Canada/New England Cruise-A couple questions

[Anna Chassereau]

Hi everyone!

A couple questions...looking at a 4 day cruise out of New York on the Magic Oct. 2nd 2017. Two days at sea and one stop in St. John, New Brunswick.

Has anyone done this cruise? If so what are your thoughts?

How cold is it at that time up there? My son who will be 6 for this cruise loved the slide/Nemo's reef on the Dream...will it be too cold for him to do any sort of water activities on deck?

How's the water/waves up there? I've never cruised that area before. Is it especially choppy or anything?

If we do this cruise I'm looking at the St. Martin's and Bay of Fundy port adventure. Has anyone done this one and what do you think?

Wanting to fly into New York for a couple days before leaving to do some sightseeing...how's boarding/getting off the ship compared to Port Canaveral? Is it a smooth process?

Any advice would be great! Just want to make sure I'm making the right choice for our cruise!

 

[Geomom]

I live in Massachusetts, so I can just give you a general temperature idea for New England. I wouldn't want to do slides/water play area that time of year . A heated pool would be fine as you're submerged and will stay warm until you get out. (We did the pool on the Wonder in Alaska with temps in the high 50's, low 60's.) I checked the temp from St John this year, high was 57 on 10/2, low was 49. For New England, October highs are usually in the low 60's, high 50's; lows in the 40-50F range. You can have unusually warm (70's) or cold days as well. Early October could give you some peak foliage in Canada. We were in Northern New Hampshire this past weekend (10/8)and saw it peak there, while our trees in Massachusetts are just starting to turn...I'd say we're still 2 weeks from peak.

 

[Anna Chassereau]

I live in Massachusetts, so I can just give you a general temperature idea for New England. I wouldn't want to do slides/water play area that time of year . A heated pool would be fine as you're submerged and will stay warm until you get out. (We did the pool on the Wonder in Alaska with temps in the high 50's, low 60's.) I checked the temp from St John this year, high was 57 on 10/2, low was 49. For New England, October highs are usually in the low 60's, high 50's; lows in the 40-50F range. You can have unusually warm (70's) or cold days as well. Early October could give you some peak foliage in Canada. We were in Northern New Hampshire this past weekend (10/8)and saw it peak there, while our trees in Massachusetts are just starting to turn...I'd say we're still 2 weeks from peak.

Yes I'm definitely thinking we won't be swimming much on this cruise! Lol I wonder if the cruise hugs the coast so you can actually see the fall foliage on the way up to Canada? The cruise is titled New England/Canada but only has one port which is St. John in Canada so it makes me wonder...

 

[msmama]

We did the oct 2 cruise this year (different itenery). There were plenty of kids using the pool. Fewer adults.

The cruise does not hit the coast so no trees but you could (apparently) see them when driving to and from excursions (according to our table mates, we didn't get off the ship in at john).

I stayed about a block and a half away from the port. To get to the Magic we had to walk by the area where a Norwegian ship was docked. It was so crazy waking through there. People were coming and going from the same area, tons of people waiting around for whatever. We walked through those people and once we got to the Disney pier everything was smooth sailing. Our bags were taken, we checked in with no issues. It's the Disney service I'd expect (it was my first Disney cruise so can't compare to PC).

As for seas - it was a little rocky on our last sea day but not terrible. Keep in mind that an Oct cruise is hurricane season, even up north.

 

[N&S]

I've never been on the cruise, but I live near Saint John. It'll be cool that time of year, but it shouldn't be to bad. The fall foliage is usually in full swing by then, you'll see plenty in the 45 minute drive out to St. Martins. Like someone else mentioned, it's hurricane season, and while we normally don't get the full blast, it was a cold windy and rainy day on Monday from Matthew.

 

[Pens Fan]

Just off the 10/2 cruise that went to Saint John and Halifax. As msmama noted, there were lots of kids using the pools and water features, especially on the last sea day. We were blessed with beautiful, warm, sunny weather on our cruise - highs in the upper 60's and low 70's. It's impossible to predict if that will be the case for the same time next year, however. The seas were probably the smoothest we have ever encountered on a cruise, but again that could all change. It's hurricane season, after all. Certain areas around Saint John had some beautiful fall foliage, but it wasn't everywhere you looked - more on the hilltops. Halifax had hardly begun to change at all.

We used Dave's Taxi Tours in Saint John and they were terrific. As part of our tour we walked in the caves at St. Martin - check the tide schedule!!! - and saw the Bay of Fundy. Both were beautiful. There is a nice little restaurant at the caves with some wonderful seafood chowder. We also enjoyed two trips to the reversing falls to see the water flowing in different directions from morning to afternoon.

