Embarkation went very smoothly. Stayed on deck 5 (Main). Very quiet, but felt like sleeping in a crate as ship is old and creaky with each sea swell. Had to take extra Bonine one night just to get to sleep. They need to retire the Veendam. Beware also bad sewage smell emanating from expensive lanai cabins. We noticed it as we took a deck walk one evening. Vegan menu in main dining room disgusting. Lido Deck has better vegetarian choices. Liked Lido Deck food. Room service was good for breakfast, and on time.
#1-Quebec-Beautiful! POURED rain. Very walkable. Erico Chocolate Museum a must for chocoholics, excellent! Paillard's lunch unremarkable, croissants awesome.
#2-Charlottetown-Loved it! Old historic buildings, churches, very walkable. Beaconsfield House, good tour, pretty. Gahan House Pub excellent for lunch, good service.
Stayed on deck 5 (Main). Very quiet, but felt like sleeping in a crate as ship is old and creaky with each sea swell. Had to take extra Bonine one night just to get to sleep.
Beautiful, old city. Lots of things to see within Charlottetown itself. Free maps at visitor center. Beaconsfield House, Victoria Row shops, restaurants, old historic churches and buildings all within easy walking distance from ship. Admission cost to Beaconsfield House C$5, much less than a Holland America shore excursion will charge you.
Old Montreal is beautiful. Can walk to Old Montreal from Golden Square Mile area. Notre Dame Basilica is C$5 admission and gorgeous. Have lunch at Olive et Gourmando in Old Montreal, so good!! Dinner at Le Taj in Golden Square Mile area was excellent, romantic, affordable. Felt very safe walking in old Montreal. Had a drink at Taverne Square Dominion, nice ambience, good drinks too!
Charming, pretty, would return in a heartbeat. Very good restaurants, cute shops, lots of historic buildings and plaques (The Museum in the Streets). Walk the Shore Path for a lovely view of the ocean where the ship will dock. Good coffee to be found at ChocoLatte and awesome Maine popcorn at Maine Popcorn Company. Have lobster stew at Side Street Cafe; the bakery and Thrive Juice Bar on this street are excellent as well.
A small, walkable city. The Jost House, Cossit House, St. Patricks Church Museum all literally one street over from where ship docks. Admission cost to these ranges from free to C$3. You don't need an expensive Holland America tour guide for these! Found a book sale at the Sydney Public Library. Lunch at Old Triangle Ale House was wonderful, excellent service. Doktor Luke's coffee was excellent too. Very friendly place to visit, lovely people.
Lots of construction in Halifax. Lower Water Street very cute with shops, restaurants. Seaport Farmers Market a huge disappointment, nothing but cheap jewelry and Asian food inside, not what I saw advertised at all! Did our own walking tour to the Maritime Museum (C$10 admission). Titanic exhibit at Maritime very small, with pieces "out for cleaning", so rather disappointed in this stop. Coffee at Wired Monk was good. All in all, was not impressed with Halifax. Not picturesque.
Unfortunately it poured buckets of rain on us, but we made the best of it. This is a beautiful, old city. Very walkable, even in torrential rain. Wished we could've seen more. Very European. Erico Chocolate Museum on Rue St. Paul a must-visit for the chocoholics. Lots of shops, restaurants. Don't bother with lunch at Paillard's, salad had brown, wilted lettuce, yuck! Their pastries and croissants were excellent. Wished the weather hadn't been so bad. Lots to see here, and didn't get to.