Rlafer Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Does anyone know if Norwegian will substitute Portland, ME for its scheduled Bar Harbor visits due to passenger restrictions recently enacted? We are sailing on the Sky out of Baltimore on September 7, 2024. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Sisters Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 @Rlafer That's a really good question! I would think the cruise itinerary will remain unless otherwise stated. Has NCL reached out to you with details that refer otherwise? What ports of call are you currently slated to have? Will this be your first cruise onboard Norwegian Sky? It's a solid ship with the perfect guest capacity and size! It's not too big but not too small either; it's just right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rlafer Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 On 3/4/2024 at 3:54 PM, 3Sisters said: @Rlafer That's a really good question! I would think the cruise itinerary will remain unless otherwise stated. Has NCL reached out to you with details that refer otherwise? What ports of call are you currently slated to have? Will this be your first cruise onboard Norwegian Sky? It's a solid ship with the perfect guest capacity and size! It's not too big but not too small either; it's just right. This will be our second cruise on NCL. We did Alaska from Seattle last fall. This September we will do New England and Canada from Baltimore with port calls of Boston, Bar Harbor ?, St John, NB;Halifax;Sydney;Charlottetown;Saguenay and Quebec. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Sisters Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 @Rlafer It seems like it was a good first NCL experience if you are coming back for seconds! There is another cruiser in the group @Rainy who is looking into an NCL New England/Canada cruise as well. These are excellent stops! How long is this itinerary? I have been looking into an itinerary similar to this one that would depart from Boston or a nearby US port. Which port of call are you most excited for? Hopefully you aren't most excited for Bal Harbor! I saw the ordinance that was placed to limit cruise guests to a maximum of 1,000 per day. If NCL is offering the stop, I would assume it may still actually stop there unless you are otherwise notified. Hopefully, it ends up happening despite these regulations in place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpa54 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 On 3/4/2024 at 10:37 AM, Rlafer said: Does anyone know if Norwegian will substitute Portland, ME for its scheduled Bar Harbor visits due to passenger restrictions recently enacted? We are sailing on the Sky out of Baltimore on September 7, 2024. We are on the Breakaway from NYC our itinerary includes both Portland and Bar Harbor. So, if Bar Harbor is off, we will likely have another sea day, which we would be okay with. Although I know many folks won't like that idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Sisters Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 @Grumpa54 When did you cruise this itinerary on Norwegian Breakaway? I'm very curious to hear if your cruise will make a stop inn Bar Harbor! I would imagine if you itinerary stops there so will @Rlafer's cruise. It would be a shame to skip, but there is plenty on both of those lovely ships! An extra sea day doesn't appeal to most, but it could be worse. I have seen cruises that sail to nowhere do to poor weather. That's such a shame, but you have to stay safe! What day does this itinerary stop at Bar Harbour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpa54 Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 @3Sisters We leave from NYC on September 8th. I suspect the cruise lines and the local government will have their solution by then. We also stop at Newport, RI, Portland, St John, NB, and Halifax, NS. With a sea day back to NYC. If we hear anything, I will try to remember to check in here!. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpa54 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 This weekend I heard/learned that any cruise already "booked" into Bar Harbor will be permitted to anchor and send passengers into Bar Harbor, but any future cruises that have not already reserved their spot with the local port, cannot do so, unless they have fewer than 1000 passengers. Alas, I cannot find my source. So I recommend you research this on your own. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpa54 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 https://www.cruisehive.com/new-details-confirmed-about-port-cruise-ship-limits/125450 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Sisters Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 @Grumpa54 Thanks for sharing! I would certainly appreciate you sharing any additional news you find out. This itinerary has some other great stops, as if all else fails at least you have those other fabulous stops! Have you done an itinerary like this before? Thankfully, there is some time before you cruise out. Things could still change in the interim. This is an awesome supporting article! In fact you may be cruising to Bar Harbor after all @Rlafer! I love how on the ball you are about the cruise industry and your upcoming itinerary. Is this your first time cruising with NCL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpemarlene Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 We are