We spent four days prior to the cruise doing nothing but walking tours of the city. The Central Park Conservation group and NY by Foot both provide "free" walking tours that only request tips if you want to tip. We saw the new 911 memorial which require one to apply for free tickets one month ahead of the time. Broadway shows are 1/2 price during the day.
Walked about 6 miles which took the entire time the Eurodam was in port. This is a tender port, so the cattle call of the 2000 people getting on little boats was a time bandit. The ocean walk and the mansions of Newport are the big draw in town.
the third and final port of the cruise that required a tender. Great downtown shopping area. Lots of nearby areas to walk and explore. We took the Acadia National Park bus tour for $29 each person. Really good deal. Excellent port even with marginal weather.
Clean and modern city that has preserved its oldest historical areas within walking distance of the docking area. Self-directed walking tour maps from the local tourist bureau were good for a 4-5 hour day. Over 100 people from the Titanic are buried in the local cemetary. Did some local shopping and drinking.
This is a place where you can rent a car fairly cheaply ($49) and drive 5-6 hours around the island. Unfortunately, PEI is really set up for summer vacationers and many of the shops and restaurants outside of Charlottetown are closed for the season when the Fall Foliage Cruise ships arrive. Makes for some empty roads - great for driving. We encountered hail, snow, sleet, rain and sunshine all in the same day. Very large downtown area in Charlottetown with lots of shopping and great bars/restaurants.
Elegant port city. We spent two days walking the city and never were bored. Something we should have done is taken a bus or taxi tour around the countryside for 3 hours. It was so beautiful with the fall colors.
This and NY are the only ports that we would visit again.