This presentation was such a warm experience with the entertainers in Sydney! The music was wonderful! They shared their love for their island and some of the economic difficulties they have endured through the years which related to some of the beautiful original musical compositions they shared. Hot coffee, hot tea, cold refreshing water, and homemade local cookies were served to everyone and enjoyed greatly! The entertainers were very personable and appreciative of tourists coming to experience their island with them! This was a wonderful time to relax and enjoy excellent talent while enjoying the company of the local entertainers of Sydney!

Sydney (Nova Scotia)

We took a horse drawn trolley tour of the Charlottetown area. This was a good way to become familiar with the area. The tour guide related an abundance of information to us regarding the town, the people and the history of the area. After the trolley tour, we were able to walk through the town and enjoy the charm of the local shops and people. There is an area at the port terminal that offers seating at tables with free internet for traveling guests. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with family and friends at home without internet charges. Note that the shopping opportunities offered at the terminal port seemed quite expensive in relationship to other ports.

Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island)

The excursion we took to Cadillac Mountain did not include the loop of Acadia. We were limited on time due to taking a morning excursion, so we took a tour mainly to just see the top of the mountain views. The views from Cadillac Mountain were unforgettably BEAUTIFUL!!!..Oh what a beautiful country our USA is!.. The views are wonderful to see! You will not want to miss this while in the area! The tour guide related a wonderful presentation of the Bar Harbor area including history, stories of the area and the people who live there. She pointed out many interesting sites as we travelled up to the mountain. (Seating for the best views is on the right-hand side of the bus facing the front!)The afternoon tour returned us to the dock where the line for the tender was over an hour wait...The excursion was worth it though! We really enjoyed it!

This excursion was the most favorite experience of our cruise! It was interesting, educational, and SO much fun! The captain was entertaining, very knowledgeable, and personable! Upon boarding the boat, the crew offered guests to wear "sea bands" on each wrist to prevent motion sickness. These worked WONDERFULLY! I am prone to sea sickness and my husband experiences mild headaches when on a boat. The sea bands worked without having to take any meds to prevent motion sickness! We immediately went to the pharmacy in Bar Harbor following the excursion to use them during the rest of our cruise! The sea bands worked great for us all week while cruising! (Sea Bands are supposed to work to inhibit nausea for morning sickness during pregnancies, chemo treatments, and any nausea attributed to sicknesses. They can be purchased at pharmacies and at Walmart. What a great item to be introduced to!)On the excursion, we enjoyed seeing seals sunning on rocks, puffins playing and swimming, a bald eagle on a lighthouse as well as being entertained with an educational and knowledgeable presentation about lobsters and the lobster industry in the Bar Harbor area. The captain shared so much interesting information about the economy of the area, the major medical research being accomplished in the area, the history and growth of the area, as well! This is an excursion you will not want to miss! You are sure to enjoy this excursion no matter what age you are!

This excursion was well presented in noting so much information about the area! The tour guide was very knowledgeable and interesting. We enjoyed the presentation and felt as though he immersed us in so much information about the history, economy, people and lifestyle of the area. It was a wonderful way to be introduced to Halifax! This tour begins and ends at the port terminal where there are many wonderful shopping booths that are so very convenient to purchase gifts and souvenirs! The prices here seemed much more reasonable also than other ports on the New England/Canada itinerary. The shopping booths remained open according to the cruise ships schedule while docked.

Peggy's Cove was beautiful! Note that the ride to the cove was quite curvy and the bus moves at a notable speed to honor time restraints for the tour. Be sure to wear "sea bands" (excellent wrist bands obtained at pharmacies or Walmart) or motion sickness meds if you are prone to become sick) The tour guide shared interesting and educational information about the area as we traveled. Our tour included a stop at the graveyard for the Titanic. The historical and personal stories shared by our tour guide was excellent. The realization of what these people experienced becomes a reality and you are reminded of the heartache of such a terrible tragedy. This was a good excursion to help you experience the Halifax area.

The walking tour of Sydney was a WONDERFUL experience! At each stop along the tour we were greeted by a presenter dressed in period costumes. The presentations were SO interesting relating stories of people who had lived in the past in Sydney. It was a wonderful way to experience the uniqueness of this area and to understand the people who have lived in Sydney and to hear of the hardships they have endured through the years. It gave us a true understanding of the reason these people have such a love for their island. The walk did not require endurance. It moved at a stroll pace and allowed plenty of time between stops. As the tour came to a conclusion we entered the Historical Society's building where we were served hot tea and cookies. The warmth and hospitality of these wonderful local people was so very evident through this excursion! I would definitely recommend this excursion while you are at this port! I believe you must take an excursion while at this port to fully experience and appreciate such a unique and special place.

The bus tour for the Montmorency Falls included a stop at a historical home and a stop at the maple sugar shack. The falls were beautiful! We were driven to the bottom of the falls then rode the cable car to the top of the falls. Walking across the bridge of the falls allowed us to experience the power of the falls and the major turbulence of the water. At the plantation house gift shop, we were served and enjoyed hot tea and tea cakes. The tour of the maple sugar shack was so interesting and the candy was delicious! The tour guide shared such interesting information of how the maple sugar is harvested and processed. The maple sugar candy made a nice souvenir to take home too! The historical home visited on this tour used to be occupied by a surgeon. The home was furnished with period furniture and a gentleman dressed in period costume shared interesting information about the area and the home and it's history. This was a good excursion and very enjoyable.

This was a wonderful cabin! It was quiet and convenient to everything! This cabin is located at the end of a row of cabins mid-ship with only one cabin on one side and no cabins across the hall. In traveling from Boston to New England we saw wonderful views from the large window. The sunrises were breathtaking! This cabin is located near the elevators and stairs making it easy to navigate the ship. It is also in the mid-ship area so we did not receive much sea movement. Everything worked well and the cabin stewards were so very hospitable and attentive!

Security finally called us to come to their office so they could secure our travel iron and we therefore missed being able to see the embarkation from the port as we began our cruise!(Security returned the iron to us at the end of the cruise.)

Veendam Review

Wonderful Experience!

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Large Ocean-View Stateroom

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