Hills, Buses, and Pirates - My Very First Disney Cruise Part 4

Apologies for the blurry picture (there was no getting closer to this sign as it was directly over the surface of the pool - where such a warning would be too late come to think of it) but such are the ways in which Disney recognizes Roger Rabbit now.

Our day in Halifax was not at all as relaxing as our day in St. John. You could call it a whirlwind tour, in fact, though maybe a rapidly-up-and-downhill tour would be more accurate. The "Halifax Highlights from Land and Sea" tour we took was highly recommended.  I personally didn't like it all that much, especially since the bus never stopped anywhere so we could get out and walk around/explore/take pictures/use the restrooms.  The boat just went up and down the harbor (nothing we couldn't see from the boardwalk) and the guide told almost exactly the same stories as the bus' guide. When all was said and done, we only had about an hour and a half to explore Halifax on our own!

The tour bus guide did tell us something very useful, and that was the fact that Halifax has a wonderful boardwalk with many nice little attractions along the way, and that the pathway would take us right back to the ship. So let's focus on the positive here. For example, Beavertails!



Oh my actual God, Beavertails are incredible. I like fried dough, but sadly it doesn't like me. This was different. To call this wonderful treat "fried dough" is an insult. It's hard to describe; imagine a Krispy Kreme doughnut glazed with maple sugar but better. Tragically, the only places in the United States they appear to be available are all in Colorado for some reason. But if you are ever lucky enough to have the opportunity to try one, do it.



Subtle, but this is another reason why Halifax is nice. Hell, even the Starling were nicer!



Now when we got back on the boat, it was Pirate Night. What that meant, it turned out, was that piratey activities were going on all night, building up to the big epic deck party. As I mentioned before, this was a little less than as impressive than we'd been led to expect, but it did end with these cool fireworks shot off the boat:



Now, as I was explaining the pirate deck party to a friend afterwards, she misheard me when I mentioned the part where Mickey ziplines down from one end of the boat to another and they shoot fireworks off the boat. After a bit of confused conversation, it turned out she was imagining something closer to this:



And perhaps this wondrous mental image, that had me on the floor, is as good a note to end on. Bon Voyage, Mickey, and may you and your beautiful boat have fair winds and following seas and King Triton being in a friendly type mood and all that.

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Seascape of the Day!

Here's an impressionistic, and almost psychedelic, sunset:

Fog and Poutine - My Very First Disney Cruise Part 3

^^ Just my humble opinion, but if you need to be told this, maybe you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a boat...  (EDIT: Just noticed the hilarious ..."Please..."  As in, "Please don't climb over this giant barrier and fall off the boat and kill yourself!  It would make all of us very upset, you know!")

Today, I'm going to discuss the first of our two ports of call, St. John, New Brunswick.  According to the official Disney Cruise Line description, "Infused with a profound history, Saint John is Canada's oldest incorporated city. Having welcomed immigrants from Eastern Europe and the UK onto its shores for centuries, it claims the country's oldest museum and farmer's market, as well as a critical role in the events leading up to World War II. Because it's seated on the Bay of Fundy and divided by the St. John River, the city is home to a unique, sometimes treacherous phenomenon called Reversing Waterfalls. During high tide, the prevailing river current reverses itself against the normal flow of water, creating rapids or falls.

"Compared to inland locations, the climate of Saint John is moderate, with plenty of romantic fog billowing into the city throughout the year. Take a walk along the waterfront to enjoy the cloud kiss (EDIT: A-HA-hahahaha!!!  Oh, Disney.) as the salt air revives your senses. Later visit one of the many museums dedicated to the city's heritage, shop in the boutiques and art galleries, and savor a lunch of fresh seafood. Saint John offers a relaxing day that sweeps you back in time and refreshes your spirit."

So... about that "romantic fog:"



This was our very first view of St. John pulling in.  I think I can see land in all that fog, maybe, if I squint?

In each port-of-call, we had eight hours total in port.  We had about six hours to explore each city.  When you are dropped off at a city and given only six hours to explore, sadly, you do not have a lot of time to find things to do there that you wouldn't be able to do at home.  After all is said and done, my family absolutely wants to return to the Canadian Maritime Provinces and spend more time there. Everyone was genuinely nice and friendly to us silly tourists.  At St, John we were greeted at the terminal by folks handing out little gifts like pins and roses.

From what I understand, the most beautiful parts of New Brunswick are quite a ways away from St. John, and there was simply no time to visit the Hopewell Rocks or undersea (usually) caves.  But the short bus tour of the city we took (called "St. John Highlights") brought us to one fantastic natural phenomenon: the Reversing Waterfalls.



The tides are indeed crazy in New Brunswick, and this particular stretch of river is prone to especially violent tides.



A speedboat tour of the 'falls. I'd imagine this would be fun for about a minute and a half.



Cormorants resting after surfing the rapids.

After the waterfalls, we headed up to the Carleton Martello Tower, a historic sight that, having been built on the top of a hill, gives you a lovely view of the enrite city and harbor.

On a sunny day, that is. As for the day we visited, well...



Yeah.

Now, to be fair, this wasn't anyone's fault and it wasn't anything anyone could have helped. Still, I am a New Englander, and therefore I am defined as an animal that complains about the weather.

After the tour bus dropped up off near the ship, we walked up to a very nice pub run by very friendly people and tried some of this stuff:



This here, next to the relatively mundane fried fish, is Poutine, something we couldn't leave Canada without trying and I'm glad we took the opportunity to do so when we did. It's french fries, gravy, and cheese curds. It is, to say the least, different.

After this, we headed to the big indoor market and explored that for a while (I got a bunch of Christmas shopping done).  Then we leisurely walked back to the ship. I got to take a short nap before heading up to see what the schedule called the "Rockin' Deck Party" or something and do a few watercolor sketches.

The people at the St. John cruise terminal made a bigger deal of our departure than Disney did. The deck party was just a gang of entertainment staff dancing to the theme music from Disney Channel series; once again, all the focus was directed in and away from the far more interesting things happening around the boat itself.  Because meanwhile, the cruise terminal people saw us off by waving giant Mickey hands and with bagpipers and a general feeling of being honored that Disney Cruise Lines visited their city.

Overall, I really loved our relaxing day at St. John. Top it off with the best live show of the entire trip ("Villains Tonight"), a good dinner at Lumier's, and a 3D screening of "The Avengers" and you have my favorite day of the whole voyage.

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Sketch of the Day!

My impression of the Reversing Waterfalls: