We didn’t have any plans for Charlottetown today. We decided to treat it as another sea day.
Our first stop was the main dining room for breakfast. We shared a table with a couple from California and a couple from Canada. We enjoyed the leisurely breakfast and conversation.
We decided to use one of our Mariner Benefits and try out the Spa’s Thermal Suite and whirlpool. My understanding is that there are limited number of passes available for this area. If all the passes are not sold for a cruise, people can opt to get a day pass for any given day. We were each allowed one free day pass but the caveat is that we could only use it on a port day when the area is less prone to be busy.
You give the spa personnel your room key and you get a special key that unlocks the doors of the suite and the whirlpool. We each headed for our respective changing area with lockers and robes to use. We met back out by the thermal suite area.
The thermal suite had some heated ceramic loungers in front of a big picture window. It also has a dry sauna, rain shower area, and a wet sauna area. We were in there with one other woman. If nobody is waiting, I guess you can stay on the loungers as long as you want. Otherwise, I think you are supposed to relinquish yours after about 20 minutes. Chuck thought they were uncomfortable even with the rolled up towels to put behind your back and head. I thought they were okay, but we left after about 30 minutes.
We went to the whirlpool. It is not as big as a swimming pool but much larger than the regular hot tubs. It was warm and bubbly. We were the only ones in there. I could have swum around it all day. Again, after about 30 minutes, Chuck was ready to leave and go back to the room. I opted to stay for a while longer and then my intention was to go back to the thermal area and try the dry sauna.
However, when I went back, two other women were in there on the loungers. I sat on one of the loungers to dry off more and ended up talking with them until I was ready to leave. They were leaving too as they had a late afternoon excursion to see the Anne of Green Gables farmstead. It looked like they were going to get nice weather, so I told them I hoped they got to enjoy the gardens that we missed last week.
I’m not sure that I would pay for a pass to this area, but I will definitely try to use my one free pass each cruise.
The weather did get much nicer in the late afternoon, so we spent the pre-dinner time out on the Sea View deck.
We were having another dinner in the Canaletto tonight. We had the same waiter as we did last week, and he remembered our names and wine order. Impressive. I couldn’t remember my own wine order from last week. This time Chuck chose the braised short ribs for his main course, and I chose the casarecce pesto Genovese as mine. We had the same appetizers and dessert as the last time. Everything was very good.
Our evening was once again spent in the casino and the Rolling Stone Lounge.
We arrived at Charlottetown at 9:00 but our tour was not until 1:45. While Chuck slept in, I got a latte and walked around the ship’s promenade. I took some photos and listened to the musician channel his inner Jimmy Buffet. I may have been his only audience as most people were rushing into the visitor center to start their day in Charlottetown.
Singing his heart out with an audience of one who had to use the zoom lens.
The last time we were in Charlottetown we took a food/history walking tour of the historic area.
Today our plan was to see the countryside of PEI. And you can’t see the countryside without a stop at the Anne of Green Gables farmstead.
Google stock photo
HAL Tour Description: Explore PEI — Canada’s tiniest and perhaps most charming province, famous for its red earth and white beaches.
A panoramic drive takes you through the historic streets where the Charlottetown Conference led to the Confederation of Canada. Enjoy picturesque views of the rolling hills as you head through the countryside to the North Shore.
You’ll stop at Green Gables — the farmstead that inspired the setting for L.M. Montgomery to create her beloved tale of a red-haired orphan, Anne of Green Gables.
Visit Prince Edward Island National Park to savor incredible scenery, and you will pass through pastoral farmland en route back to the ship in Charlottetown.
We ate lunch in the Lido before getting ready for the tour. We packed our rain gear because it was getting very overcast, and rain was predicted around 2:00.
The bus was comfortable, and the guide was enthusiastic. She told us a lot about Prince Edward Island and some of its famous residents including Lucy and Lucifer – two ducks who for many years laid their eggs in the grocery store parking lot and would get police protection while they sat on the eggs and then a parade when the ducklings hatched, and the family made their way back to the pond.
Of course, it started raining just as we arrived at the Green Gables farmstead. There were a lot of Anne of Green Gables fans on the bus. I have to admit I don’t remember ever reading the books. I was more of a Nancy Drew girl myself. I was mostly interested in the tour to see the countryside. I was definitely in the minority.
However, I enjoyed learning about the author and seeing the house furnishings. I was disappointed that it was raining so hard that exploring the gardens was out of the question. We got an hour at the house and museum, but the docents move you through the house pretty rapidly and the museum was small so, in my opinion, we were there 30 minutes too long. But, if we had a chance to go through the gardens, an hour would have been about right. Who knows – maybe I will read the series to see what I missed.
Lego model in the museumAuthor as a young girlAuthor in her primeWish I could have walked the paths
On our way back to Charlottetown, we did a short drive through the National Park. It was still raining so we didn’t leave the bus and my photos out of the rainy bus windows were poor. Would be nice to spend more time there.
We got back to the ship right before “all aboard” time. Since it was a HAL tour, I was not concerned that we were cutting it close.
