Official Thread For Upcoming Eastern Canadian Cruises

[drdelsol]

We are on the 6/10 sailing and like at least the kids t-shirt. Is it possible to see it larger though? I haven't been able to figure out how.

 

[Minnie Monellen]

I am also hoping that they have the design on the kids t-shirt in adult size

Me too!

 

[pjstevens]

We are on the 6/10 sailing and like at least the kids t-shirt. Is it possible to see it larger though? I haven't been able to figure out how.

We are on the same cruise (have you joined the f/b page)? Someone posted that they will have these in the shop on our sailing to see up close before buying.

 

[MartDM]

Does anyone know if they will be assigning boarding times on Magic departures from NYC, similar to what they are doing with the new ships at Canaveral?

 

[peachygreen]

Yes -you had to pick a port arrival time just like at PC. How strict they are about it? Well that I can't answer.

 

[Never to old]

Does anyone know if they will be assigning boarding times on Magic departures from NYC, similar to what they are doing with the new ships at Canaveral?

Yes, you have to sign up for a port arrival time.

 

[Never to old]

Hi! I was wondering if anyone knows if the hop on hop off bus kneel (lower)?
Does anyone know how steep the steps are? My mom has bad knees and has difficulty doing steps. I wasn't sure if we should do the buses or some other form of transportation.

 

[jkpmac]

Hi! I was wondering if anyone knows if the hop on hop off bus kneel (lower)?
Does anyone know how steep the steps are? My mom has bad knees and has difficulty doing steps. I wasn't sure if we should do the buses or some other form of transportation.

I e-mailed the head company to see what type of accessibility they provide (this is the pink double decker buses). Will post their reply when I get it.

 

[jkpmac]

Hi! I was wondering if anyone knows if the hop on hop off bus kneel (lower)?
Does anyone know how steep the steps are? My mom has bad knees and has difficulty doing steps. I wasn't sure if we should do the buses or some other form of transportation.

This is the answer I recieved regarding the Double decker buses:

Thank you for your e-mail. Unfortunately, our Double Decker Buses are
antique buses, and are not wheelchair accessible. Your friend would have
to make the 1-2 steps into the vehicle on this tour. Also, we are able
to store 1 collapsible wheelchair while on tour.

They have a 68 seat coach as well, but on the port adventure page, it seems to indicate that they will only be using the double decker buses.

I believe the public transit system in Halifax has busses that lower or have ramps, I will have to ask one of our Nova Scotia friends to answer that question though.

 

[Never to old]

This is the answer I recieved regarding the Double decker buses:



They have a 68 seat coach as well, but on the port adventure page, it seems to indicate that they will only be using the double decker buses.

I believe the public transit system in Halifax has busses that lower or have ramps, I will have to ask one of our Nova Scotia friends to answer that question though.

Thank you very much for the information.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Halifax public bus info
http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/alf.html

 

[Never to old]

Halifax public bus info
http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/alf.html

Long time no hear from you
Thanks for the info
It's hard to believe that this trip will be here soon

Oh I thought of something...
Can we see the gun being fired at the Citadel?
Have you heard anything about a send off for us?

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Q Can we see the gun being fired at the Citadel?

Yes, every day it is fired at Noon ... Yes, it is very loud!

Q Have you heard anything about a send off for us?

No idea, that's something Disney would book with the 78th Highlanders. I'm not in the know for that stuff!

 

[Kristina - Mom]

Just found this thread - so excited!!!! We are on the august 12th cruise and can not wait. I would love to get access to the FB page - who do I need to contact?

Looking forward to sharing lots of great information sharing!!!

Kristina

 

[Never to old]

Q Can we see the gun being fired at the Citadel?

Yes, every day it is fired at Noon ... Yes, it is very loud!

Q Have you heard anything about a send off for us?

No idea, that's something Disney would book with the 78th Highlanders. I'm not in the know for that stuff!

I was so hoping you were in the know : )
Thanks for the info on the Citadel

 

[Honeystar120608]

Just seeing this thread now. Happy to help if anyone is in need. I am in Moncton NB, 'the hub' of the Maritimes. About 3 hour drive from Halifax.

I'm sure there must have already been someone from here comment, but I will follow this thread in case anyone needs anything from here.

 

[jkpmac]

Just seeing this thread now. Happy to help if anyone is in need. I am in Moncton NB, 'the hub' of the Maritimes. About 3 hour drive from Halifax.

I'm sure there must have already been someone from here comment, but I will follow this thread in case anyone needs anything from here.

Welcome, glad to have another "New Brunswicker" here. If you have time browse through this thread and comment on anything you feel like, any help and guidance for our friends from abroad will be appreciated!. I saw your post in the Fantasy land Expansion thread too. I know how hard it is to stay away, we were suppose to go in March of this year but put it off to next year. Its like giving up chocolate for Lent. FYI I am in Miramichi.

 

[Honeystar120608]

Welcome, glad to have another "New Brunswicker" here. If you have time browse through this thread and comment on anything you feel like, any help and guidance for our friends from abroad will be appreciated!. I saw your post in the Fantasy land Expansion thread too. I know how hard it is to stay away, we were suppose to go in March of this year but put it off to next year. Its like giving up chocolate for Lent. FYI I am in Miramichi.

Haha! yes it's exactly like that! I will definitely thumb through briefly and see if there is anywhere I can help.

 

[llqool]

I do have a question for you New Brunswick folks....

We have decided to rent a car in Saint John. How feasible is it for us to drive up the coast to Saint Martins, then on the Fundy Trail, then up to Fundy National Park? Does the Fundy Trail dead end, or does it now connect to the National Park (a guide book from a couple of years ago said that there were plans to have it go through, but it didn't yet)? Is this drive scenic? Are there other places we should be driving instead?

