Icebergs dead ahead! EBTA 2015 itinerary change.

[rwcmath]

Lots of ice!

 

[gilsan]

We booked this cruise on the first day it was available to book. We ended up cancelling because we thought the port times were too short especially in Reykjavik We live 1 hour outside of Halifax so now I am really glad we did cancel.

Halifax is a great place to visit though. Lots of interesting things to see within walking distance of the pier. Also if you wanted to travel outside of the city there are lots of sites within 1 hour away. Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Annapolis Valley and the Bay of Fundy

 

[sabrecmc]

We went to Halifax on the Magic when she did the Canadian cruises out of NYC. Lovely place. We took the excursion to Peggy's Cove and really liked it. Not saying I'd want to trade Iceland for it, but it was fun.

 

[SirDonald]

We are on the cruise and are very unhappy about the changes. Especially about Iceland. I understand that we could not go to Newfoundland because of safety reasons, but stating that there would not be enough time to go to Iceland is absolutely not a valid reason. There is enough time, because the ship is spending two days at the end of the journey in Copenhagen. So there must be some other reason which DCL does not tell. I am furious, because according to their terms and conditions they can change everything: the itinerary and even the ship. So basically they could cruise us around in a paddle boat in port canaveral for two weeks and we could do nothing about that. Now we have to go on the cruise with the exclusion of Iceland NOT for safety reasons, otherwise we would not get any refund. We have done 6 Disney cruises before and loved that, we are DVC members and love that, but this is not o.k. now.

 

[MelSpees]

We are on the cruise and are very unhappy about the changes. Especially about Iceland. I understand that we could not go to Newfoundland because of safety reasons, but stating that there would not be enough time to go to Iceland is absolutely not a valid reason. There is enough time, because the ship is spending two days at the end of the journey in Copenhagen. So there must be some other reason which DCL does not tell. I am furious, because according to their terms and conditions they can change everything: the itinerary and even the ship. So basically they could cruise us around in a paddle boat in port canaveral for two weeks and we could do nothing about that. Now we have to go on the cruise with the exclusion of Iceland NOT for safety reasons, otherwise we would not get any refund. We have done 6 Disney cruises before and loved that, we are DVC members and love that, but this is not o.k. now.

You need to consider that they have a schedule to keep in the other ports. I don't imagine you can just change your docking to whatever day you want. I don't know all of the ins and outs, but that's my thought.
I'm sorry your cruise has been changed. It would be disappointing.

 

[ksucats]

You need to consider that they have a schedule to keep in the other ports. I don't imagine you can just change your docking to whatever day you want. I don't know all of the ins and outs, but that's my thought.
I'm sorry your cruise has been changed. It would be disappointing.

Exactly. Can you imagine the nightmare it would be to shift all ports by a day. Chances are that there might not be a place to dock, but even if there was, they would have to rearrange all excursions. No way that should be expected of them to do. It sucks to have to miss a port that you had your heart set on, but it does sound like they came up with the best reasonable alternative. It wil be a blast. I wish I had the time to go on that one, but am excited to be getting on the dream in 12 days.

 

[mmouse37]

We are on the cruise and are very unhappy about the changes. Especially about Iceland. I understand that we could not go to Newfoundland because of safety reasons, but stating that there would not be enough time to go to Iceland is absolutely not a valid reason. There is enough time, because the ship is spending two days at the end of the journey in Copenhagen. So there must be some other reason which DCL does not tell. I am furious, because according to their terms and conditions they can change everything: the itinerary and even the ship. So basically they could cruise us around in a paddle boat in port canaveral for two weeks and we could do nothing about that. Now we have to go on the cruise with the exclusion of Iceland NOT for safety reasons, otherwise we would not get any refund. We have done 6 Disney cruises before and loved that, we are DVC members and love that, but this is not o.k. now.

We also booked on the first day. I don't think DCL wants to tick people off intentionally so when they say it will take too long to travel around the ice fields to get to Iceland I tend to believe them. I would not expect them to shift the other ports of call by a day or two. The logistics would be incredible.

I am disappointed as well at not getting to Iceland but hey, can't control mother nature.

