September 28, 2016, DVC Member Cruise on the Magic!

[bobbiwoz]

Wow, this was on page 5!

I'm Platinum, so Patricia and get a meal at Palo's. Usually I get the lamb, I had not given any thought to booking until I read your post, poison!

If any here are on other sites, if they don't have a Candy Exchange, you can mention this one if allowed. I'll keep the numbers in any one group reasonable, it is a fun exchange!

Bobbi

 

[poison ivy]

It's so funny we're on the topic of booking and Thurs an email arrives from the DCL titled "get ready for your upcoming cruise".

Mathmagicland was correct. check-in date for Gold is 6/15/16.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Hi folks – we are getting closer to the times when we can start booking things for our cruise, so I thought I’d share some of my research/findings regarding Halifax & where we will be docking, that may be helpful with planning for the day there.

Looking at the Port of Halifax cruise ship schedule, there are 3 other ships in port with the Magic as Poison Ivy posted earlier. We are scheduled to dock at Berth 31.

http://cruisehalifax.ca/our-visitors/cruise-schedule/#september

Berth 31 is part of Pier A1, which is more of a cargo terminal than a passenger terminal, though it is used for cruise ships when there are several cruise ships in port.

https://secure.portdays.com/english/port-facilities/facilities/index.html#oceanterminals

Looking at this picture of the ports on the Port of Halifax About Us page, there are four ships in Port (you can just see the third ship above/behind the second one from the right). The ship at Pier A1/Berth 31 is the one where the ship is docked at the far left, perpendicular to the other ships at Pier 22/23. This is a bit away from the pedestrian waterfront areas of Halifax.

http://portofhalifax.ca/about-us/

I found this information on another cruise forum, someone asked about getting from Pier 31 to Pier 22 which is the main cruise ship point in Halifax. It looks like we may be using shuttle busses to get into town, similar to our stop in Juneau on last year’s Member Cruise to Alaska. Though, from the pictures it seems a bit closer than we were in Juneau.

We were on the NCL Jewel when it docked there two years ago. We had a shore excursion booked on arrival and the bus picked us up next to the ship. I think the shuttles to Pier 22 were right there too. Pier 31 is in an industrial area and is a working pier so, for safety reasons, you have to take the shuttle. You can't walk out of the area on your own from what I understand. Having been there, I can understand why. There was heavy equipment in the area moving cargo and I suppose it could be dangerous, although it was interesting to watch.

 

[Johnny Quest]

There is 1 ship in port an hour ahead of us. The "Azmara Quest" has a capacity of 686 passengers. Hopefully this won't overcrowd Peggy's Cover and other sites.

After all...I want the place to myself!

 

[poison ivy]

thanks for this port info. why does there always seem to be more questions the more information we get?

Three that immediately come to mind:
1. can we be picked up directly at the pier for our private tour?
2. where is this in proximity to the Maritime Museum?
3. is the 9:00am arrival time firm? given two ships are scheduled at that time - Disney Magic and Serenade of the Seas
or could we possibly get in earlier - say 8:30am?

 

[poison ivy]

9:00 am to 4:45 in port is going to be a tight schedule.

 

[Mathmagicland]

There is 1 ship in port an hour ahead of us. The "Azmara Quest" has a capacity of 686 passengers. Hopefully this won't overcrowd Peggy's Cover and other sites.

After all...I want the place to myself!

Same here! I am hoping with our private tour, we can get there ahead of most of the crowds that day. It is hard to judge now, as there aren't a lot of people. I keep checking back to the Peggy's Cove webcam - http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/peggys-cove-lighthouse/ What I hope to do is be able to check more often in September, on the days when there seem to be several ships in port, to try to figure out their arrival time to what the crowds are at different times. Not sure if it will work, I'll have to see how that goes.

thanks for this port info. why does there always seem to be more questions the more information we get?

Three that immediately come to mind:
1. can we be picked up directly at the pier for our private tour?
2. where is this in proximity to the Maritime Museum?
3. is the 9:00am arrival time firm? given two ships are scheduled at that time - Disney Magic and Serenade of the Seas
or could we possibly get in earlier - say 8:30am?

