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You sure came a long way for a boat trip,” snickered Harry of Long Island, a tablemate at breakfast on the second morning of my family’s recent five-day cruise from New York to Eastern Canada aboard one of Carnival’s grand mega-ships. OK, so Nova Scotia and New Brunswick aren’t exactly the hippest cruise destinations in the world, but the “waterway less traveled” factor was a draw for my family who did Alaska last year and is planning a Caribbean cruise next year. Alaska’s glacier-festooned Inland Passage and the blue Caribbean are the industry’s two most popular destinations. For this year’s cruise, however, we wanted something more subdued. I wouldn’t call the 893-foot-long Carnival Triumph a boat or a five-day cruise a long trip. Halifax and Saint John are lovely Atlantic seaports decked out in Canada’s national flag and kissed with early-morning fog and fresh salty air. What these harbored hamlets aren’t is distinctive enough from seaside towns we have along the Pacific to justify spending thousands of dollars on a family vacation. I mean, if you’ve seen one gull, marina or fish & chips stand painted seafoam green, you’ve seen ’em all. A Californian taking a luxury liner out of New York to Saint John and Halifax would be akin to a New Yorker flying to Los Angeles to take a cruise to Santa Catalina Island. A great cruise is one that does not rely on port. One thing we learned from our Alaska trip: We went on so many shore excursions that we didn’t take full advantage of why we chose Carnival in the first place. Price-wise, it’s expensive, but not extravagant. Another plus for our taste is Carnival has a wonderful passenger mix of roughly 1/3 families, 1/3 young couples and 1/3 seniors. Not too young, not too old. Then there’s Camp Carnival, and what a wonderful children’s program it is. Not only are the activities plentiful and well-organized by first-rate, fun-minded counselors, but the age groups are brilliant. Toddlers are 2-5, juniors are 6-8, intermediates are 9-11 and teens are 12-15. Other cruises group too widely, and what average 12-year-old will want to play games targeted for 7-year-olds? Activities particularly enjoyed by our boys, ages 9 and 11, were T-shirt decorating, toy rocket making and a dodgeball game that nearly saw the lone piece of equipment fly into the North Atlantic. Food was wonderful, and of the whopping 50,000 meals served during the cruise, only two I knew of were not up to the 4 1/2-star standards Carnival strives for. The cabin with a private balcony was clean, quiet and in full working order, contrary to the Tokyo Underground arcade where one-third of its 24 video games were out of order. Then again, with so many activities organized by effervescent cruise director Matt Ross and crew, why shoot cyber ghouls and race virtual motorcycles when there’s group trivia games, shuffleboard and bingo to play, along with eating, golf and dance lessons, Vegas-style shows, eating, comedy acts (PG and R-rated), facials, sing-alongs, eating, disco dancing, eating, karaoke, scavenger hunts, slot tournaments, art auctions and eating to be had? Oh, and ports o’ call to explore, where there’s more eating for those who don’t want to dine on food already paid for back on the ship. (This would be an error as I wasn’t impressed with anything devoured on land at either port, culinary paradise New York notwithstanding, of course.) Here’s a snapshot of what Saint John and Halifax have to offer. Saint John New Brunswick’s largest city is also the center of a sizable commercial harbor. More than a dozen tours are available that can be fit in the eight hours at port. We chose the Saint John Highlights Tour, a 2?-hour shore excursion that is about two hours too long. Old City Market, our first stop, is a cross between a giant Hickory Farms store and an indoor farmer’s market. The most interesting food hawked there is dulse, a snack made of dried seaweed from nearby Bay of Fundy. The locals love it. This visitor thought it tasted like wet dog. The only memorable part on the tour was Reversing Falls, a phenomenon caused by the highest tides in the world. It’s a cool sight large, slurping whirlpools, rapids and waterfalls that flow one way through the gorge during one tide, then reverse during the opposite tide. For my money, pass on the organized shore excursion at $35 a head and take a cab to this natural spectacle for a fraction of the cost. With the money you save, get yourself wet on a jet boat that zips through nature’s version of a washing machine agitator. Halifax The capital of Nova Scotia has flourished as a prominent port situated on the world’s second-largest harbor. It also makes a better port than sleepy Saint John for sightseeing. Many on board went to the village Peggy’s Cove for a large portion of our nine hours at port, and came back happy after their 5 ? hours on motor coach and the tall ship Quay. My family did the Harbour Hopper City and Harbour Tour, a 1-hour trip through downtown Halifax and the harbor front. The mode of transportation is the real fun part. It’s an amphibious vehicle originally built for the military during the Vietnam War. Like a James Bond car only with a picture of a happy frog on the side panels, it makes its way from land to water. Matt, our tour guide and a Halifax native, narrated with an enjoyable combination of facts and refreshing sarcastic humor. Halifax played a key role in the Titanic disaster of 1912, serving as a base of recovery for 209 victims. A shore excursion takes visitors to the cemetery where nearly 200 victims are laid to rest, along with other landmarks. All can be seen by foot or cab, but there is the convenience of an organized tour that Carnival offers for $49 per person. The excursion includes a visit to the impressive Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Its centerpiece is a collection of Titanic artifacts that include a deck chair and intricately carved door topper. The experience is both eerie and moving. A must-do for small fry is the Theodore Tugboat harbor tour, a 1-hour jaunt around Halifax Harbor on a 65-foot wooden replica of the boat ever so popular on children’s television. He’s a smile-inducing, seaworthy spectacle. The Carnival Triumph may not have a giant red cap and friendly smile on its smokestack, or zip around sloshing, colliding tides, but this hotel and entertainment center with a bow and stern triumphantly compensates for an otherwise humdrum run north of the border. David Dickstein is a regular contributor. IF YOU GO Carnival Cruises 888.CARNIVAL. www.carnival.com. Fares vary by season and accommodations. Saint John: City Centre Tourist Information Centre 888.364.4444. www.tourismsaintjohn.com. City Market 506.658.2820. Free admission. Reversing Falls Jet Boat Tours 888.634.8987. www.JetBoatRides.com. Several packages are available. The thrill ride only is $34.95 for adults (starting at 13), $28.95 for children. Family of four is $114.95. Halifax: Halifax International Visitor Centre 800.565.0000. www.halifaxinfo.com. Harbor Hopper Tours 902.490.8687. www.harbourhopper.com. Tours run throughout the day. Adults are $22.50, children $7.95-$13.95. Family rates are available. Theodore Tugboat Tours 902.492.TUGS. www.theodoretoo.com. Tours run throughout the day. Adults are $19.95, children $9.95. Family rates are available. |
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