Poutine, Lobster and Grits-Semireport updated twice 02/26/2015 TR Complete. About This Page:

[Cam22]

Great start to your cruise! Love the historic hotel as it is so beautiful!

[lauriep]

The Frontenac is such a beautiful hotel! I stayed there before it was a Fairmont. I always enjoy Fairmont hotels and am glad the Frontenac is in good hands! I'm glad you had a bit of time to explore the beautiful old city, but that was a pretty cold wind!

[duck addict]

Wednesday, Oct 23
For the first time in my cruising I cancelled a tour! I had pre-booked a walking tour of Old Quebec, and realized it covered what I had looked at yesterday.Normally Princess requires about a 24 hour notice, but this was an exception as we were not onboard 24 hours before. (I actuallycancelled it as soon as the excursion desk opened. )
I decided to stay onboard and start to meet people, as our meet and greet was not to be held until the first sea day (on Friday).
Up at 0600 and down to the international café fora mocha with ½ of the chocolate syrup as they did not have sugar free syrups,then up to the buffet for a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, fresh pineapple and cantaloupe.I shared the table with a lovely gentleman from Scarborough England.
Then up to take some pictures from the deck of the ship.
Hotel in distance

City view

Hotel(zoomed in)


The river

From Balcony

Lunch was Corned Beef, beef and broccoli, a large salad and a piece of carrot cake

Went to the Princess theater and watched “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
At 430 we had our muster drill. (Held today as people were boarding late into the eveninglast night and then this morning.)
We set sail at 5:00.
Down to dinner at 5:30
Shrimp bisque, Spring salad, Lamb shank, potatoes, eggplant.Key lime pie for dessert.
Entertainment tonight in the theater was one production number and music from Mickey Finn and Cathy Reilly (more about them later)
Then up to Skywalkers (looks like a spoiler on a car, except it hangs above the stern of the ship) to have a rum and diet coke, and watch the NFL game.
Off to bed.
Friday October 24
We arrived at Port Saquenay on time.
Had my morning mocha, then a light breakfast of an apricot Danish, a crodonut, and some fresh meloh.
Off to my excursion.
We were met on the docks by locals dressed in period costumes, and exhibits on the pier





They had a nice port welcome center with stalls of local goods inside
First stop was the Fjord Museum were we views a multimedia presentation on the creation of Fjords (and this one in particular)



Then we hopped on our bus and started driving around the bay.We passed the Ha! Ha! Pyramid that is a memorial to a flooding in 1996 that devastated the region.

There was some memorial art work that we viewed on the way


A view of the town and the condition of fall colors on the way


We could see the ship across the bay

Next stop was at the Touverre Workshop where we observed a glass blower and viewed his merchandise.




Back on the bus and we headed to Le Chevrier du Nord where the raised mohair sheep.They process the wool on site, selling mohair yarn.


Next stop was the site of the Pulp Mill of Chicoutimi-no longer operational.
Old mlll site

Inside one of the old mill buildings, we viewed the former home of Arthur Villeneuve.This was his house that was moved inside to preserve it. Every square inch of the house, inside and out (except the roof) was covered with his art.

Outside were a couple of locomotives from the old pulp mill

Map of the old mill.

We drove around the bay to view the “Little White House”. It was one of the few building not damaged by the 1996 flooding.

Arrived back at the port.The welcome center had glass work from the blower, yarn from the looms and a few other local art objects.
Going down the quay was without the greeting we received on arrival. Watched people taking seaplane tours take off

And then returned back on board .
Lunch was roast ham and a salad.

We sailed at 3:30. Got to view the fjord as we returned to the St Laurence river


I had looked at the menu ahead of time, so I booked a dinner at the Crown Grill Steakhouse ($25)

Dinner was a black onion with bleu cheese soup, followed by a baked potato, fresh green beans and a sumptuous prime rib steak

And lemon meringue pie.
Off to the showroom to watch the production show “Colors of the World”.
Then a stop at the casino to’ invest’ my budgeted $20 only to walk away with $162.I cashed out $100 (which I never spent) and left the remainder on my cruise card for later.
Off to sleep time.

[Cam22]

Sounds like a wonderful day! The tour looked like it encompassed some really neat cultural things. I love merino wool. at the casino!

[Hugmonster]

Nice win. Enjoying you tr.

[chezp]

All caught up again! It sounds like a great start to your trip and I'm particularly interested by everything to do with Quebec City, as I'm hoping we'll finally make it there next year.

[lfredsbo]

Sounds like your trip is off to a great start!!!

[mpwife153]

Enjoying your report!

[Colexis Mom]

Just getting caught up Don! Great pictures from Quebec! Glad you had a great time there! And great pictures of Port Saquenay! Cool place! Glad you're having a great time on the ship!

[mojjo]

Sounds like a lovely trip so far. Canada is beautiful.

On a side note...what did you think of Grand Budapest Hotel?..I really want to watch it but I'm worried it won't live up to the trailer.

