in the terminal are quite nice. One shop specialized in pewter gifts, like letter openers and jewelry. One store had beautiful mugs. My favorites were the ones with dogs. This was definitely one of the better ports - if not best - with shops right near the ship.

[chengkp75]

Great review, brings back memories of when we did this on the Dawn. Halifax is a great city. We did a windjammer cruise of the harbor, a sailing schooner with wine and cheese. I also liked the Museum of the Atlantic which has an exhibit of the explosion in WW I that nearly completely leveled the city. A tanker and an ammunition ship collided and caused the largest man-made explosion prior to the atomic bomb.

[atb]

We always go to the museum. There are standard exhibits - many crew type boats, and some Titantic memorabilia. But one area of the museum has a different display each year. Last year it was about the ships and crews that laid the transatlantic wires.

If you are a member of AAA - be sure and carry your membership card - there is a discount for AAA members.

[Firetrk]

It was dark on both sides when we set all August 28. Was planning on being on starboard to view the teardrop memorial as we sailed out. The statue of liberty is on port side so be there if you prefer that view.

 

Deb

 

 

I'd like to see the Teardrop Memorial also. Will I be able to see it once we leave port? I'm not sure exactly where it is. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

 

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[Clarea]

I'd like to see the Teardrop Memorial also. Will I be able to see it once we leave port? I'm not sure exactly where it is. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

You can easily see it from the outside deck of the ship while you are docked.

[edjny]

I'd like to see the Teardrop Memorial also. Will I be able to see it once we leave port? I'm not sure exactly where it is. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

 

The Teardrop Memorial is right at the end of the pier in Bayonne. If you look at the dock as the Explorer backs in or pulls out, you will see it very clearly. After you get off the ship and clear customs, you can walk down to the end of the pier and see it close up. But, right now that is where all the construction for the new terminal is, so the access may be blocked off.

[cruzinlady1947]

 

I know many people see the Tear Drop Memorial during the daylight while sailing away. But, since we sailed away in the evening, here is a picture of it at night. It is beautiful in the daylight too. Not sure if "windjamming" has a picture of it at night. If they do, maybe they can post a better picture of it. This is a little blurry.

 

 

 

Gwen :)

[windjamming]

Thanks Gwen! Sadly I don't have a picture of the Teardrop Memorial. I remember seeing it during the daytime but can't recall from what side of the ship. I'm thinking it must have been starboard because port was the Statue of Liberty??

 

All, there's a nice review of the 9/11 sailing of this itinerary (with a nice pic of the Teardrop Memorial in daylight) here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2104670

[windjamming]

DAY 8 - BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

 

Sigh, last port! Today we would be in Boston, a town we've had the fortune of visiting many times. So, instead of spending the day in the city, we decided to take advantage of the ship's excursion to the Kennedy Library and Adams House. The JFK library, while technically in Boston, is somewhat out of the way, and the Adams house is in Quincy, a southern suburb. Both were fantastic visits, though we hit some trouble early on in the day!

 

Sailing into Boston Harbor, we saw the most magnificent sunrise.

 

 

And (according to Wikipedia), Fort Independence, "the oldest continuously fortified site of English origin in the United States." (Self: check this out next time in town.)

 

 

Our tour was to depart at 8:30, and we were instructed to meet at the Theater at 8:15. (Based on past experience, we knew to get to the Theater a bit early, as tours sometimes depart at exactly the time they tell you to meet.) At the theater, they gave out stickers numbered 23. I'd guess there were maybe 200-300 people in the theater, all with 23. I found it odd that that many people wanted to see the JFK Library, but, hey, ok.

 

At 8:15ish, we were herded down to the gangway and through the cruise terminal. No shops. When we got outside, there were people holding various signs for excursions.

 

Well, it turns out people on different excursions waiting in the theater were all given a 23. I have no idea how many excursions were there, but it was definitely more than just the Kennedy library. As you can imagine, this caused great confusion. Boo on the Explorations! desk - this was a FAIL.

 

We found a small group of folks all on the same excursion and equally confused, so we all stuck together. There were probably 30 of us that I saw. The woman holding the sign for our tour informed us that our bus was coming soon, but that it was delayed due to traffic.