cruising from Boston on Sept 6,2024 to Quebec City with one of the ports Bar Harbor, Maine. I received my boarding pass a couple of days ago and the itinerary still says we are stopping at the port. We lived in Maine for 35 years, Bar Harbor is beautiful, if you have never been there, Arcadia is a must excursion 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Sisters Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 @thorpemarlene If the itinerary shows you will be stopping there, I bet you will make it to Bar Harbor! It must feel so nice to get back to your old hometown. Do you live in Boston now? Tell me more about Arcadia. Can you book an excursion to Arcadia through the line? I hope you have a lovely cruise! Which ship will you be on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpemarlene Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 (edited) We retired to Florida, Bar Harbor is a wonderful place to visit, if anyone did not want to do an excursion they will have a wonderful day just walking around the town, if you wanted to explore on your own outside, rent a bike or walk the shoreline or hike inland. A lot of people rent a car and go to Arcadia on their own. In my opinion, along with the millions who have visited, go on an excursion to Arcadia. This is one of the most visited National Parks on our country and one of the smallest. It is beautiful with stunning views of the ocean. It is typical Maine with the rock bound coast. As long as its not foggy or raining (which it can be a lot) you will not be disappointed. The excursions from the ship is not cheap though, you can expect to pay around 200.00 pp which is crazy money in my opinion. Of course, that's what we are going to do which includes a Lobster cook-out at the end. We always go on the ship excursions if it's a distance from a ship, this ship is the Gem. Edited August 20 by thorpemarlene 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Sisters Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 (edited) @thorpemarlene That's the perfect place to retire. That's the dream retirement location for most. Are you seasonal or full time there? As someone who grew up in Florida most of my life, I can attest that the state is quite seasonal. It sounds like a safe town, and renting a car to tour there is great advice. I know Maine is quite seasonal. What months would you recommend visiting this area? I happen to love fog, so that wouldn't be a buzz kill for me. However, rain on any trip is no fun, especially if you are planning to hike in a National Park outdoors! I can see how that amount seems like a lot for an excursion, but that's the cost for most excursions nowadays. I'm not sure why the prices have gone up so much, but finding any excursion for less that $100 per person seems like a steal. Norwegian Gem is an awesome ship! It's the perfect Jewel class ship, not too small, not too large. Edited August 21 by 3Sisters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpemarlene Posted August 23 Share Posted August 23 Its 200.00 plus per person ! Uggh. My guess is you can hire the same excursion on shore for half that but hey, everyone needs to make money right? Keep the economy going. The fog is a problem though anywhere along the coast because it can be so thick you cannot see the ocean. The best time to visit is the last week of Sept into the first week of October, this is when the foliage is at its fullest. I have traveled all over the United States and in my opinion, nobody has foliage like New England because of maple trees which produce the reds and oranges. If anyone has extra days before or after a cruise, travel the White Mountains in New Hampshire, stunning!! We live in Leesburg, Florida full time, love it. Bar Harbor, like most all towns in Maine is very very safe, you can walk anywhere. There are a few factors as to why Maine has become expensive along with the excursions. 1. Its seasonal so the excursions have to factor that in, the opportunity for employment in the winter is limited. 2. The residents have changed from original "Mainers" to people "from afar" like New York, Ct. Ma etc. they want the lifestyle and have the money to pay top dollar. They buy up the ocean front property, tear down the houses and build their dream home. 3. The internet has really allowed this happen as they can make the move and work from home. Obviously inflation has really driven up the cost of everything, the labor rates, fuel, food etc. So, be a good cruiser, spend the money and enjoy the trip. Carpe Diem 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall James-Vargas Posted August 23 Share Posted August 23 @thorpemarlene That's the catch 22! If you book on your own, you take your own risks. If you book through the cruise line, there are many more guarantees. The ship will wait for you always if something happens with the excursion. That is not the case if you book on your own. It's also safe and convenient to book through the line if you are going to a foreign place. It feels even better when you travel somewhere you don't know the native tongue. Bar Harbor isn't as intimidating to me, but some other cruise destinations are to me. We are entering the perfect time of year to cruise there! I would imagine the fall scenery there is to die for. That's one thing Florida does not have, a pretty fall. The palm trees remain the same all year long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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