[duck addict]

To Cheryl. No more pictures of Quebec City. Allow 2 days in Quebec City (or add a day in the surrounding country. Plus any time in Montreal or Toronto on your way there.

Valerie: Grand Budapest Hotel was kind of weird IMHO

[duck addict]

First of all..confession time..despite the title, I did not try poutine in Quebec.I did not find it on the menu at any of the food stops.

Saturday, October 25
Seas were gentle on the river



Sea day today as we meandered up the St Laurence river to the Atlantic ocean. Breakfast was eggs, and a bagel with apricot jam.

At 9am there was a demonstration of fruit and vegetable carving.This was followed by the ‘Holiday Sale at Sea”… junk merchandise all at $10 (I don’t think any of it was worth a $1)

The more that we approached the Atlantic ocean,the larger the waves.


Lunch was a large salad.

At 1 we had our meet and greet.About 80 people who had been talking to each other on cruise critic, gathered to put faces to our login names. We were joined at the meet and greet by the staff captain (head ship driver, not the captain of the ship), the cruise director, food and beverage manager, hotel manager , and the onboard customer services representative.



There was often nice stringed quartet playing in the atrium.



Dinner was cantaloupe and berries in port, corn chowder, red snapper with hash, and a grapefruit ‘sugar free’ tart.I casually mentioned to the waiter that it wasn’t really sugar free, but really no sugar added as the flour is carbohydrates that break down to sugar. Next thing you know the head waiter was there backing up the waiter….BUT WAIT…. About 3 minutes later he returned. He had talked to the chef and I was correct..even the ‘sugar free’ ice cream is NOT. It is no sugar added (milkhas a decent amount of sugar in it.After this he was really friendly to me every night.

Tonight’s entertainment was Mickey Finn and Cathy Reilly doing honky tonk piano with banjo.

I got to talk with him after the show.We shared back to my old Navy days stationed in San Diego when I used to go to Mickey’s honkey tonk joint out on University Avenue for beer and pizza.I would go about monthly.(He later closed his restaurant and took his show to Las Vegas for many years) before starting to do cruise ships.It was a great ‘reunion.

I thought I had lost my camerain the theater, but lo and behold, It awaited me at passenger services.
I hit the hay next, as my tour in the morning was scheduled for meeting at 0800.

Sunday, October 26.
In Hallifax we had a crew change. Up until now the captain of our ship was the Commodore of the Princess fleet,Guiseppe Romano.At Hallifax, he left to fly home for vacation, and our new Captain was Marten Stanzel.

Up early, breakfast was just eggs and fresh fruit (of course after 2 mochas this morning).

My excursion was the Big Pink bus hop on, hop off with admission to the Citadel and Maritime museums included.

A little historical perspectivean ammunition ship got struck by another ship in the harbor in 1917, so most of Halifax burned.Halifax was also a location where some of the survivors of the Titanic were delivered, and some debris.
Halifax has a nice port facility.After walking through the facility, we were greeted with our Pink buses just1/2 a block away.



Many of the views were through the bus windows.
The cities gardens



The Clock tower..a survivor of the 1917 fire


Other views of the old and new city

We then arrived at the Citadel. I got off the bus and spent about an hour wandering the fort.

Guard at entrance (now portrayed by college students to support their schooling)

The entrance through the wall



The barracks



The magazine and ramp up to the cannon locations

Cannons



Some of the museum




Inside the barracks




After about an hour of wandering, I exited and returned to next bus.
We meandered through the streets of both old and new houses (before and after the fire). I elected to get off at the ‘start’ and go to the Maritime museum (with many Titanic exhibits)















The Titanic exhibit upstairs






There was a show on the Titanic

I then walked back to the ship
Stopping in the stores in the terminal building


View from the ship in port

Lunch onboard was roast port, salad, and two cookies.
Then off to do laundry. $1.50 per wash or dry load.

In the afternoon there was avisit from the Halifax Folkloric troup (all volunteers) to share their culture, lead by a retired mounty..


The ship left Halifax at 4:30 and headed out in the Atlantic.

My waiters

Dinner was a pina colada soup, salad, beef short ribs with root vegetables, and a toffee frozen fudge dessert.
Went up to the Vista Lounge to enjoy watchingthe SF Giants and Kansas City rRoyals in the World Series.

[chezp]

Originally Posted by duck addict

To Cheryl. No more pictures of Quebec City. Allow 2 days in Quebec City (or add a day in the surrounding country. Plus any time in Montreal or Toronto on your way there.

Oh darn it... I've planned just one full day and nothing in the surrounding countryside - maybe I'll have to review that. I have two days programmed for Montreal... perhaps I need to eat into that time.

[Colexis Mom]

Glad someone turned in your camera! Great pictures from Halifax! I really need to get up there as that's where my grandparents came from!

[lauriep]

I really like Halifax and would love to sail down the river to the Atlantic. Big difference in the quiet waters when you reach the ocean!