Bar Harbor, on a sunny day, is a quaint seaside hamlet. There is a path on the left, as you exit the tenders, that winds along the shoreline for over a half mile. Following it at its end brings you to the far end of Main Street, from which you can stroll back to the ship and take in all of the shops. There is a park at this end of Main Street, and a public restroom. Maine is a perfect location to enjoy a lobster roll and a bottle of "blueberry soda" (a local favorite), though market prices are quite steep. Figure about $25/roll for about 4 or 5 ounces of lobster meat. Among our favorite shops in Bar Harbor are the tea shop on Main Street and the Bark Harbor pet store. (Have to bring back treats for our pack of Shelties.)

Newport is one of the quintessential New England seaports. There are many shops and eateries within blocks of where the tenders drop you off. For us, we prefer to take the mile walk down to the head of the Cliff Walk. This is a winding 3.5 mile path that takes one past the mansions on the right and the ocean on the left. The first mile or so of the Cliff Walk is paved, but after that it turns into either a gravel path (at best) or no path at all (requiring one to climb over the rocks and boulders). The Cliff Walk ends at a beach, from which it is another 2.5 miles back to the ship. Figure you will need about 5 hours to complete this loop at a leisurely pace with stops for photographs. There is a public restroom about halfway along the path. One other thing to note about Newport, there is an art gallery in town that sells a number of unique blown-glass creations. And art is not taxed in Rhode Island.

St. John itself can probably be seen in about 1 to 2 hours. It is not very large, but it is not very clean either. There is a lot of new construction going on, so I am sure when they are done things will improve. One recommendation is that as you exit the ship, turn right. There is about a 3 minute walk to the Three Sisters Lamp, a local landmark. Walking "up the hill" to City Market gives one an overview of the city. There is a park across from City Market, as well as a Loyalist Graveyard, in which to rest and people watch. The best experience, on a nice day, is to take The Passage walkway from the cruise ship and walk out to Reversing Falls. The distance is about 2 miles in each direction; so figure maybe 45 minutes to an hour depending how many photo stops you make. There is a public rest room along the path. The city has taken a number of cargo containers and converted them into little shops, all stacked on the dock in what is known as the "Container Village". Some might call it artsy; to me it looks sort of trashy. And, unlike the large tent that used to be on the dock -- with all of the vendors under one roof -- these containers compartmentalize the stores. So if you like to just browse and see what you find, the containers are a definite negative. One other thing, St John no longer gives out Port Pins to disembarking passengers, as they have for several years leading up to Covid. I guess the weak economy impacts everyone, but I found this to be disappointing.

Halifax continues to build along the Harbor Walk and downtown. So expect a lot of construction zones. Still, this is a very clean, friendly city. All of the shops you need can be found right inside Pier 21, where you dock. The Harbor Walk stretches for about 2.5 miles along the waterfront, with numerous benches along the way. A short walk "up the hill" brings you to the Public Gardens, which is lovely in the Fall.

The most interesting thing about Boston is watching the planes take off from Logan Airport while making your docking approach to the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal. They literally take off over the ship. And when then winds change, the landing is equally as interesting as the jets are now descending right over the ship. Other than that, I have nothing good to say about Boston. It is a large, noisy city. (Please understand that this opinion is not just from cruises that have past through Boston. I attended Boston University one summer for a pair of classes; and lived in Boston for 2 months for a series of training courses for my job a number of years later. I just do not like the place.) There is no easy way to walk from the terminal to downtown, so a taxi is required. Some people have said that the Freedom Trail is nice. And if you are into history there are a ton of historical locations in and around the city. But for me, this is a perfect port to sleep late, explore an empty ship, and never bother to get off.

Understand that Princess generally does not depart from Manhattan. It departs from Red Bank, in Brooklyn. So this port review is for New York (Brooklyn). The terminal is in a warehouse district. There is no place to walk around. Do not expect it. This port is truly an arrival and departure point; nothing more. Parking is expensive if you drive yourself, but having car service is even more expensive. Even from the east side of New Jersey, expect to pay about $500 for drop off and pick up. The best option, if you have it, is to find a relative or friend who is willing to drive you. The drive is not a difficult as going through Midtown Manhattan, but for anyone not use to city driving it can be challenging.