 

So we waited.

 

And waited.

 

AND WAITED.

 

Finally, our bus got here, and we piled on, only to be told just minutes later that we were moving buses. As I understand one of the passengers required a lift (which our bus did not have), so we had to go onto another bus.

 

OK. All on the bus. Ready to go. By now it was about 9:30. Our tour guide Mary apologized profusely and assured us that we would all get 20% off, or if anyone wanted to get off the bus now, they could get a full refund. I thought this was a very nice gesture, though, admittedly, they really got off on the wrong foot.

 

Let's just say Mary was not the most dynamic tour guide. Nice lady, but easily confused (e.g. St. Patricks Day is not Patriots Day!). In her defense, though, she was also guiding the bus driver, who seemed to have no clue where he was going!

 

Once we got out of the harbor area, we headed south of Boston but hit traffic right away. We finally got to the Adams house at about 10am, where we were to spend about an hour. (I did peek at her original itinerary, and it had us stopping there at 9:20am, which meant we were running about 40 minutes late.)

 

We were given a guided tour by a National Park ranger, as the Adams house is considered a National site. He *was* definitely very dynamic and shared stories about John and Abigail Adams and their family, including the genius John Quincy Adams, who was translating official documents from French into English for his father by the age of 10! The English garden that still blooms today was designed by Abigail Adams, and there are even a couple of lilacs that were planted by Abigail Adams. Our ranger really brought the stories alive, and I walked away having learned so much more about the amazing Adams family.

 

Abigail Adams' English garden and John Quincy Adams' Library. (No pictures were allowed inside the houses.)

 

By a little past 11 we were on the road again for the short trip to JFK Library, which is at Columbia Point and near one of the UMass campuses. (The red line T stop here is called "JFK/UMass".) We got there by 11:30, and Mary told us we would have until 1:10pm. I thought that was pretty cool. They had already agreed to refund 20%, but they still kept the original length of the tour.

 

The exhibits were on the lower floor, and they followed JFK's career, from boyhood and school through his days as a young Senator, and then finally his Presidency. There were individual stations showing election night results, and a video loop showing his Inauguration speech, and a beautiful hall (replicated from the White House, I believe) showing many of the gifts that JFK received while in office. Of course, there was much detail and attention given to Jackie Kennedy, as well as individual exhibits on JFK's family and legacy. There was a separate section dedicated to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

 

 

I thought the museum was well done. I have only been to one other Presidential Library (Jimmy Carter's), and this had a very different feel. It really brought you back to that era, whereas President Carter's had a lot of content about his legacy.

 

We were brought back to the ship at about 1:30, and, famished, we went right to the Windjammer. I mean, we hadn't EATEN IN 6 HOURS!! I had been really controlled with my eating up until now, but I. WAS. STARVING. I started with a bit of lasagna, and some veggies. Finishing that, I knew I needed more. I broke down and got a cheese burger. And fries. With A1 sauce. And some salad, just to be balanced. It was SO good.

 

Fed, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the room. When it was time to depart, we had to back out of the harbor, where there is a LOT of marine traffic:

 

 

Also, note that we were right in the flight path of Logan airport. In his daily message, Captain James had mentioned that they had "informed the authorities at Logan", but I don't know what that meant. It did seem that there was a halt in flights landing.

 

And, to cap off the lovely day, a gorgeous sunset over Boston.

 

 

Summary

 

- There is nothing at the Boston cruise port. Taxis are available, and I did see a bus stop. RCI also offers excursions for hop on hop off tours, which would be an easy form of transportation into the city. Boston is very small and very walkable, with great public transportation, so as long as you can get to/from the ship, you're good.

 

- I would definitely recommend the Kennedy and Adams tour we took. The Kennedy library is well done, but I think I was truly impressed with the Adams house and their impact on US history. Great tour with a ranger. Although the day started off crazy, I was impressed with the tour operator's willingness to refund 20% right off the bat. (And it came off our Seapass accounts automatically by that afternoon.)

 

- Be careful if they give a lot of people the same number sticker for excursions! On the day we were there, it was chaotic looking for your bus tour. Just because someone is wearing the same number as you doesn't mean they're on the same excursion.

