east coast and novia scotia cruise

[Sg14]

leaving on 9 day cruise on royal  and would like to hear about things to do in  ports so we don't miss out on the really fun and interesting things

Boston

Portland 

Bar Harbour

St Johns NB

Halifax

traveling with my  bestfriend  and we like to hike and walk also

Thanka in advance

[chengkp75]

Boston:  way too much to see.  Best is to walk the Freedom Trail, but start with a cab/uber ride to Charlestown and start with the USS Constitution, then a water taxi to the North End, and walk back to the Common from there, about 3.5 miles all told.  Eat in the North End and snack in Quincy Market.

 

Portland:  Skip the lighthouse tours, get up early and see Portland Head Light as the ship comes into harbor (about 45 minutes before scheduled docking) to get unique photos from seaward, also Spring Point Light and Bug Light.  Everything in Portland is in walking distance (about 3/4 mile from ship), Old Port has great dining and shopping, there is Shipyard Brewing tour and tasting room, Longfellow house and museum, Portland Museum of Art, and if you turn right from the terminal exit, you are on the Greenway, which will lead you to the Eastern Prom, a nice walk around the park, see the fine old homes, and great views down Casco Bay.  The Casco Bay Ferry "mailboat run" takes about 2-2.5 hours, and runs to all 5 of the inhabited islands of Portland, and the skipper gives a commentary on island life.  This is the boat that brings mail, groceries, and supplies to the islanders.  Lobster rolls at Becky's Diner, Portland Lobster, or High Roller Lobster are great, the seafood in Boone's Seafood and Oyster Bar is great.  Milk shakes at Duckfat (and their fries), anything from Nosh, way too many food choices.

 

Bar Harbor is a neat little town, we took a schooner tour of the bay there.  Acadia National Park is the other attraction.

 

Halifax, I would do the Museum of the Atlantic, with its exhibits of the Titanic and the Halifax explosion, and the Citadel.  Lots like going to Peggy's Cove, but to me its just another coastal New England town.

[LHT28]

be sure to check in the Canada New England forum also

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/9-canadanew-england/

[hallasm]

I have done this cruise  - my review at https://newenglandcruise.blogspot.com/ with pictures and videos from each day.

1. Boston:  HoHo bus and walked the Freedom Trail
2. Portland: Visit to Kennebunkport
3. Bar Harbor: Acadia Nature Park and  walked to Bar Island (low tide)
4. Halifax: Peggy's Cove - very charming little fishing village
5. St John - A must to visit the Reversing Falls (need to go twice in order to see the phenomenon  - low and high tide). Also visit to St. Martins, a small fishing village.

I have also made a short video from the full cruise:

 

[John Bull]

Is Boston your embarkation port?

If so, try to add a couple of days pre-cruise - it has far more to offer than you'll manage with a one-day port of call visit. 

If not, the ho-ho trolleys give you an oversight and their drivers are both witty and informative.

The Boston tea-party boat is fun but pretty cheesy - probably no worthwhile for a one day visit to Boston.

Try to spend some time around Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market.

 

Bar Harbour (congrats on spelling it the British way ) is very attractive but hardly mind-blowing.

If you're suffering from cruise fatigue it's ideal for a lazy day people-watching from behind a long cold beer at a waterside bar .

 

JB   

[DirtyDawg]

10 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Halifax, I would do the Museum of the Atlantic, with its exhibits of the Titanic and the Halifax explosion, and the Citadel.  Lots like going to Peggy's Cove, but to me its just another coastal New England town.

 

But in Peggy's Cove the Chinese made souvenirs have the red and white maple leaf on them rather than the stars and stripes.

[pacruise804]

Another vote for checking the ports of call board. 

 

We really enjoyed walking in Halifax.  Spent a few hours at the Citadel, lunch at a local restaurant, and bit of time at the Public Garden.

 

You might get faulty or at least fewer results for Saint John, NB if you are searching St. John, St. Johns, or any variation.  There is a St. Johns, NL and St. John, USVI that can skew your results.

 

Sounds like a fun trip - enjoy!

[shipgeeks]

Walk the Halifax boardwalk, and visit the Maritime Museum at the far end.

[paul929207]

In Halifax we took a great tour to Lunenburg.

[nybumpkin]

In Saint John (they spell it out) we've hiked from the cruise port to Reversing Rapids. There's a nice park along the waterfront. We've also walked the town up to the City Market (really cool) and King's Park with the King Edward VII Memorial Bandstand. One time we took an excursion to "Fundy's Hidden Coast" - good tour, but since it was foggy the coast was very hidden.

 

Halifax: I love Halifax.  We generally walk the waterfront, although one time we did go to Peggy's Cove. Some neat places on the waterfront:  Keith's Brewery, which has a brewery tour and samples.  Also Nova Scotian Crystal, which was founded by some folks who were disenchanted with Waterford, left Ireland, and set up shop in Halifax. There's a nice glass blowing demonstration area.  DH and I liked their products so much we started collecting.

[Heidi13]

Boston -  Freedom Trail, Boston Common

Halifax - Museum of the Atlantic (Titanic Museum), Harbour Boardwalk, Halifax Citadel,

St John's - Reversing Falls