If arriving at the airport, taxis are always your first choice to get into town but if you don't have too much luggage or mobility problems, try the 747 Bus which is part of the Montreal public transit system.  For $8 per person (coins only, no bills), you get a pass which takes you downtown and is good for 24 hours. There are 11 stops along the way, each one near a number of hotels, or catch a cab for about $10 from the Berri-Uqam Metro station to most places in the downtown core.  Maps of bus route and hotel information for various stops at this link.

http://www.stm.info/english/info/a-747.htm

Lots to do in Montreal. There's the Old Port, Notre-Dame church, Mount-Royal Park, Olympic Park.  We stayed at the Le Meridien Versailles, a Starwood hotel, on Sherbrooke St. Watch the 20% taxes on accommodation and 15% on everything else.  A cab from a downtown hotel to the port cost us $15.  If taking the Metro to the port, closest station was Place d'Armes and then you had a good 20 minute walk (my estimate) or try for a cab from there.

Montreal

We walked throughout the downtown area, the pedestrian area called Le Quartier Petit-Champlain in the Lower Town, then for $2 up the funicular (cable car) to the upper level and Dufferin Terrace, the Citadel fortress constructed from 1820-1852, Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac and the streets, UNESCO park and shops on the Upper Town.  We walked the whole day, going back to the ship for lunch.

Quebec City

Lots to do here.  We have visited before and done the Peggy's Cove and Lunenberg tours.  We chose to stay in town by starting with the Marine Museum of the Atlantic. They have a permanent Titanic exhibit which we have not seen before.  They also had a temporary exhibit (Oct 2012) called "Cable Ships -- Connecting Halifax to Titanic and the World".  These ships, the Mackay-Bennett and Minia, laid undersea telegraph cables to allow transatlantic communication but were also the first two ships chartered to recover Titanic victims.  Spent the rest of the day at the Halifax Citadel, then Spring Garden shopping area, the Public Gardens where everything was still in full bloom, then the Historic Properties on the waterfront.  A little bit of time everywhere but too much to see and so we would have liked a second day/overnight here, to replace Sydney.

Halifax

This is a tender port.  When we came here on Carribean Princess in August a few years ago, the Island Explorer was a free shuttle that went all over the place, including Acadia National Park Loop Road and Jordan Pond House.  Unfortunately, the shuttles end on Columbus Day.  We tried to get the 2 pm one-hour tour with Ollie's Trolley but it was sold out.  Last tender left at 4:30 pm so didn't try to catch the 3:30 tour.  It was overcast and unlikely to get to Cadillac Mountain. There is lobster on Main St with prices at $9.99 per pound. May be more expensive in the summer months.  The ship's shopping pages recommended the West Street Cafe with New England clam chowder, Maine lobster and blueberry pie at $25.  If you are walking, keep going up to Mt Desert St where there were restaurants advertising $12.95 lobster lunches.  Take a walk along the Shore Path which starts besides the Bar Harbor Inn and then walk back down to the ship on Main St. which is what we did. Cruise taken in late October 2012.

Bar Harbor

We had an oceanview cabin (DA 551) on deck 5 towards the bow.  It is close to the elevators, a bit noisy as everyone goes past your cabin.  Always some rude inconsiderate people talking loudly at 1 in the morning or really early in the morning. Directly across from cabin 553 (next door) are the room attendants who start work early and make a loud of noise because of the nature of their work.  Also, right above you on the lower promenade deck on Deck 6 are the cable fittings which attach to the ramp for disembarkation onto ground level from deck 3, in Quebec City, Charlottetown and Syndey, when a bridge or jetway is not used. If you are an early rise and won't be bothered by the noise, great. If not, pick another cabin.

All the excursions are great, especially the full-day ones, in case you get back late as there was one that arrived back well after the all-aboard time.The food services and cabin attendant staff work 13 hours per day, 7 days a week for 10 months, yes there are some days off, but they work too hard to be subjected to verbal abuse.

Veendam Review

Veendam's Last Cruise for 2012 to Canada & New England

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Large Ocean-View Stateroom

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