After deferring travel due to COVID we decided that we needed to get away. There was a sale on cruises and we jumped on it. We booked the Montreal to Boston cruise on Holland America early in the year for an early June departure hoping that COVID would allow us to go. We lucked out and things opened up enough that we were able to travel.
Preparation
There were lots of changes due to the pandemic. We needed to use the ArriveCan app to register our vaccination status and we needed a COVID test just prior to departure. The cruise line used their own Nagivator app combined with another app called Verifly for boarding passes and vaccination status. Nothing too difficult if you are familiar with Smart phones but it could be challenging if you are not.
In preparation for the trip I went out and bought some new shirts and pants. After I retired, I had gotten rid of most of my “work” clothes and what I normally wear was not necessarily appropriate for the cruise. When I was packing I put all of the shirts together in the closet and then forgot to pack them. So, I ended up with a single shirt for the week.
Traveling
As with any cruise, getting to the port can be a challenge. We generally try to arrive in the port a day early and take in the local sights.
Getting to the Port
On our day of departure, I dropped the dogs off at the boarding kennel. Stella was all fired up but Willow didn’t want to get out of the truck.
We took a Lyft to the airport without any issues. When we arrived at MSP, we checked in and sailed through TSA. We had arrived the recommended 3 hours early for an international flight and ended up waiting almost 3 hours to board. The flight to Montreal was uneventful. When we arrived in Montreal we walked a long ways to customs. We flashed our ArriveCan apps and got past the COVID screeners easily. I used the passport reader and got my customs declaration without issue. Jae needed some assistance. It was there that she ran into the first of the surly French speaking Canadians. We managed to get out of the airport and got a cab.
The taxi turned out to be a Tesla. Quite an interesting ride. The driver spoke English and was very friendly. We made it to the hotel without incident and got checked in. We ate in the hotel restaurant and the food was good, although not cheap.
The next morning we needed to get to the ship for a 12:40 check-in. We waited in the room until noon then got a cab to the dock. The dock was very close and the driver was not happy about the short ride. We think he was taking us for a ride until Jae mentioned the docks were only a quarter of a mile away. Then he adjusted and got us there. Overall, an unpleasant driver.
Cruising
Once on the ship we noticed a few changes due to COVID but overall nothing really that impactful. Probably the most noticeable was the under staffing. Talking with crew members they are missing a lot of people due to the US not issuing visas. The crew was still very helpful and friendly but not quite as much as previous years.
The ship itself was smaller than previous cruises. We heard that there were about 1100 guests on board. The weather was good, mostly sunny with temperatures between 55-75. Only one day foggy with some rain. The ship had a pickle ball court that I used several times. There were several guests that played so we had pick up games almost every day. The court was a bit tight on the sides but was blocked from the wind, pretty much.
The food was good, but selections were more limited than previous cruises. I suspect this was due to staffing and supply chain issues.
We didn’t do any shore excursions as there really wasn’t much that interested us. I went ashore at several ports just to walk around.
Boston then Home
When we arrived in Boston leaving the ship was quite easy. We took a taxi to the hotel that cost over $50. Not happy about that. We arrived before check in so we stored our bags and took a Lyft back into Boston so that we could take a Hop On, Hop Off bus tour. That was interesting. Getting a Lyft back to the hotel was a challenge but we finally made it back.
The flight home was uneventful.
Wrap Up
Our Montreal to Boston Cruise was just okay. Some of it was due to post COVID, some due to just a not very interesting cruise and to some extent the rudeness of the French Canadians.
To top it off, I ended up with COVID, probably from the airport in Boston.