I just don't know how much time to allow for all this. We are in port all day, from 9:30 to 5:30, but I don't want to take chances. It's one thing to see distances/topography on Google maps, it's another to experience it first hand!

 

[Honeystar120608]

Hi all, I hope that the little bit of information can help some of you out. I am very unfirmiliar with the cruises, so I apologize if what I say is not realistic with your plans.

Before I comment on some previous posts, I'd just like to say that if you are in Saint John all day, and if there are excursions to Moncton I HIGHLY suggest taking it. I live in Moncton, and it's not that far from Saint John (2 hour driving straight highway all the way)

I suggest this as an option (if indeed you are able to) for those who have children and can't figure out what to do on this day. Our main mall (Champlain Mall) has been renovated and retransformed into a boutique style mall. (Coach, Swarkovski Crystal, Sephora, etc etc are opening in the next month).
Also there is an indoor amusement park a walk away from the mall. Crystal Palace. And in another area (right off the highway) there is an area called Magnetic Hill. We have a great water park and zoo there. AS well as a 'Boardwalk' (go karts, mini put, butterfly domes, etc)

We have tons more, but honestly, those would be easy to access and super fun for the little ones. We have a great selection of restaurants as well!

Thinking of the pink hop on/off bus in Halifax....my mom loves those tours and as too much walking won't work for her it might be a good option....

In Halifax, my daughter would enjoy the ice cream place (Cowtails??), the candy store (Freak Lunchbox?) and the Beavertails place......her mind is on sugar
!

Cows Ice Cream is DIVINE! That is one thing I HOPE will come to Moncton, NB. It is a PEI based company and MAN! Do they know ice cream. I go to PEI and Halifax if for nothing else, but to get that ice cream! Also, they have Anne of Green Gables Chocolates. You CANNOT go wrong. My favs are the Truffles.

Beavertails are delish! We do have one here. I love the cinnamon sugar.

Hi there!
Excited to be on this cruise with all of you!!!

We looked at the excursions available and decided to do Halifax on our own. Maritime Museum, walk along the port, eat some yummy COWS ice cream, walk up the hill to Freaky Lunchbox, go to the Citadel and the walk down hill and grab a bite to eat (some yummy seafood!).

Can't wait!!!!!

Halifax is SO beautiful just to walk around. We are thinking about going just for the weekend. The boardwalk is AWESOME! Many great restaurants everywhere. I suggest very comfortable shoes, you will be walking uphill and downhill to get to the Citadel. I promise you, it is worth it! The Public Gardens are to the side/behind the hill. Beautiful spot. So Calm and relaxing. You have me excited just thinking about it! We were there a few weeks before our DW trip last September just walking around with the kids taking pictures.

Still not sure what to do on our port days...

In Halifax, it seems like there's a lot to do close by, but am wondering if we should get the Hop On Hop Off excursion. It doesn't seem like you can book that on your own.

I have always wanted to try the hop on hop off bus. I am not totally familiarly with them though, if they provide a guide giving the history, THAT would be worth the money for sure!

In St. John, kids are too young for the rapids, and I thought about taking an excursion to St. Martins, especially to explore when the tide is out and then maybe watch it come in, but I was reading that if you go on those big bus tours, they often miss the tides. And I'm not much of a big bus tour person. But to book a private tour is like $300! I don't want to "cheap out" though, and miss something that is really, truly worth seeing. From what I've read, St. John is kind of "industrial" rather than quaint? Not sure I just want to hang around there if there are things I should be seeing elsewhere!

Saint John, to ME, used to be industrial, but it has really been built up in the last 20 years. They know how to cater to cruise lines as it is a major port for NB, so no doubt they are well set up for you when you go in.
Again, I don't know how much time you have but I do suggest the following (being a mom of a 6 and 7 year old I know you want an experience, but something that keeps their attention just to save a slice of your own sanity. )
St Andrews would be great for you. They offer many Whale watching trips and it's so easy to walk from one end of the town to the other. It is seriously, postcard worthy! The tides go in and out everywhere on the coast, so really, you can't go wrong. I wish you had more time and I'd invite you to our family cottage! We have a private beach that your children would definitely love I am sure! However, it would be too far for a one day jaunt for you.
If at all possible, Moncton would keep your kids SO entertained. You are going to have a fantastic experience in Halifax, Moncton with the water park and zoo side by side, your kids would be

I have some questions....

-Would Peggy's Cove appeal to a 9 and 7 year old? What is there to do/look at there aside from the lighthouse?
-Hopewell Rocks look spectacular, but a two hour plus bus ride each way ? Yikes! Is it worth it?
-disappointed that the are too young for the tidal bore boating. Is it exciting to just look at the tides reversing? Is there a particular place to do it?

Hopewell rocks is FUN! If your kids enjoy hiking, you can hike from one end of the park to the other, along the coast. The terrain goes from boulders to sand so be sure they are up to it. There are also hiking trails above with a fantastic view. There are little parks up top too near the tiny little display museum they have. Also, their restaurant overlooks the tides and is beautiful. My bff had her wedding cocktail reception there and it was Gorgeous. I can only say that 2 years ago when we were there, it was MUDDY. Never had I seen that before. So it might not be this way now. It was FUN! The mud was a lot of fun, and they did have a spray off station set up at the top of the stairs. But yes, I mean, if you are interested in the bottom of the tide, and the kids are adventurous, the 2 hour bus drive is worth it. It's a special place for us and we have great family moments that are captured in my mind.