Port Information - New York City (Manhattan and Brooklyn)

 

New York City has two cruise terminals, Manhattan and Brooklyn.  The former has room for one or two (and maybe a third) cruise ship, while the latter has room only for a single cruise ship.  Although there is a third cruise terminal in Bayonne, NJ, I treat it as a separate port as it is not easily accessed by NYC based mass transit (or cabs).

The Big Apple is both as embarkation and destination port, as well as being a city which should be visited for more than a short port visit.  Therefore, this entry focuses on the cruise terminals in this port, and not about the sights one can see in this city.

New York City is a popular port for cruises to Eastern Canada / New England, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Transatlantic crossings. Unlike some other ports in the Northeast, ships sail from this port year round.  However, most cruises from this port take place in the warmer months.

Both Manhattan and Brooklyn cruise terminals are reasonably close enough to the city's mass transit infrastructure to allow for cruisers to explore the city at will.  However, neither cruise terminal is optimally placed for tourists not familiar with the city to do shore excursions on their own.  The Manhattan cruise terminal is a 2/3 mile walk to the nearest subway station, while the Brooklyn cruise terminal is a 4 block walk to the nearest bus, which then takes another 15 minutes to reach the nearest subway station.  However, the Brooklyn cruise terminal has a ferry dock nearby.  This allows the intrepid cruiser to reach Manhattan in under 30 minutes and be able to access mass transit after a short, 5 minute walk.

Bus, Subway, and Ferry Prices:
-  NYC Subway and Buses - $2.75 
   (These are buses and subway trains run by NYC's MTA.)
   (free transfers between bus and subway with OMNY card)
    within 2 hours of start of travel
-  NY Ferries - $4.00 
   (These are ferries run by by www.ferry.nyc)
-  Staten Island Ferry - Free.                 

With the above being said, surface transit in NYC is often unpredictable. Therefore, the use of a rental car is unadvisable in the city, especially when parking often starts at $20 for the first 30 minutes in private lots.  Affordable, on-street parking is often impossible to find on weekdays, and never in tourist districts. Depending on the distance one might need to travel from the cruise terminal, it may be wise to take a shore excursion offered by the cruise line, as the cruiser has the guarantee that it will wait for cruisers on shore excursions that it sells.  

On days when a ship is coming into a NYC port, or leaving it, one will usually get a good view of the New York City skyline, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and The Verrazano Narrows Bridge.  Be sure to have your camera ready to capture these views.

Cruise Itineraries - Eastern Canada / New England

 

The typical 7-day Eastern Canada / New England cruise stops at two Canadian ports (usually, Halifax, NS and Saint John, NB) and any two of the following United States Ports (Newport, RI, Boston, MA, Portland, ME, and Bar Harbor, ME) before returning to the ship's home port. Although these 4 US ports are the most common ports to visit, new ports in Maine (such as Rockland) are being added to relieve overcrowding in Bar Harbor when large ships are in port. 

In addition to the seven-day cruises, longer one-way cruises are often offered, traveling from/to ports on the East Coast of the United States to/from Canadian ports in Quebec. These cruises will port at two United States ports and at four Canadian ports.  Although much less common than these cruises, I've seen ten-day cruises doing round trips from New York, making port at the usual ports made on a seven day run, and include extra ports in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.  (I was on one of these cruises between two hurricanes, and the ports of Sydney, NS and Charlottetown, PE were skipped dur to weather, making us port in Corner Brook, NL to solely to ensure compliance with the US Passenger Vessel Services Act.)

This cruise is best done in in Late Summer / Early Autumn, as most of the stores, restaurants, tourist sites, etc. will be open for business.  Doing this cruise after the USA's Columbus Day holiday will still be nice, but I have found that many stores and restaurants will be closed for the season shortly after the holiday.

Port Information - Portland, ME

 

Portland, ME is a city known for its regional lighthouses. But there is more to this city than the lighthouses.  Like Boston, MA; St. John, NB; and Halifax, NS; ships dock at a pier when in port, and cruisers can take a a short walk to reach the shorefront area and shore excursions.

There are many things to do when stopping in Portland.  Shore excursions may take cruisers to the area's lighthouses.  (I find them well worth the visit.)  Other excursions may take cruisers to Freeport for outlet mall shopping.  If one elects to take a shore excursion that takes cruisers out of town, I recommend that only ship sponsored shore excursions be used.  

If one elects to explore the shorefront area, there are many good restaurants, galleries, and shops nearby.  Don't be afraid to explore a block or two inland from the shore, as there are some interesting buildings a short walk away.  Also, don't be afraid to walk along some of the docks, as I've found some of the best food in the restaurants there.

Port Information - Saint John, NB

 

Saint John, NB.  Cruise ships may dock at one of two piers in this city, both within a short walking distance of the heart of town.  Although there is not too much to see and do in the city itself (in my opinion), it is worth stopping here, as shore excursions to see the Bay of Fundy at St. Martins allow the cruiser to explore on the ocean floor at low tide.