I actually wish we could have stopped at CC at some point before we got to NYC but can't have it all!!

MJ

 

[Ofinn]

Iceland is #1 on my bucket list. I would be really disappointed too. We are planning a one week land trip to Iceland sometime in the next year or so. I know when I book a cruise every port is "iffy" so if there's someplace I really want to see I'm better off not planning it on a cruise. Iceland air has really low fares to Iceland and other cruise lines go there for half the price of DCL. I hope you get to experience it someday.

 

[Cfudge]

We live in Halifax, weather is just starting to get really nice - as others mentioned there's lots of great areas to visit or just walk around downtown! Lots of great local stores and places to eat - some of the best dining in Canada. Get lunch at 2 Doors Down http://www.go2doorsdown.com for lots of fresh local food. Check out http://rousseauchocolatier.ca for an unreal hot chocolate and some treats to take back on the boat. Pick up a bottle of Benjamin Bridge Nova 7 at https://bishopscellar.com on the waterfront and thank me later, it's one of the best selling wines in Canada (made in Nova Scotia, new batch is just arriving). Walk up Spring Garden Road to the Public Gardens which just opened https://www.halifax.ca/publicgardens/ (National Historic Site) and/or go across the street to The Arms at the Lord Nelson Hotel and sit on their balcony with a pint, some great food and watch the Public Gardens and all of Halifax go by http://thearmshalifax.com .

Any questions or recommendations please ask! We just got off the Fantasy a month ago and are excited to see Disney back in Halifax!

 

[Traveling Tinkerbell]

We live in Halifax, weather is just starting to get really nice - as others mentioned there's lots of great areas to visit or just walk around downtown! Lots of great local stores and places to eat - some of the best dining in Canada. Get lunch at 2 Doors Down http://www.go2doorsdown.com for lots of fresh local food. Check out http://rousseauchocolatier.ca for an unreal hot chocolate and some treats to take back on the boat. Pick up a bottle of Benjamin Bridge Nova 7 at https://bishopscellar.com on the waterfront and thank me later, it's one of the best selling wines in Canada (made in Nova Scotia, new batch is just arriving). Walk up Spring Garden Road to the Public Gardens which just opened https://www.halifax.ca/publicgardens/ (National Historic Site) and/or go across the street to The Arms at the Lord Nelson Hotel and sit on their balcony with a pint, some great food and watch the Public Gardens and all of Halifax go by http://thearmshalifax.com .

Any questions or recommendations please ask! We just got off the Fantasy a month ago and are excited to see Disney back in Halifax!

Hey Cfudge!

We will be on this cruise and have already rented a car. We want to drive to Peggy's Cove. How long should we spend there? What else would we have time for that you suggest?

TIA
Mary

 

[gilsan]

Hey Cfudge!

We will be on this cruise and have already rented a car. We want to drive to Peggy's Cove. How long should we spend there? What else would we have time for that you suggest?

TIA
Mary

Peggy's Cove is about 20-30 minutes from the downtown. I wouldn't think you would spend more than 30-60 minutes at Peggy's Cove.

I would continue down the 103 to Mahone Bay, it is a pretty town with shops and from there you could go to Lunenburg it is an UNESCO site. Lunenburg and Mahone Bay are about an hour to an hour and a half from downtown Halifax depending on traffic. A nice place to stop for lunch is the Seaside Shanty it is at exit 9 Chester Basin they have excellent chowder. You could take Highway 3 (the lighthouse route) to Mahone Bay.

 

[Cfudge]

Hey Cfudge!

We will be on this cruise and have already rented a car. We want to drive to Peggy's Cove. How long should we spend there? What else would we have time for that you suggest?

TIA
Mary

Hi there! I see someone already replied so I'll just add to that - If you've never driven in Halifax/South Shore then I'm going to venture it will take you closer to an hour to get to Peggy's cove. Most of that will be navigating your way through the city to the 103 highway. Make sure you have some sort of GPS. Continuing on down to Mahone Bay/Lunenburg is a great idea. I'm not sure if all the shops etc will be open in Mahone Bay yet but it's a beautiful area. The lighthouse route is the way to go for sightseeing, just remember it's a lot slower as it winds its way down the coast. The very long range forcast is calling for a bit of rain on your day here...that will change a hundred times before then...but I'd still go to Peggy's Cove for sure, it's a very unique spot. Just pay attention to the signs about staying off the black (wet) rocks, they aren't messing around.

