New York--Getting to the ship was a test of patience. The shuttle out of JFK arranged by Princess made several hotel stops before the cruise terminal. We were on the shuttle over 2 hours before arriving at the port. The only thing worse was leaving the ship on the last day to return to JFK. Princess had contracted with a local transfer service. No buses were waiting on about 80 of us. When they finally arrived after about an hour, only half the passengers were able to board. If you use New York, arrange your own transportation.
Shore Excursions: Halifax: Tried whale watching. No whales or other wildlife and no narration by anyone after 10 minutes on the cruise. The locals told us at lunch that no one ever sees whales on the trips!
St. John: Great port. You can explore easily on your own and the shore excursions were also very good.