Proximity to Maritime Museum - here are links to maps/sites I've found for the Halifax port/waterfront area. First one - shows different sites along the waterfront & also the Citadel & Public Gardens. You will see the Maritime Museum is at about the midpoint on the boardwalk, #14. Lower left corner, #7,#4, #12, are the docks 22 & 23, our 31 will be to the left of those not on the map. Second link is to a Google Maps showing about a 15 min walk from the Maritime Museum to Pier 22, presuming that is where we would pick up a shuttle back to the Magic. Third link is the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk, looks like a nice walking path along the waterfront rather than city streets with no vehicles. Distance for the whole thing is 3.2 km which is about 2 miles. the Maritime Museum is less than half way, so maybe a mile at the most to Pier 22 with the waterfront walk.

http://www.destinationhalifax.com/sites/default/files/Map1.pdf

Maritime Museum to Pier 22

http://www.halifax.ca/rec/documents/HfxWaterfront.pdf

Re our arrival time, I seem to recall from Alaska that the arrival times are 'no later than' & we could possibly arrive earlier. I think we got into a couple of our Alaska ports a bit ahead of schedule. Could being at Pier 31 work in our favor, with no other cruise ships? It would be nice if our tour van could pick us up there rather than having to take a shuttle into port.

9:00 am to 4:45 in port is going to be a tight schedule.

Yes! Very tight, we seem to have the shortest time in port of the ships that day. That's why I've been looking into all of this, trying to work out logistics for the afternoon for the things we'd like to try to do along the waterfront after the tour, and be sure to be back by all-aboard time.

 

[Mathmagicland]

http://my-waterfront.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Halifax-Map_2016.pdf

here's a link to another Halifax Waterfront boardwalk map I just found - a bit easier to follow and also includes points of interest.

 

[poison ivy]

Thanks so much for the links and information Mathmagicland. I'm still going thru them and appreciate all the help with logistics.
Do you know where the Magic docked there 2 yrs ago? I may pose a question on the boards re: shuttles to the prior Canadian cruisers or try to gain some info from our private tour guide.

 

[poison ivy]

Hi folks – we are getting closer to the times when we can start booking things for our cruise, so I thought I’d share some of my research/findings regarding Halifax & where we will be docking, that may be helpful with planning for the day there.

Looking at the Port of Halifax cruise ship schedule, there are 3 other ships in port with the Magic as Poison Ivy posted earlier. We are scheduled to dock at Berth 31.

http://cruisehalifax.ca/our-visitors/cruise-schedule/#september

Berth 31 is part of Pier A1, which is more of a cargo terminal than a passenger terminal, though it is used for cruise ships when there are several cruise ships in port.

https://secure.portdays.com/english/port-facilities/facilities/index.html#oceanterminals

Looking at this picture of the ports on the Port of Halifax About Us page, there are four ships in Port (you can just see the third ship above/behind the second one from the right). The ship at Pier A1/Berth 31 is the one where the ship is docked at the far left, perpendicular to the other ships at Pier 22/23. This is a bit away from the pedestrian waterfront areas of Halifax.

Here are two images I managed to find so far regarding the Ocean Terminals.

Pier A1 map



Pier A1 photo showing a cruise ship docked at Berth 31 - where the Magic will be docking for our cruise.



It appears we will exit the ship right at the dock similar to the ports in AK.

Still working on a couple of questions:

1. what is the courtesy shuttle route?
2. is direct private shuttle pick-up allowed at Pier A-1?

You're right. This would mimic the set-up in Juneau, esp if we are able to be picked up via private shuttle right at the dock.

Still working on what the walk will look like and how the heck we're going to visit the Citadel! The gardens look very manageable in comparison.

Also, where to grab a quick bite. I don't see any way to include a sit down lunch with the Maritime Museum and shuttle back to the pier.

I am not a fan of our port times here. Saw a video mention the City of Halifax places heavy fines on cruise ships if they arrive or leave outside of their scheduled port times.
So I don't believe we'll be early.

BTW. I'm planning to bring Canadian currency. We used it in Vancouver and it worked out really well to have some cash on hand.

 

[poison ivy]

One more map to help identify the streets leading to and around the docks.

 

[poison ivy]

Found 1 video which appears to be docking at pier A-1.

doesn't look like we'll get much of a view from this vantage point.
there are several busses lined up at the dock when they pull in. I'm not sure if these are free shuttles into town or port adventures.
it does seem there's a section beyond some concrete blockade where you may be able to drive in and wait. So fingers crossed we'll be picked up on site!