Embarkation was fine - long lines, but fine. Our driver was able to drop us off directly in front of the main entrance to the terminal DCL was using. However, taxis and private transportation are not allowed to pick up there after the cruise. You have to cross a very busy (4 lane) street to catch your ride. Luckily for us the NCL Breakaway that had been next to us on embarkation day was still at sea when we debarked. I can only imagine what the chaos would be like if both ships were clearing out at the same time! We did not use Disney transportation so if you are considering that, I'm no help there.

We loved this cruise and would definitely recommend it. There were kids on board, but definitely not as many as you see on the summer cruises.

 

[MaleficentRN]

Was on The Magic last week. It's so hard to predict the weather. It was cold and miserable when we sailed out of New York but warm and sunny in Saint John two days later. Our two port days and last sea day the temps were in the mid 70's and sunny.Are you sure those temps you saw are from this year? Plus the pools are heated. I hit the pool and hot tub when I got back to the ship after exploring Saint John. I saw many kids in the splash areas and on the Aqua Dunk.
Saint John was not my favorite. Not much, short of shopping, to do near the port. Definitely book an excursion to see more of the area and changing leaves.
I thought the sea was more active than my two cruises in the Caribbean.I watched the water in the adult pool make waves on our first sea day and our room creaked all night every night. Even a couple of CMs commented on it, but other cruises said it was not that rough. It wasn't disturbing, but very noticeable.
We drove to NYC and parked at the terminal at around 9:30. Traffic was heavy and there was a long line of cars/limos/taxis going to the drop off area. My parents took a taxi to the terminal at around 11pm and said it was very easy. However, pick up is different. You cannot be picked up at the terminal and must cross the street to get a taxi or even get picked up by private car. The terminal is much larger than PC so you will do more walking. Hard to say how easy boarding really is. I chalk it up to inexperience of the staff at the port as they don't sail from there often and the size of the terminal, but it was crowded. We were misdirected a couple of times and seemed chaotic. Hopefully they can iron this out in a year's time. Disembarking was easy, we basically walked off, no line at customs, bags were right there on the floor. Again, long walk off the gangway and through terminal.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Hi everyone!

A couple questions...looking at a 4 day cruise out of New York on the Magic Oct. 2nd 2017. Two days at sea and one stop in St. John, New Brunswick.

Has anyone done this cruise? If so what are your thoughts?

How cold is it at that time up there? My son who will be 6 for this cruise loved the slide/Nemo's reef on the Dream...will it be too cold for him to do any sort of water activities on deck?

How's the water/waves up there? I've never cruised that area before. Is it especially choppy or anything?

If we do this cruise I'm looking at the St. Martin's and Bay of Fundy port adventure. Has anyone done this one and what do you think?

Wanting to fly into New York for a couple days before leaving to do some sightseeing...how's boarding/getting off the ship compared to Port Canaveral? Is it a smooth process?

Any advice would be great! Just want to make sure I'm making the right choice for our cruise!

I was also on the 5 night cruise 10/2 - 10/7 and we loved it. I will add although we did love Saint John, Halifax and going to Peggy's Cove was our favorite thing.

The temperatures were chilly in the mornings (as low as 30 degrees) but as the sun was out for us, it warmed up pretty quickly. It was in the 50-60's most of the cruise and slightly breezy. I was perfectly fine with a t-shirt and light jacket. It did stay pretty chilly on the verandah too.

The seas were a little choppy and the cabin creaked quite a bit but nothing major for me. My mom also said it was fine and it was her 3rd cruise with me. I've definitely been through worse and would add as others did, the weather during hurricane season can vary for sure.

In Saint John, we did the trolley hop on hop off tour that also went to the Reversing Falls. We definitely saw kids and people swimming, however we did not.

The port of NYC was a little chaotic and we arrived around 10:40am and it was packed inside. The lines took longer than expected and then we went faster once we broke out into the Platinum/Concierge line but for the lines for the others remained long. There was very limited seating (which I had already read about) so just be prepared. I think honestly - too many people arrived early and it created a jam. Not sure how it was later? I also know there was a Coast Guard inspection that day and our boarding was delayed a bit as well as getting into our cabins. I definitely recommend spending time in NYC before the cruise and we enjoyed ourselves.

Have fun!

Heather

 

[Pens Fan]

I'll chime back in once more to agree with Heather on Halifax. Of the two ports, Halifax was definitely our favorite. Saint John was pretty and the whole tide phenomenon is really fascinating, but to us Halifax was much more scenic. If I were looking at these cruises in the future, I would probably want one that stopped there. Our guide in Halifax was also telling us about Sydney, Nova Scotia - in particular the Cabot Trail. He highly recommended it, though you can't see the entire trail on a cruise stop - it's too long - you can see a portion of it. He said the scenery reminded him of Scotland. Take a look at all the Canadian cruises Disney is offering to see what works for you time wise and budget wise - though keep in mind the later you sail, the more likely you will encounter cold weather.

