Canada Question

[BJane]

We are getting ready to book the Amsterdam for 9/06 from New York to Montreal. Although we've taken this itinerary four previous times, one port stop is unfamiliar to us. It shows Saguenay from 9 AM to 6 PM. The little map shows that it is close to Quebec City, but I can't find anything about it on the internet. (At least not in English!) Can anyone give me some information about it? Thanks for the help.

[tomc]

It's not a port stop; it's a fjord and you will be sailing it for several hours that day. A lovely place.

[RuthC]

The Saguemay is a river the ends in the St. Laurence. The day will be a scenic viewing day as you cruise up the fjord, turn around at the statue of the Blessed Virgin, then sail back down.

 

If the weather is good it's a very pretty ride. If not---well, there's always indoor activities.

(oops. sorry, tom. we must have been typing at the same time.)

[Esme]

We are getting ready to book the Amsterdam for 9/06 from New York to Montreal. Although we've taken this itinerary four previous times, one port stop is unfamiliar to us. It shows Saguenay from 9 AM to 6 PM. The little map shows that it is close to Quebec City, but I can't find anything about it on the internet. (At least not in English!) Can anyone give me some information about it? Thanks for the help.

 

If you were looking up Saguenay on Google, all you had to do was click on "translate this page" and the English version would have come up.

 

Tom and Ruth are right - it's a sea day and if it's nice, the scenary is beautiful.

 

After I typed this I had this niggling feeling that I had read somewhere that they were going to be making a new stop while sailing up the river. It was on HAL's website, under Media, I believe, but I can't seem to bring up the site. I found that when I went into HAL's website and looked at the cruise the OP will be going on, clicked on Saguenay, St. Jean de Luz came up with no information about the port. I'll keep looking. Nothing about the town in Quebec on Google - only on the one in France.

[Cruiseoften]

The Saguemay is a river the ends in the St. Laurence. The day will be a scenic viewing day as you cruise up the fjord, turn around at the statue of the Blessed Virgin, then sail back down.

 

If the weather is good it's a very pretty ride. If not---well, there's always indoor activities.

(oops. sorry, tom. we must have been typing at the same time.)

 

You're right on Ruth! Don't like to be critical but it's the St. LaWrence River and the SagueNay

 

Beautiful area! It would be nice if you could read about it in English - lost my high school French a long time ago! :)

[BJane]

Thanks for the replies. What you describe is what I remember from the previous trips but I think the day was listed as "scenic cruising". I guess that I'm at the age where I confuse easily. I'll miss having two days in Quebec City like we did before, but it should be a great trip and the Amsterdam is my favorite HAL ship.

[1drifter]

Saguenay is a new port. There is a news release on HAL's website at http://www.hollandamerica.com/media/newsRelease.do?fileName=/200507/28_canadanewengland_01.xml It is close to 3 national parks and they are planning activities such as wildlife viewing, kayaking, fishing and flightseeing. It sounded like fun, but I think it is only on the Amsterdam 10 day cruise & not on the Maasdam 7 day cruise we are planning to take. Enjoy! Shari

[Esme]

Ah, Shari - see you found it too. I was just able to bring up the Media site and found it also. You beat me to it. :D

[Lisa63]

There is also a lot of information on the official Parks Canada Web site (http://www.pc.gc.ca/index_e.asp). Here's one link: Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park

[TidePrideGA]

Here's a good site on the Saguenay Fjord:

 

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Fjord/english/home_e.html

[tomc]

I'm assuming that the "port" of Saguenay is just the name HAL is giving to the various locales and activities available near a built-up tendering spot in the fjord. I'll ask my brother, who lives fairly near there.

[SDHALFAN]

You're right on Ruth! Don't like to be critical but it's the St. LaWrence River and the SagueNay

 

Beautiful area! It would be nice if you could read about it in English - lost my high school French a long time ago! :)

 

Okay Cruiseoften,

 

I could possibly believe that you "don't like to be critical", however I'm pretty sure that in Ruth C's post "Saguemay" was a typo. I've been guilty of that "sin" many times - haven't you?:D Also, in the case of St. Lawrence versus St. Laurence she was just using the French spelling - I know that's not the correct name for the River but I bet that the French Candians would love to see it spelled their way.:)

[tomc]

Also, in the case of St. Lawrence versus St. Laurence she was just using the French spelling.

When in Roma...

[tomc]

This is from my brother and, as you can see, I was off the mark.

Aha! Fooled, you were.........There IS a Saguenay!

 

Saguenay is the new city which was made up of Chicoutimi, Jonquière and maybe a few smaller surrounding towns. To us though, Saguenay exists only for the politicians.....it is still Chicoutimi, Jonquière, La Baie etc.

 

Funny you should mention kayaking as this place is called Cap Jaseux and is run by a fellow named Michel or Marcel Martineau, whom I know. Cap Jaseux is also the home of the tree-top thing, too. It is maybe a 15-20 minute drive from Chicoutimi on Rt.172 heading towards Tadoussac. Further on down the 172 is the most beautiful village, St-Rose-du-Nord. Tour busses go there. I know the parks around there and also the bird sanctuary. We go by there when we go fishing at the Clauparo Club.

 

Chicoutimi is like a mini-Québec. They have an old port, a farmer's market, walking/bike trail, outdoor shows and ice fishing is THE thing in the winter. Chicoutimi is 130 miles north of Québec City. It would be a neat trip. It would be neat for HAL to make up enlarged maps and have them put on a bulletin board on the cruise on which you'd find the towns and parks. Chicoutimi, La Baie, Anse-St-Jean on one side and Ste-Rose, Ste-Marguerite and Sacré-Coeur on the other along with the parks around there where escalading the fjord walls is very popular.

[RuthC]

You're right on Ruth! Don't like to be critical but it's the St. LaWrence River and the SagueNay

Well 40 lashes with a red satin ribbon. ;) Or force-feed me chocolate until I plead for mercy. :D I made a typo on the Saguenay.

As far as the St. Lawrence, sorry. That was a mistake I won't make again. My husband's family was French-Canadian, and there are "Laurence" relatives. When we first married I could never find them in the phone book because I was always looking it up under the English spelling. Once he got me switched over I forgot to switch back.

Now that I'm switched back I won't be able to find them in....:rolleyes:

[sail7seas]

It sounded like fun, but I think it is only on the Amsterdam 10 day cruise & not on the Maasdam 7 day cruise we are planning to take. Enjoy! Shari

 

 

Shari......

 

You're right. Maasdam doesn't have it included in her itinerary.