After a late night yesterday and a long day today, we ordered room service and stayed in for the evening. It is nice that HAL still offers a pretty extensive room service menu that doesn’t require an extra charge. It took about 30 minutes to arrive, and the BLTs were hot and fresh. So good, I forgot to get a photo. Sigh
Just like last night, we watched the sail away from the Ocean Bar listening to Cat play the piano.
It was soon time for our dinner in the Canaletto. I had the eggplant and mozzarella appetizer and the grilled branzino. Chuck had the veal and sage meatballs for an appetizer and the beef short ribs in the red wine sauce. We shared the gelato for dessert.
We played slots until the first set of the Ocean Bar band. The first set was 80’s music. The dance floor was packed. Their next set was 90’s music. Not as many on the dance floor during this set.
We docked at 7:30. We had a light breakfast in the Lido because we wanted our stomachs to be ready for our tour.
We were taking a HAL tour today: A Taste of Charlottetown: Culinary Walk.
The tour description: If you love sampling local foods in faraway places, you’ll love this culinary walking tour of downtown Charlottetown.
Led by a friendly and knowledgeable tour guide, this three-hour walk-and-taste tour provides samples of some of the Island’s favorite foods and beverages and a bit of the city’s history as well. You will stop at various restaurants and a brew pub to taste fresh oysters, steamed mussels, craft beer, lobster rolls and more.
Charlottetown’s history will come alive through engaging stories about some of the city’s most fascinating people, buildings and events. Known as the Birthplace of Confederation, Charlottetown hosted the 1864 Conference that began the process of establishing Canada as an independent nation. Banquets and private lunches played a huge role in the success of the discussions, so food is something the Islanders take great pride in.
By the end of the tour, you will have a great sense of some of the Island’s most impressive, and memorable tastes.
Notes: There’s no time to shop while on the tour. Tour includes tastings of seafood and other items that might trigger allergies; participants with food allergies should inquire about ingredients while on the tour and use their own discretion. Some locations require climbing 10-20 stairs. Tour requires about two miles of walking; however, the most walking done at any given stretch is 10 minutes. Many of the tasting venues have seating available. Non-alcoholic beverages are available for guests under 19 years. Not advisable for guests using a wheelchair.
Our tour was at 11:00, so we went a little early to the meeting place to look around at the craft shops in the tourist center. They had a number of exhibits and a lot of maple syrup products for sale.
We met our guide. She was a native and had a lot of information about the town, its history, and how it is rebuilding since the 2022 Hurricane Fiona.
PEI used to have a fox breeding industrySt. Dunstan’s BasilicaFormer warehouse for bootleg rum
I enjoyed listening to her. However, I was really looking forward to the tastings and I wasn’t disappointed.
Our first stop was The Gallery coffee house that featured local art work for sale. We had coffee and a dessert that she called a dolly square but I know them as magic squares – chocolate chips, coconut, and graham crackers.
Our second stop was the Old Dublin Pub. I had a light beer and Chuck had a dark beer. The food was local steamed mussels. Chuck didn’t want his mussels, so I got two servings. So good.
Our next stop was to sample some Prince Edward Island potatoes. A couple on our tour was from Idaho so there was some lively discussion on which potato was the best. I was just happy that the potatoes were in french fry form. We were served by the owner/operator of The Chip Shack. She wouldn’t tell us her secret recipe.
The last stop was the highlight – oysters and lobster. The waitstaff of the Lobster on the Wharf was excited, not only because the first cruise ship of the season had arrived, but it was also the first day of lobster season. We had a session on how to trap a lobster and then were treated to a mini lobster roll and raw oysters with wasabi sauce. Chuck didn’t want his oyster, so I got his. How lucky was I?
Our tour was finished at this point. Since it was only 2:00 pm and just a short walk back to the ship, some people stayed to order off the menu. We decided to go back to the ship. It was a good tour. We were never very far from the ship and the tour basically covered a few square blocks. Nice introduction to Charlottetown.
When we got back to the room, we found that we had received two gifts. One, the Casino had sent chocolate-covered strawberries. The other gift was a card that said our clocks would be moving backwards tonight. I couldn’t decide which one I liked best.
We relaxed on the balcony until it was time to get ready for the evening.
Travel Trivia
Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada (because I forgot to include it yesterday)
Sydney was founded in 1785 by the British, was incorporated as a city in 1904, and dissolved on 1 August 1995, when it was amalgamated into the regional municipality.
Sydney served as the Cape Breton Island’s colonial capital, until 1820, when the colony merged with Nova Scotia and the capital moved to Halifax.
Sydney Harbour played an important role during World War II as a Royal Canadian Navy base.
Sitting in front of the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion on the Sydney waterfront is the largest fiddle in the world! The fiddle stands tall at approximately 60 ft high.
The annual Celtic Colours International Festival is held throughout Cape Breton Island in October, with some of the concerts taking place in Sydney.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Charlottetown was originally a French settlement called Port la Joie. It was renamed in honor of Queen Charlotte, wife of George, after the island passed to Britain in 1763.
Charlottetown is also known as the “Birthplace of Confederation” a name acquired in 1864, after the Charlottetown Conference which resulted in confederation and creation of Canada.
The Confederation Bridge that joins the two provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, is the longest bridge in the world over ice covered waters.
Charlottetown includes The Queens County Court House which was built in 1838 and is the oldest courthouse in Canada still standing.