 

- There is one bathroom (I believe in the stable house) at the Adams House, that is really not encouraged to be used. MANY bathrooms at the JFK Library. In our excursion we went to the Adams house first, because it is further from the port. The Adams tour is at least 50 minutes, so "budget" accordingly!

 

- Also in town: if the Sox were in town playing a day game, it would have been fun to catch a game. There's probably not enough time for more than a few innings, but the Fenway experience shouldn't be missed. The North End (Italian) is another possibility. Mike's Pastry is famous. Our waiter went to see where the Celtics play (it used to be called the Boston Garden and FAMOUSLY had few restrooms for women - not sure who it's named after now but I understand there's more bathroom gender equality) and reported there was nothing there.

 

Next...the ship, dining, activities, services, and everything else!

[vickila]

We sailed with you too. Great ship, great cruise and you are doing a great detailed review. Love it. Vicki

[BillOh]

DAY 8 - BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

 

 

Abigail Adams' English garden and John Quincy Adams' Library. (No pictures were allowed inside the houses.)

 

Challenge accepted! Ok, put away the flamethrowers.:o Did they say no flash pictures or no pictures? I can understand why some art museums dont' allow flash pictures if they think a cumulative effect would be to fade priceless artwork. I could understand why private businesses that you pay to enter would forbid pictures so that other's wouldn't get to see for free, but an American landmark? Perhaps they don't allow any pictures because so many people don't have a clue how to use cameras and will still use flash. (Watch the Blue Planet show on Allure or the Aqua theater shows on both ships were flashes could be a detriment to the performers and people still flash.

[CRUISEBOY305]

Love Boston. I'll be sailing out of there in 3 weeks and 4 days :D

[edjny]

Challenge accepted! Ok, put away the flamethrowers.:o Did they say no flash pictures or no pictures? I can understand why some art museums dont' allow flash pictures if they think a cumulative effect would be to fade priceless artwork. I could understand why private businesses that you pay to enter would forbid pictures so that other's wouldn't get to see for free, but an American landmark? Perhaps they don't allow any pictures because so many people don't have a clue how to use cameras and will still use flash. (Watch the Blue Planet show on Allure or the Aqua theater shows on both ships were flashes could be a detriment to the performers and people still flash.

 

You are right.... It would seem that most people do not have a clue how to turn off the flash on the camera. I always get a smile when I see people taking pictures with their little cheap cameras or phones a hundred feet or more from the subject with a flash. All they are getting is heads in front of them well lit... :rolleyes:

Edited September 24, 2014 by edjny

[windjamming]

Challenge accepted! Ok, put away the flamethrowers.:o Did they say no flash pictures or no pictures? I can understand why some art museums dont' allow flash pictures if they think a cumulative effect would be to fade priceless artwork. I could understand why private businesses that you pay to enter would forbid pictures so that other's wouldn't get to see for free, but an American landmark? Perhaps they don't allow any pictures because so many people don't have a clue how to use cameras and will still use flash. (Watch the Blue Planet show on Allure or the Aqua theater shows on both ships were flashes could be a detriment to the performers and people still flash.

 

You are right.... It would seem that most people do not have a clue how to turn off the flash on the camera. I always get a smile when I see people taking pictures with their little cheap cameras or phones a hundred feet or more from the subject with a flash. All they are getting is heads in front of them well lit... :rolleyes:

 

The ranger said no pictures. I'm guessing it was for the reason you both suggested - some folks don't know how to turn off their flash. The house, furniture, wallcoverings (all original) were really in remarkable condition, so I can only imagine the amount of maintenance or restoration required. I wouldn't blame them for clamping down.

 

On the bright side, you'll have to go to the house to see what it looks like. :)

[windjamming]

We sailed with you too. Great ship, great cruise and you are doing a great detailed review. Love it. Vicki

 

Thanks Vicki! I really loved this cruise, and the ship played a big role in the enjoyment. What a fantastic 9 days it was!!

 

Love Boston. I'll be sailing out of there in 3 weeks and 4 days :D

 

Haha, but who's counting! :D I'm so envious! You'll see the leaves in full color, and I think I mentioned elsewhere that Holy Donuts now has apple cider donuts!!