Port stop in Boston

jacketwatch · May 19, 2009

We will have a stop in Boston in early Oct. from 2p-10p. What do you suggest doing or what is a can't miss attraction? Thank you. Larry :biggrin:

Joanandjoe · May 19, 2009

We've had three cruise ship stops in Boston, and lived there for three years when we were students. We found great things to do all three times. However, Boston is, in effect, a tender port: the cruise ship terminal is a long way from the Hub (downtown), and most ships supply shuttles to the Fanuel Hall Market area. That means that your time in the interesting part of the city is, at best, 3 p.m. to 8 or 8:15.

Get a good online directory (or a guidebook from your library); then check for restaurant recommendations for an early supper, or for museums and attractions that are open late the night you're in port. The Fanuel Hall Market Place is open until 9 every evening except Sunday. so that's something you can do after other things close.

Here's what we did on our three Canada-New England cruises. Please bear in mind that we were in Boston during daylight hours, morning to afternoon. You won't be able to do this much due to timing. Also, we spent some time at the market each time, so it's not mentioned for the specific itineraries.

Trip 1, Regal Empress. Took Subway to the Science Museum. After lunch, Joan went back to the ship, while Joe went for a walk to Boston Common and the public garden.

Trip 2. We had never been to the quirky Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum while we were students, because (amazingly) it was closed on weekends in the late 60s. We made that our priority, and went by subway. We also went to the Art Museum, and had lunch in the Newberry St. area. (We didn't go to the top of the Prudential Center, but that's something else to do.) We then walked through the garden and common all the way back to Fanuel Hall.

Trip 3. We walked the Freedom Trail. We had done that many times, but never all the way to the Constitution in Charleston. We had a great tour of Old Ironsides, and saw an interesting movie about the Battle of Bunker Hill. The we did another new thing for us: we took a ferry from Charleston back to Boston. Terrific!

BTW, while I was on a business trip to Boston, Joan took a national parks tour of the historic area. If the timing is right, that's also a good idea.

All in all, a great city (other than its baseball team). Joe

jacketwatch · May 19, 2009

Good advice! That Freedom trail souds very good to me. However as for the baseball team and I know it was a long and painful wait but they do have to WS titles in the recent yrs. Amigo I'm a Cub fan. Count your blessings. :biggrin:

Joanandjoe · May 20, 2009

Good advice! That Freedom trail souds very good to me. However as for the baseball team and I know it was a long and painful wait but they do have to WS titles in the recent yrs. Amigo I'm a Cub fan. Count your blessings.

For a Yankees fan, there are no blessings in having the Dread Sox win two WS titles.

Hillbilly · May 20, 2009

We will have a stop in Boston in early Oct. from 2p-10p. What do you suggest doing or what is a can't miss attraction? Thank you. Larry

Well, there are buses that go to the Boston Market. They have interesting stores and decent resturants there. You could also walk along freedom trail. Have you ever gone on a tour of historic Fenway Park? Go downtown and visit the new Fleet Center home of the Boston Celtics. There are lots of great things to do in Boston. Boston is a great town and I love going back.

I will be there this fall myself.

we2cruise · May 25, 2009

We stopped in Boston last October with the Norwegian Jewel. We booked an NCL tour to Salem and the Witch museum. October is a great time to see Salem!

jacketwatch · May 27, 2009

A witch museum? Hmmmm. Sounds very interesting. :smile:

Joanand Joe: I suppose there is nothing quite like the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry. Though I am a die hard Cub fan I have rooted for the Yankees since I was a kid. My fav player was the Mick and the first shock of my life was hearing that Maz beat em with that homer in the 1960 WS. I was in around the 3rd or 4th grade and one of the guys had snuck a radio into class and told me. I still remember like turning pale, saying "no" and shaking my head in denial :rolleyes2:

Joanandjoe · May 28, 2009

Obviously, you should see what's offered by the cruise line. A typical Canada/New England cruise contains a lot of ports where you really can do great things on your own: Boston, Montreal, Halifax, Quebec City, Newport, and Portland. We've been to all six of these places on our three Canada/New England cruises, including twice in Halifax and three times in Boston, and didn't take a shore excursion in any of them.