 

[DisneyBelle99]

Does anyone know approximately what time the Magic will get to NY harbor on Monday? Not sure where would even be a good place to watch for it? Will it go underneath the Veranzzano bridge? Thanks.

 

[Deb in IA]

Wow. Better to be safe of course. We were supposed to be on this cruise, but had to cancel for health issues. I would have been very disappointed. We have been to Halifax and Stravanger previously.

We are booked on next year's EBTA, I suppose Sydney could be scrapped. Still, I am glad to be heading for London, not further north.

We are on next year's as well - AND last year's EBTA.

While I know the change in itinerary is upsetting, I'm glad they learned a lesson from the Titanic 103 years ago. Ice and cruise ships do not mix well.

Have a wonderful cruise, everyone! We LOVED the EBTA, and were it not for our son's final exam schedule, we would be on this trip with you!

 

[Bonacker]

I lived in Nova Scotia for the last six years. Personally, I find Halifax itself to be a boring, overly generic town. (Sorry, Bluenosers. Not Halifax's fault, but the fault of the Explosion, I guess.)

But I agree about Peggy's Cove: go for it! I'd say it's about 45 minutes' drive from Halifax, max --- but do check to see if you can take a formal excursion to Peggy's Cove. I'm sure they will plan one, as it's a major destination and totally worth seeing. So picturesque.

If they do offer a formal excursion to Lunenburg, you will be completely gobsmacked by its beauty. (Don't try to go on your own, as it's too far and too risky to go that far without it being an official Disney excursion.) Lunenburg is a United Nations World Heritage Sight, an amazing harbor with colorful early-Victorian houses filling the town. Absolutely a fabulous place to visit. And MUCH prettier and more interesting that Halifax itself. There are horse-drawn carriage tours, and boat tours in the harbor. A great way to get a taste of Nova Scotia's flavor. Excellent restaurants, too.

Or, you could also get a local tour operator to take you to some of the other small fishing villages within striking distance of Halifax, to check out the authentic Maritine flavor. Eat lobsters, everyone! The scenery to the southwest of Halifax is prettier than to the northest, IMHO. But I wouldn't go father southwest than Mahone Bay on my own -- in a non-Disney outing. Mahone Bay is about an hour from Halifax, and it is super-quaint and picturesque, with art galleries, lots of boats, coffee/tea cafes, very pretty.

 

[MouseMomx2]

I'm sorry for those of you dealing with the last-minute changes. For those who want to visit Iceland, Icelandair offers great rates to/from Europe and they allow you an up-to-7-night layover in Iceland with no additional cost. We spent some time there on our way home from Germany a couple years ago. It was a great way to visit.

 

[WishingMom]

I live in St. John's and planned on taking DD5 to see "Mickey's boat" tomorrow morning while dropping DH off to work. I was disappointed to learn about the stop being cancelled! In saying that while it would be fabulous for everyone to see the bergs, there are quite a lot moving down the coast. We saw a huge one while driving to our trailer this evening and a smaller one right outside the "narrows" which is the entrance way to the port!

 

[GoofyNewfie]

What no one has been talking about was that this was totally predictable. We live in St. John's and more often than not, this is prime ice season. I think someone did not do their homework. Would have been much better for the return trip.

 

[Kirbo]

What no one has been talking about was that this was totally predictable. We live in St. John's and more often than not, this is prime ice season. I think someone did not do their homework. Would have been much better for the return trip.

It's my favorite Newfie . Say hello to your wife for me. Miss you guys at dinner already.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Each year the timing and amount of ice varies greatly. So its not really predictable. This year its seems worse then most, and spread over much of the northern Atlantic, as noted in Ice patrol tracking. Sad, but more important, safer.