Too bad he doesn't film walking off the ship very well.

An added bonus was hearing part of the Citadel guided tour since we'll only have time to walk around a bit.

enjoy!

 

[Mathmagicland]

One more map to help identify the streets leading to and around the docks.

thank you for finding these great maps of the Halifax port! I looked for something like this & was not able to find it.

RE lunch - we think we're going to try to café at the Halifax Public Gardens before heading down to the waterfront. they have a little café that offers soups and sandwiches. Not likely the famous Halifax lobster or seafood, but hopefully less busy than places along the waterfront, that we can eat quickly & be on our way after the visit to the gardens.

http://www.halifaxpublicgardens.ca/visit/uncommon-grounds-cafe/

 

[Mathmagicland]

I am not crazy after all ! While looking for something else on the DVC Member site this morning, I found the information about the special DVC Member performance of Aladdin on October 2, after we return from the cruise. The article can be found on the DVC site at Explore Membership, Member Benefits. There is special pricing for DVC members. Tickets are on sale now, available thru Disney on Broadway, not DVC Member services, via phone. Info and more details are in the article.

Aladdin on Broadway -This fall, for one time only, you can attend a limited-seating performance that's exclusive to Disney Vacation Club Members and their guests—for an evening filled with special Member recognition and fun surprises. Special Performance At the 6:30 PM show on Sunday, October 2, 2016, Disney Vacation Club Members and their guests can look forward to special recognition—and more than a little extra Membership Magic.

 

[poison ivy]

It's possible they're incorporating a special segment with the Broadway performers on our ship - all speculative of course!!!

ugghh! I don't know if we're in for this. can you see the pricing?

 

[poison ivy]

thank you for finding these great maps of the Halifax port! I looked for something like this & was not able to find it.

RE lunch - we think we're going to try to café at the Halifax Public Gardens before heading down to the waterfront. they have a little café that offers soups and sandwiches. Not likely the famous Halifax lobster or seafood, but hopefully less busy than places along the waterfront, that we can eat quickly & be on our way after the visit to the gardens.

http://www.halifaxpublicgardens.ca/visit/uncommon-grounds-cafe/

It's been tough finding information. Mainly because I haven't dedicated nearly enough time on this. But we're getting there!

What I would love is a walk-up quick service lobster spot in Halifax similar to Tracy's crab shack in Juneau.
If anyone comes across one in their planning - let me know!!

 

[Mathmagicland]

It's possible they're incorporating a special segment with the Broadway performers on our ship - all speculative of course!!!

ugghh! I don't know if we're in for this. can you see the pricing?

Pricing is on the website - I was hesitant to post a lot of specifics here that would not be available to non-members. Pricing is about 50% off of regular ticket prices, really good pricing compared to regular prices for those tickets. They have three price points depending on where you want to sit - my guess based on looking at the theatre map, is it is Orchestra, Mezzanine, and Balcony but it is not specific in the article. When I went out to the Ticketmaster site, to look for tickets for this show, the entire theatre is booked & public cannot get tickets.

 

[poison ivy]

I don't know what to do. of course if I wait too long, the decision will be made for us as I suspect this will sell out.

 

[Mathmagicland]

It's been tough finding information. Mainly because I haven't dedicated nearly enough time on this. But we're getting there!

What I would love is a walk-up quick service lobster spot in Halifax similar to Tracy's crab shack in Juneau.
If anyone comes across one in their planning - let me know!!

How about this place? Maritime Lobster Shack - right along the waterfront by Pier 22 & close to the Maritime Museum. Not a lot of reviews on Yelp or Trip Advisor but it looks like it might be worth a look.

Maritime Lobster Shack

 

[Mathmagicland]

I don't know what to do. of course if I wait too long, the decision will be made for us as I suspect this will sell out.

No way to know how long the info has been posted, there is no date. I agree, once word gets out, I think they will go quickly. I don't recall seeing an email about it and it does not come up under member news. I only stumbled across it when I clicked the wrong link LOL looking for info about the DVC anniversary event at Disneyland.

I guess you could try calling to see what rows they offer you for each price, that would give you an idea of how many tickets have been sold thus far. Since it is so long after we dock, not sure how many folks will be able to stay 'til evening to go to the show. People may already have their return travel plans set if coming in from out of town.