4.5 here....the ferry was really great. From the reservation to getting on, to the actual ride…read more.. There was live entertainment in the Forchu Lounge! There were movies - both a kid friendly and an adult(ish) movie. You could sit out back and watch the massive wake, you could sit inside. Seats were comfortable. The upper vehicle deck attendant was especially nice because I was traveling with animals and she checked on them and found me to tell me they were ok! I've never left them in a car for 3 1/2 hours by themselves on a vessel before... it was a new thing. They did great! (well, apparently, one gets sea sick, I learned , not too bad, but was fine once we landed in Nova Scotia) There was food, although not great and also could not pay with an American Express card. A very common internationally used credit card, also an American ferry/ship, and can't use AMEX?? I booked my ticket with AMEX but couldn't buy food on board with it. That's kinda weird. So I'm knocking off the 1/2 star for that. Although I'm giving a full 5 for the review because this was a convenient and quicker way to get to Nova Scotia. And I'd totally do it again.

The CAT Ferry is a car/passenger ferry that navigates between Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova…read moreScotia in about three and a half hours. It's a huge savings in time (and perhaps money, too). If you book early, as we did, you get substantial discounts, and that's worth doing. The ferry leaves from Bar Harbor at 3 p.m. daily and from Yarmouth at 9:30 a.m. Remember to add an hour when going from DST in the states to Atlantic time in NS. The ferry is remarkably comfortable, with this caution: it is made of relatively lightweight construction which can result in more movement than might be expected while crossing the Gulf of Maine. Bottom line: one of our party got sick coming and going, partly because seas were running nearly 7 feet on the return journey, almost high enough to force cancellation. We're happy to report members of the crew are friendly experts at helping those who do have issues, and we found that when we reached shore all the sickness disappeared. It's not a bad idea to take some motion pills before you depart. As mentioned, on board is pretty comfy. There's lots of seats forward and aft (and in the middle), snack bars with modest but kind of pricey sandwiches and pastries, movies, and spaces on seats where passengers can lay down and rest or doze. Bingo games go on, there's decent wi-fi, and weather permitting it's fun to walk the outside decks or watch the ferry's gorgeous churning wake. Loading the cars is quick, unloading not so much. In Yarmouth, it took just about 75 minutes to clear customs in our car because there were only two Canadian border agents around. It was much better coming back to Bar Harbor where three US customs agents moved cars much more quickly.

I do not see a listing for Mariner Cruises but it is here on the island. It takes two short ferry…read morerides to get here and thats half the fun. The boat is big and has a bathroom. It is a lobster boat in the season which ends in April so they outfit this boat with seats and safety stuff for a comfortable ride for the whales. I have been on these whale watching boats before where you get sea sick and don't see a thing. This is different. The currents bring in krill and fish and the whales are here to eat them. We had a mother and calf around the boat for an hour and then saw a really big whale on its back flipping its fins or flukes to get rid of barnacles. Great show. On the way in there was a huge school of porpoise jumping all over the place that lasted another hour. Bring a lunch or water, it may be three to four hours before you get back in. Penny Graham is there to answer questions and tell you what you are seeing. A real pro that makes it worth while.

Chose this tour group for 2 reasons. 1. Came highly recommended from other people who have done the…read moretour with them. 2. They do their research and almost acts as a keeper/tracker of the whales found in the Bay of Fundy. This tour group/research group provided an excellent whale watching tour. Right in Briar Island, they offer tours in the Bay of Fundy. They take the tour very seriously, in that regard, they will sometimes alter the tour times based on the conditions of the water. Once on the tour, I got on the Mega Nova, which is a converted lobster fishing boat, which gladly remains active in the winter, we were welcomed by the experts in Marine wildlife. The captain of the boat, the guides, all very knowledgeable of whale behaviours. The captain got us close as possible and we were blessed with almost a dozen humpback whales in the 3-4 hrs we were at sea. They have a smaller boat, Zodiac, which allows for visitors to get even closer to the whales as it is a much smaller, more agile boat. However, based on their site, it's not always narrated. Also, for the price they charge, it is a great experience to be had! $50 gets you a spot on the boat and ready to witness amazing creatures. If you are looking for good meals, the fair winds cafe not more than 10 meters away from the office, offers great affordable quick meals. Fish burger for $6.50 is what I got and there is a deck just outside for amazing views of the harbour while enjoying your snack. The trip to briar island is also a scenic and interesting one. Having to take 2 ferries to get to them.

Great chance of no whales. Refunds should be issued upon request. It's a long journey out there and…read moremany people can never return. Money grab! Beware.

The plan was to do a combination of both of Greg's tours, but we were strapped on time because we…read morehad to get to the ferry, and Greg was super accommodating of this. We ended up doing a truncated version of the plankton, periwinkles, and predators tour, where we went to the tide pools and learned all about the wildlife there. Greg is a retired high school teacher and he was very engaging and knowledgeable. He had a number of tools and samples for us to play with, and we got to explore on our own as well. He also gave us dulse, a local seaweed that had been dried, to sample, and let me know I could try the seaweed they use in wakame salad if I plucked some off the rocks it was growing on. FYI, both seaweeds were salty, and for good reason. The water is salty. We saw a number of different things including mussels, small shrimp, periwinkles, sea fleas, etc. At just over $10/person for our customized tour, it was so very worth it. I wish we'd had more time to spend here.

If you want to see whales--these guys will deliver!! I don't think that 5 minutes passed after we…read moretook a very quick trip out into the bay, that we were NOT seeing humpbacks! We saw moms and calves, and males showing off with tail slaps and pectoral fin waves/slaps. You literally couldn't ask for a better experience! Clean boat that isn't overcrowded like others--everyone has a clear view of the action. Absolute perfection. We went on an overcast day, first week of September. Read the email they send for super clear directions on how to find them. There is only one "restaurant", and one gas station, on Long Island, so plan ahead for that. :) Say hi to Hank, the adorable mastiff who will collect your tickets once you board!

This was an awesome experience. I went with my wife and 6 year old daughter for the 5pm tour and…read morethe staff were fantastic. We saw a ton of whales including a full breach and a whale that just put on a show for us rolling and waving right beside the boat for several minutes. This is also a smaller company and smaller boat - so there's no more than 20 on the tour - there were less than that on our boat so there's no trouble getting a view. I feel like they went above and beyond to ensure that we got to see as many whales as possible keeping us out for almost 5 full hours. Make sure you bring snacks and make sure you bring warm clothes. Shorts and a t-shirt for a warm day are more than comfortable until you start heading back and the sun has gone down. You'll be thankful to have warm gear at that point.

Dawn and Josh are just awesome. Full of energy and passion about both Nova Scotia and their local…read morebreweries, they were excited to share their knowledge about the area. This was something we were very excited about as well, since it was our first trip to NS and we wanted to drink it all in - literally and figuratively! Their partners are equally as great. We started our tour at Heritage, who had just moved into a larger facility to accommodate their rapidly expanding business. Then, it was off to Tusket Falls, where we had a full tour of the brewery and got a quick lesson on how the beers are made. We wrapped up our evening with a spectacular dinner (more beer for my husband, but wine for me) at Rudders. It was a fantastic evening and the perfect way to top off our trip. Both of us are excited to go back to see what's in store for our next tour! Dawn and Josh - see you soon!

From the owner: We are passionate about sharing the distinctive wines, beers, ciders, spirits & cuisine that comes…read morefrom our region.  From casual visits to craft breweries alongside fresh haddock dinners to exclusive lobster suppers with renowned Nova Scotian wines; We offer flexible tour options to create your perfect experience.