Decision, decisions (but good ones)

 

[Anna Chassereau]

@Geomom @msmama @Pens Fan @IBelieveInTheMagic @MaleficentRN thank you all so much for your advice!! We decided to go for it and I booked us this morning! Went with the 5 day instead that leaves Sept. 27th and stops at Bar Harbor, Maine and St. John's. So looking forward to it!! Thanks for your words of wisdom!

 

[Geomom]

Enjoy your cruise! A longer cruise is always better, and good to get 2 ports! We've driven up to Bar Harbor before, beautiful town!

 

[Anna Chassereau]

Enjoy your cruise! A longer cruise is always better, and good to get 2 ports! We've driven up to Bar Harbor before, beautiful town!

I can't wait and I agree longer the cruise the better! I've been to Portland, Maine before and loved it and am still dreaming about the lobster rolls I ate there...Maine is beautiful and looking forward to seeing Bar Harbor!

 

[Pens Fan]

You are going to love Bar Harbor. We took a trip to Maine for the fall colors 19 years ago. It was amazing! Bar Harbor and Acadia NP are just stunning in the fall. Enjoy!!

 

[Calfan]

Just chiming in to say I did the 5-day out of NYC in 2012 that stopped at Halifax and Saint John. As others have said, I enjoyed Halifax (we did Peggy's Cove and some of the Titanic stuff) more than Saint John, but my friend and I did the port adventure you are thinking about in Saint John, and I'd recommend it. I did not get a lot out of the reversing tide stop, but I enjoyed the Bay of Fundy, and the lunch stop with the chowder that a PP mentioned (which is included with the PA) was quite good. I think it's good you chose the 5-day with the additional Bar Harbor stop. We had torrential rain on one of our sea days, but the weather on our port days was quite nice. We took a redeye from CA and were literally the first two people in the port on embarkation day, so I can't comment on crowds and the process if you get there later than 6:00 a.m., LOL, but I remember everything being pretty smooth. I absolutely loved sailing out of the Manhattan terminal and would like the rest of my family to experience it at some point.

 

[Anna Chassereau]

You are going to love Bar Harbor. We took a trip to Maine for the fall colors 19 years ago. It was amazing! Bar Harbor and Acadia NP are just stunning in the fall. Enjoy!!

Aagh I can't wait to see all the gorgeous fall colors up there!! Fall is my favorite time of year so this is perfect!Now to just make it through the long wait before our trip! Lol

 

[JSMT]

We were also on the Oct 2 NE Coast cruise. We had a great time. My boys are 7 yrs, 7yrs, and 9 months. Kids had a great time in the pools and the baby enjoyed the splash zone. Water was heated and they had no complaints. One of my sons rode the aquadunk back to back to back... We also thought the seas were rougher than previous cruises (Alaska, Panama, Western Caribbean), but had no problems with them. In St. John we did a land and sea tour that was fine but didn't feel worth the $89/person. In Halifax we did "Red Coats for a Day" for kids adventure at the Citadel and it was awesome.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I was on the Sept 28 Magic cruise out of NYC. The water was choppy and there were high winds on the sea day on the way to Halifax. No chance at all of pools being used. The day in Halifax was gorgeous!! I know people used the pools that day. It was rainy and foggy for much of the return trip to NYC.

Bobbi

 

[NancyIL]

I've been on two Royal Caribbean cruises to Canada: 9 nights roundtrip from Bayonne, NJ in October 2008, and 14 nights from Quebec City to Ft. Lauderdale in October 2015. I can't get excited about short cruises that go to only 2 Canadian ports - regardless of the cruise line. I'd book it only if you live close to NYC and you want to cruise on a Disney ship from there.

 

[Anna Chassereau]

I've been on two Royal Caribbean cruises to Canada: 9 nights roundtrip from Bayonne, NJ in October 2008, and 14 nights from Quebec City to Ft. Lauderdale in October 2015. I can't get excited about short cruises that go to only 2 Canadian ports - regardless of the cruise line. I'd book it only if you live close to NYC and you want to cruise on a Disney ship from there.

We have a 6 year old that's in school and can't miss too much and I also want him to experience NYC so that's why we're leaving from there. I really wouldn't want to be on a cruise ship for as long as you were on those cruises so to each their own! I did a 17 day long cruise with Holland America starting in London and ending in Athens Greece in 2004. Way too long. What makes me excited about a trip obviously isn't going to make everyone excited and that's ok. I prefer a shorter cruise with a 6 year old in tow.

 

[Dug720]

We have a 6 year old that's in school and can't miss too much and I also want him to experience NYC so that's why we're leaving from there. I really wouldn't want to be on a cruise ship for as long as you were on those cruises so to each their own! I did a 17 day long cruise with Holland America starting in London and ending in Athens Greece in 2004. Way too long. What makes me excited about a trip obviously isn't going to make everyone excited and that's ok. I prefer a shorter cruise with a 6 year old in tow.

I get what you're saying, but dear lord... I was more than ready to jump ship after only a 7-day cruise on HAL. Cannot imagine 10 days more.