Within Walking Distance

Step right off your cruise to Saint John and onto the Harbour Passage, a waterside walking path that strings together viewpoints and historical sites in Saint John’s port. The city’s preserved central core is the neighborhood of Trinity Royal, edged by lovely Prince William Street. This was the commercial strip in the late 1800s and is full of perfectly prim Victorian architecture. Shift between past and present at the New Brunswick Museum, complete with a reconstructed interior of a longshoreman’s bar, displays on Saint John’s shipbuilding history, and the behemoth skeletons in the Hall of Great Whales.

Beyond the Port Area

Apart from the town’s historic core, nature is the number one attraction on cruises to Saint John, New Brunswick. Cross the Saint John River to say hello to the wildlife at home in Irving Nature Park. Sandpipers on the mudflats? Check. Herons by the saltmarsh estuary? Sure. Harbor seals on the rocks? Those too. The observation tower at the park’s highest point provides birds eye views over the forest and mudflats. Take in dramatic panoramas of Saint John and the Bay from Fort Howe, initially built during the American Revolution. The hilltop park holds a blockhouse and a few gun magazines.

Outdoor Activities In Saint Johns

Explore the enormous Rockwood Park, north of downtown, on Saint John cruises. The park has swimming beaches, forest and lakeside walking trails, and an 18-hole public golf course—there’s even a small petting zoo.

Witness the awesome natural phenomenon of Reversing Falls, caused by the tidal bore of the Bay of Fundy rolling in to meet the Saint John’s River. The resulting collision sprays water straight up at high tide—the highest in the world, in fact—while the river runs in reverse. See it from the river’s edge, from atop a viewing platform, or even from the river itself on a water-soaked jet boat ride.

Explore the coastal Fundy Trail Parkway, a scenic route past multihued foliage and plentiful lookouts over the Bay of Fundy. Keep watch for the local wildlife and you might spot eagles, warblers, moose, and deer. The pretty seaside village of St. Martins is known as the gateway to the Fundy Trail. The village is a prime base for excursions to a handful of beaches and the region’s covered bridges from your Saint John cruise. Pontoon boats skim the water’s surface to peek into mysterious offshore sea caves and kayak tours go out at high tide to the Hopewell Rocks, otherworldly rock formations created by the dramatic tides in the Bay of Fundy.

Shopping & Dining In Saint Johns

Eat your way around Saint John City Market, a giant hall built back in the late-1800s, which holds a farmer’s market, local crafts vendors, and gourmet stalls for local and imported foods. Pop in for a snack of funky dried seaweed or hearty walnut cookies. Retail and clothing shops are at Brunswick Square and Market Square, along with plentiful entertainment and spa options.

Travel Tips

• You’ll disembark from your Saint John cruise ship at the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal, in the Port of Saint John. It’s conveniently close to downtown.
• Saint John’s climate is pleasant in summertime: it stays rather mild, with highs generally reaching the upper 60s into the lower 70s.