CRUISING TO CANADA AND NEW ENGLAND:
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A statue of Sir Samuel Cunard keeps an eye on the activity at the Halifax cruise port.
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The Cruise Port
Above: Queen Mary 2 docking in Halifax.
Above: Norwegian Gem at the Cruise Pavilion.
Below: Veendam in Halifax. 
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 Caribbean Princess in the container port.
Most cruise ships dock at the Cruise Pavilion Complex (also called the Seaport). These were commercial
piers and the buildings have been renovated especially for cruise ship use. Included within the terminals are tourist information desks and stalls where local merchants sell Canadian-themed items including arts and crafts and souvenirs. There are also shops, museums and restaurants in the surrounding buildings. The Cruise Pavilion can handle two ships. The ships dock parallel to the terminal buildings. Halifax has become such a popular port of call that sometimes there are more ships calling than can be accommodated at the Cruise Pavilion. When that happens, the overflow ships usually dock at the adjoining container port. Shuttle buses take passengers who are going ashore independently from the container port to the Cruise Pavilion. (Walking to or from the container port is not permitted). The buses for the ship's organized shore excursions normally meet their passengers in the container port and thus in such instances one does not have to go to the Cruise Pavilion. Below: Calling in Halifax (left to right): Carnival Splendor, Maasdam and Royal Princess.
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Getting Around
Downtown is within walking distance of the cruise port and many passengers do walk there along the
Harbourwalk, a boardwalk that runs along the water connecting the cruise port to downtown. There are restaurants, cafes, museums and other attractions along the way (See also Attractions and Places of Interest). Parts of the downtown area are on the slope of a steep hill (right). Thus, walking to places like the Halifax Citadel or the Old Town Clock Tower can be strenuous. There are lots of alternatives to walking. Taxis wait outside the cruise terminals and there are public buses. In addition, a number of companies offer tours of the city using various modes of transportation. Halifax has a fine harbor and there are quite a few boats that give tours of the harbor. However, some of these boats are sometimes chartered for cruise ship shore excursions so it is a good idea to check with the operator beforehand. A low-cost alternative way to see the harbor is to take the commuter ferry across the harbor to Dartmouth. |
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Attractions and Places of Interest is next
Click here to continue We also have photo features on: HMCS Sackville CSS Acadia |
Cruise destination profile - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - page 3