Cruise Destination - - Bar Harbor, Maine

September and October are the peak seasons for cruises to New England. The leaves start to turn color and the air turns cool, crisp and invigorating. It just seems like the time to be out in the New England countryside.




Bar Harbor is a classic, small New England town on the coast of Maine. In its center is a village green with a bandstand. From there Main Street slopes down a slight hill to the harbor where the fishermen still bring in their catches.



One does not have to go far from the tiny business district to sample the natural beauty of the area. There is a path along the shore where the crystal clear water washes over the craggy rocks. Out in Frenchman’s Bay there is a sprinkling of forest-covered islands. The path is shaded in part by trees and has wildflowers growing along side it. In other places, it passes the lawns and gardens of mansions that remain from the days when Bar Harbor was the summer vacation home of Astors, Rockefellers and Morgans.



Bar Harbor is surrounded by Acadia National Park, one of the most popular national parks in the United States. The cruise lines offer excursions into the park as do other tour providers. It is also possible to explore the natural attractions of the park independently



If you are looking for Maine lobster, Bar Harbor has them in abundance. Seemingly, every restaurant and eatery in the town offers some form of lobster dish.



Not surprisingly, Bar Harbor has become a popular cruise destination port. When I first cruised there in the early 1990s, people came from miles around to stand on the shore and look at the QE2 anchored in the bay. These days, the ships do not attract the locals’ attention. Although some of the shops have become a little more commercialized, the town still has much of its charm. It is not to be missed.



Beyondships’ cruise destination photo guide begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Bar-Harbor.html

Holland America's Maasdam in Canada and New England

In the fall, the cruise ships gather in New York and in Boston for cruises to Canada and New England. The autumn leaves are starting to change and people want to see the colors. Also, it is hurricane season in the Caribbean and the weather in Europe is starting to decline so the ships gravitate toward the northeastern United States.

One ship that one frequently sees on such cruises is Holland America’s Maasdam. One of the S-class HAL ships, Maasdam is large enough to provide the amenities of a modern cruise ship but also small enough to get to ports such as Montreal. Thus, Maasdam is well-suited to the Canada/New England run.

I have had the opportunity to photograph Maasdam several times when she was in Canada and in New England. She has pleasing lines and is photogenic.

Accordingly, I have added a photo essay to the Beyondships’ profile of Maasdam showing her in Halifax, one of the more popular ports of call on this route, and in Boston, which is the embarkation port for many of her cruises. This essay is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Maasdam-photo-1.html

Cruising to Saint John Canada; Carnival Triumph Photo Essay

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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