Canada New England excursions

[RobertM]

We are going on the NCL Spirit Canada/New England cruise departing Oct 21. The ports of call are Halifax, Bar Harbor, Boston and Martha's Vineyard. It is departing out of New York. I have a few questions.
1)What is the best/most cost effective way to get from the LaGuardia airport to the port. I understand that you can take the Supershuttle at a cost of $32 for the 2 of us ($16 each). When I called Suppershuttle they said it could take a long as an hour and a half. Has anyone ever used this service and if so any comments/suggestions?
2)We would like to try to book excursions at each port on our own - not through the cruise line. Any and all comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!!

[penny3333]

Hi RobertM, welcome to Cruise-Chat. We've used Supershuttle quite a few times. The reason they said it could take up to an hour and a half is it depends on how many stops they have to make before they get to your stop. We've never had any problems with them, it's just the time it takes can be longer than what a taxi will. The savings for cab fare can add up quickly though. We haven't done any excursions in those areas as we have always done land trips on our own. I'm sure there are members that have done excursions in those ports that hopefully will answer your post. All I can suggest is renting a car, except in Martha's Vineyard, you can walk easily to almost everything. Best wishes and have a wonderful cruise! Please let us know how it goes when you return.

[LisaP]

Hi Robert, and welcome to cruise-chat.

The fastest and most cost effective way to get from LGA to the piers in Manhattan is taxi. The fare will be metered, and will be in the range of $35-$40 with tip per taxi. On the way back to the airport at the end of the cruise, I highly suggest that you walk across the street and hail a taxi there. It will save a lot of time.

As for excursions, what types of activities interest you? I know you are looking to do tours independently, but if you've seen anything on the NCL Web site that looks to be of interest, let me know and I can tell you how you might go about it on your own. (I've been to all of the ports of call several times, and live very close to one of them. )

[RobertM]

penny3333 and LisaP,

Thank you so much for responding to my post. If is is true that a taxi cost's pretty much the same as the supershuttle then by taxi we shall go!

LisaP - you suggested that at the end of the cruise we walk across the street and hail a taxi there. Can you please give more info on this, are we talking about basically walking a block or is it further? Any particular place to stand? In regards to the excursions we were looking at the following:
Bar Harbor: Bar Harbor by Land and Sea
Boston: Historic Boston and Cambridge
Halifax: Peggy's Cove and City by Doubledecker
Martha's Vineyard: Highlights of Martha's vineyard (the one and only excursion offered)
What do you think of these? Do you have any suggestions? Any better ideas? The reason we were thinking of trying to do some excursions on our own we had a horrible experience with an excursion booked through NCL in the Carribean. Thanks for all your help.

[Javert]

We went on NCL to New England last year. We don't like organized excursions much and went on our own and, after talking to others on the ship, decided we had made the right decision. Here are my suggestions:
Halifax: You can walk this on your own. Go see the Citadel and then walk to the college district (just ask someone where). There are a couple of streets of shopping and some old cemetarys and churches there and it've very pretty. Just take the map the ship give you and walk. You'll see a lot more.
Bar Harbor: You can take a local trolley up to the National Park and it's a very nice tour and you get to walk around at the top, which is beautiful. There's a place to buy the tickets right there when you get off the ship. There is a hotel/restaurant on the water that you MUST have the lobster bisque. Don't remember the name, but it's a big white place. You'll see it when you get off the ship.
Boston: There are many many local sightseeing tours and the ticket booths are right there so you don't need to book through the ship.
MV- We didn't get to go here as the weather was bad the water too rough for tendering.
Hope this helps. Have fun!!

[RobertM]

Thanks for the input Javert. We will definitely keep in mind your suggestions!!

[LisaP]

Great advice, Javert. Allow me to add some more info.

Martha's Vineyard: No need for an organized excursion here. There's a public transportation system (click HERE) that covers most of the island. Just make sure you leave enough time to tender back to the ship.

Boston: If you feel like walking, the Freedom Trail is a good choice. Take a taxi from the pier to the Information Center on Boston Common, where you can pick up a map.

Halifax: I've only done Peggy's Cove through a ship's tour due to its distance from the pier in Halifax. If you want to stay in the city, I agree that the Citadel is well worth seeing. Other choices within walking distance of the ship are the Maritme Museum and Pier 21 Museum.

Regarding the taxi at the end of the cruise, the street you'll be crossing is 12th Avenue. The pier is on one side of the street, and a taxi stand is on the other, pretty much directly across the street. Do NOT accept a ride from a driver offering one while you are still inside the terminal building. It's also possible to get a taxi right at the terminal exit, but if there is more than one ship in port, this becomes very hectic and you may have a long wait (as in 45 minutes to an hour). I'd check there first, and if it's too crowded, take the elevator to street level (the taxi area is at the top of a ramp) where you can find a taxi much more quickly. If there are none at the taxi stand, just hail one...we've never waited more than a few minutes. Of course, it also means bringing your luggage with you...something else to consider.

[RobertM]

Thanks LisaP for the great advice. We are getting very excited about our trip! If anyone else out there has any suggestions please do not hesitate to drop a line.