The first time I went to Saint John, New Brunswick in Canada was in the early or mid-1990s on QE2. While QE2 always received a good reception when she called at a new port, the populace of Saint John was extremely eager to welcome the ship to their city. Indeed, the mayor stood by the gangway and shook hands with each passenger who got off the ship. There was a bag piper and other people in costume handing out tourist literature. That evening when the ship sailed, the entire town appeared to have come down to the harbor to watch. Police sirens screamed and the fire department shot streams of water into the sky. It was quite a send-off for a relatively small city.
The next time I was there was also on QE2 and was probably the ship’s second call in the port. The weather was not as nice as it had been the first time and deteriorated during the course of the day. In those days, passenger ships had to berth at the container port on the opposite side of the harbor from the city. There was no cruise terminal or shelter on the quay. Nonetheless, a welcome committee braved the elements out on the pier.
By evening a thick fog had rolled in and one could not see more than a few feet from the side of the ship. I remember thinking that there would be no send off this time. However, as the ship pulled away from the berth and sounded her horn. A loud cheer arose from the other side of the harbor. Flashing red lights reflected against the fog and sirens blared. They were out there again and not just one or two hardy souls but seemingly the whole town.
Saint John has come a long way since then. More than 200,000 cruise ship passengers visit there each year. Last year, the city opened an $11 million cruise terminal that is in the heart of town. And although the whole town no longer comes down to watch the ships sail, the locals still have a very nice welcoming attitude toward cruisers.
Saint John is not London or Paris. It is a small Canadian city. It is conveniently located for ships doing New England/Canada cruises out of New York or Boston not far from the U.S. border. However, there are reasons to stop here beyond satisfying the requirements of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. (The Act requires foreign flag vessels to stop in at least one foreign port).
Outside of town, the area is largely unspoiled and there are interesting natural wonders. However, the real charm is inside town. It is a mixture of the old and the new. But the overall feel is one of a small friendly community, something which is all too rapidly disappearing.
My photo tour of Saint John appears at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-StJohn.html
When I was putting together the material on Saint John, I came across a series of photos of Carnival Triumph in Saint John Harbour. In the autumn, Saint John has days where the light is incredibly clear and crisp and these photos were taken on the evening of such a day as the setting sun placed Triumph in deep contrast. Even though Triumph is no longer doing the Saint John itinerary, I thought these photos showed her off rather nicely and so I thought I would share them in a brief photo essay. It is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalTriumph-photo-essay1.html
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The next time I was there was also on QE2 and was probably the ship’s second call in the port. The weather was not as nice as it had been the first time and deteriorated during the course of the day. In those days, passenger ships had to berth at the container port on the opposite side of the harbor from the city. There was no cruise terminal or shelter on the quay. Nonetheless, a welcome committee braved the elements out on the pier.
By evening a thick fog had rolled in and one could not see more than a few feet from the side of the ship. I remember thinking that there would be no send off this time. However, as the ship pulled away from the berth and sounded her horn. A loud cheer arose from the other side of the harbor. Flashing red lights reflected against the fog and sirens blared. They were out there again and not just one or two hardy souls but seemingly the whole town.
Saint John has come a long way since then. More than 200,000 cruise ship passengers visit there each year. Last year, the city opened an $11 million cruise terminal that is in the heart of town. And although the whole town no longer comes down to watch the ships sail, the locals still have a very nice welcoming attitude toward cruisers.
Saint John is not London or Paris. It is a small Canadian city. It is conveniently located for ships doing New England/Canada cruises out of New York or Boston not far from the U.S. border. However, there are reasons to stop here beyond satisfying the requirements of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. (The Act requires foreign flag vessels to stop in at least one foreign port).
Outside of town, the area is largely unspoiled and there are interesting natural wonders. However, the real charm is inside town. It is a mixture of the old and the new. But the overall feel is one of a small friendly community, something which is all too rapidly disappearing.
My photo tour of Saint John appears at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-StJohn.html
When I was putting together the material on Saint John, I came across a series of photos of Carnival Triumph in Saint John Harbour. In the autumn, Saint John has days where the light is incredibly clear and crisp and these photos were taken on the evening of such a day as the setting sun placed Triumph in deep contrast. Even though Triumph is no longer doing the Saint John itinerary, I thought these photos showed her off rather nicely and so I thought I would share them in a brief photo essay. It is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalTriumph-photo-essay1.html
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