For those staying in port, Saint John has a walkable downtown. Although there are modern buildings in this port, it is the older buildings that make downtown a joy to visit, as they help give this downtown its much needed character.. There are a couple of museums in walking distance of the port.  If one is willing to walk for 30 minutes, the Reversing Falls may be worth a short visit.  If one is comfortable walking up a hill, the Farmers Market is worth a visit. Luckily, there are restaurants near the piers, and they accept US currency on a par with Canadian currency.

Port Information - Newport, RI

 

Newport, RI.  For many people, this port symbolizes "Old Money". Many of the old summer mansions used by the then rich and famous are still standing and may be visited on a typical visit to this port.

Cruise ships use tender boats to bring cruisers to the dock in the heart of the tourist district.  From there, many of the city's scenic attractions are a short, free trolley bus ride away during tourist season (Memorial Day Weekend through the end of October.).  I have used the bus during tourist season to reach sites such as The Breakers and the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Unlike most ports, I would feel comfortable exploring this port without being on a ship sponsored shore excursion. Many sites, such as museums, quaint cobblestone streets, restaurants, etc. are a short walk from the dock.  Others can be reached by the free trolley bus.  However, due to this being a tender port, one should either give extra time to return to the ship, or use ship sponsored excursions to be sure to return to the ship on time.

Port Information - Halifax, NS

 

Halifax, NS was the gateway to Canada for many Canadian immigrants, and the passenger cruise terminal is located where many of these immigrants were processed.  Halifax is a small city (by New York standards), and there are many things to do near the cruise terminal such as visiting the Canadian Immigration Museum, located next to the cruise terminal.  

The Immigration museum is not the only thing to see when in Halifax.  For example, the city's waterfront has some interesting things to see, do and eat within walking distance of the cruise terminal. And it is worth exploring when one doesn't have any formal shore excursions planned.

Most cruisers do not come to Halifax looking to tour the city.  Instead, they usually opt for shore excursions that will take them to Peggy's Cove to see the lighthouse and the community built near it.  One can easily spend 30 minutes to a half of a day here, depending on what one wants to do.  The whole community is very picturesque, and I wish I had more time to capture all the interesting sights with my camera.

A Peggy's Cove shore excursion may also visit a graveyard where many of the Titanic's dead were buried.  It is a sobering place to visit, and the story about how these victims came to be buried in Halifax is worth hearing.

Although there is much to do in Halifax, most people will tend to go there for its proximity to Peggy's Cove, and have a "Been There, Done That" attitude towards visiting the city again.  The Citadel Historic Site is well worth the time to visit on a second visit to this city.

Port Information - Bar Harbor, ME

 
Bar Harbor is a quaint New England town known as a gateway to Acadia National Park.  One does not have to go to the park to enjoy a day at this port, as Bar Harbor is a walkable town filled with restaurants, unique stores, and the usual T-Shirt shops found in places frequented by tourists.

To get ashore, cruisers will take tender boats to reach pier(s) near the heart of town.  Normally, cruise ships will use their own tenders to deliver people to/from the pier. However, the last time we were there, we arrived after the "normal" tourist season (May-Columbus Day) had ended and  the cruise line contracted with local tour boats to ferry people to//from the dock.

Most of Bar Harbor is a short walking distance of the dock.  Most shore excursions tours will leave from an area near the dock.  Although most of the town’s business activity takes place along Main Street, there are other streets off of Main Street with less hustle and bustle during tourist season.  A word to the wise: Be very careful when looking for restaurants after Columbus Day, as many of the places geared for tourists will be closed for the season, and it will be a little harder to get the foods that New England is famous for in those places that are still open, 

If one is into seeing nature at its best, a visit to Acadia National Park is a must.  Almost all cruise ships offer shore excursions which take you through the park. Some of these excursions involve hiking through the more quiet park.  Others involve bus tours that loop through the park, taking the cruiser to places such as Thunder Hole, and Cadillac Mountain.

Please note that Bar Harbor is trying to limit the number of cruisers which visit the town during tourist season. It is likely that other, less developed ports in Maine will be substituted for this port on future cruises.

Port Information - Boston, MA

 

Since Boston is both a port city, and a city which should be visited for more than a short port visit, this entry focuses on the port of Boston, and not about the sights one can see in this city.

Although many ships sail out of Boston for Eastern Canada/New England, Bermuda, and Caribbean itineraries, it is not a year-round passenger port yet.  
Many, but not all, 7-day Eastern Canada/New England cruises from make stops at Boston. The port of Boston is near the heart of the city, and can be reached via public transportation, as there is a bus stop one block away from the passenger cruise terminal. The subway and bus fare is $2.40, and information on Boston area mass transit can be found at: https://www.mbta.com. However, one may want to use a car service to reach the tourist sites in Boston, as this may be the easiest way for cruisers not familiar with this city to explore it on their own.

Shore excursions at this port often take people to the historical sites of the city. However, they can only give a small taste of what this city has to offer, as it is a place where one can spend several days and not get bored. There are many tours that take people further afield than the city limits, as Boston is a good central point from which to see nearby New England sites. However, I would not recommend that people take third party excursions that go far outside the city limits, as Boston traffic may make it impossible to make it back to the cruise ship on time.