Established in 1785, Saint John, New Brunswick is Canada's oldest incorporated city.
The city is located on the Bay of Fundy and is well-known for its historic uptown, cultural
attractions, and natural wonders.
In this video, we’ll provide an overview of our August 2023 visit to Saint John, when
our ship, the Carnival Venezia, docked at the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal and we spent
a few hours taking in the sights and tasting various Canadian foods.
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It’s important to not confuse Saint John, New Brunswick with Saint John’s, Newfoundland,
which is located roughly 650 miles – or about 1000 kilometers – to the northeast,
in a different time zone.
In addition to having similar names, both cities are cruise ports and both experienced
a devastating “Great Fire” in the late 1800s.
It’s also worth noting that everything we visited as part of the walking tour we put
together was located within walking distance of all three Saint John cruise terminals.
We’ve linked to a copy of our walking tour in the description below this video.
After our ship docked at the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal, we disembarked into the
cruise terminal building.
Helpful information was available throughout the terminal building, including clocks that
reminded us the city was located in the Atlantic time zone, which was one hour ahead of the
Eastern time zone.
The meeting point for ship-sponsored shore excursions was located inside the building
and there were also independent tour operators selling excursions nearby.
Additionally, the cruise terminal building had restrooms,
free WiFi,
and an information booth that was staffed by friendly locals who welcomed passengers
with maple candy, Canadian flags, and maps of the area.
The main exit for the cruise terminal building was situated adjacent to the Area 506 Waterfront
Container Village.
The village was constructed from repurposed shipping containers and featured a diverse
collection of shops, food stalls, performance space, and public art.
The village wasn’t open when we arrived at 8:20 AM, so we continued walking north
along Water Street with the water on our left and the city on our right to start our walking tour.
As we walked along Water Street, large panels next to the sidewalk provided information
about the history of Saint John.
We soon came to a public city bus that was offering two-hour tours of the area.
The city’s tours were only available when cruise ships were in port.
About five minutes after leaving the cruise terminal, we came to the intersection with
King Street, which was said to be the shortest and steepest main street in Canada.
Several attractions on our list were located at the top of the King Street hill, so we
used the city’s pedway system to avoid the steep walk uphill.
The pedway system was a series of indoor escalators, elevators, and walkways that connected the
Waterfront and Uptown Saint John.
To access the pedway, we entered Market Square, took the escalator up to the second floor,
and followed the signs toward the Skywalk to City Hall.
Maps located along the pedway helped us make sure we were headed in the right direction.
When we arrived at City Hall, we found the “People Waiting Sculptures,” which were
originally created in 1975.
The locally iconic art pieces were restored and moved in June 2023 and made for some fun
photo ops.
Continuing along the pedway, we soon arrived at Tim Hortons, a very popular Canadian fast
food chain known for its signature coffee and donuts.
I tried a London Fog, which was invented in Vancouver, Canada and consisted of hot Earl
Grey tea, steamed milk, and sweetener.
DaddyBean tried an Iced Capp.
And GrandpaBean ordered a large black coffee.
We all enjoyed our drinks and snacks, including our JellyBean, who was a big fan of the bite-sized
Timbits she ordered.
We used a credit card for all of our purchases in port, so we didn’t have to exchange any currency.
At Tim Hortons, we spent 15.92 Canadian or 11.85 US.
After finishing our quick bite, we continued along the pedway into Brunswick Square, a
large shopping mall and office complex.
In addition to stopping for a bathroom break, we also stopped at Lawtons Drugs and spent
46.39 Canadian or 34.52 US purchasing a bunch of Canadian snacks to try with friends and
family back home.
We then continued a short distance along the pedway to the Saint John City Market, which
was located across the street from Brunswick Square.
The market, which is a designated historic site, dates back to the 1870s and has been
in continuous use since its construction.
The market was a full city block in length and gradually sloped from one end to the other
due to the city’s natural topography.
Inside the market, there were many vendors selling local produce, meats, seafood, and
crafts which made it a great way to try more Canadian foods.
The first food we sampled at the market was dulse, which is a red seaweed found in the
eastern parts of Canada.
It had a salty ocean, fishy flavor that none of us cared for, but JellyBean loves telling
the story of the taste test.
We then tried a butter tart and lemon tart from nearby Jeremiah’s Deli.
Butter Tarts are a quintessential Canadian dessert that taste similar to a pecan pie
without the pecans.
Although tarts were not listed on the deli’s menu, we simply talked to the helpful staff
to purchase them.
The two tarts cost a total of 5.00 Canadian or 3.72 US and we all thought both tarts were delicious!
Our last stop in the market was North Market Seafood, where we tried a free sample of
Candied Salmon.
GrandpaBean was a big fan and DaddyBean and I also enjoyed it.
JellyBean was a bit less enthusiastic.
We left the market through the Charlotte Street exit at the top of the incline and crossed
the street to King’s Square.
The square’s historic bandstand was constructed in 1908 and later restored in 2013.
It was the gathering location for many local events and the surrounding park was a nice
spot for a relaxing break.
From King’s Square, we walked downhill along King Street toward the harbor, then turned
left onto Germain Street.
About halfway down the block, we found the Sea Stories mural, which was described as
a vision of the undersea when nobody’s looking.
The large mural was one of many public art pieces featured in the “Art in Public Places”
self-guided walking tour we’ve linked in the description below this video.
We returned to King Street and again walked toward the harbor until we reached Freak Lunchbox,
a popular Canadian candy retailer that sold unusual candy, snacks, and drinks from around
the world.
Continuing toward the harbor, we turned left onto Prince William Street and stopped at
the Saint John Police Museum.
Staffed by volunteers with connections to the police force, the museum was a showcase
for the rich history of one of North America’s oldest police forces.
While admission was free, donations were appreciated.
We continued to the next block of Prince William Street and stopped into Uptown Pub Down Under
for some local food.
We ordered a Caesar, which is Canada’s national cocktail;
deep-fried pepperoni, which surprisingly tasted more like Polish kielbasa;
traditional poutine, which we learned was not pronounced “poo-teen” in Saint John;
fish and chips;
and lobster rolls.
We enjoyed all of the food and our total bill before tip was 55.00 Canadian or 40.93 US.
After our meal, we stopped at the nearby JavaMoose for some coffee.
Intrigued by the order of the woman ahead of me, I opted for a Sweetened Iced Coffee
with Vanilla Cold Foam.
Not only was it one of the best coffees I’ve ever had, but the drink was freshly made – and
canned – right before my eyes!
The drink cost 4.95 Canadian or 3.69 US.
Coffee in hand, we crossed the street and continued down Jardine’s Alley to Water
Street and back to the Waterfront Container Village.
The village had a number of food trucks and stands serving Canadian specialties for those
who preferred to stay closer to the ship.
It's worth noting that the convenience of being closer to the ship came with slightly
higher prices compared to the more distant venues we visited.
Before heading back to the ship, we tried one more classic Canadian food: a beavertail.
We ordered a cinnamon sugar version of the deep-fried pastry for 7.48 Canadian or 5.57 US.
We all thought it was very delicious!
Now, some tips to help you plan your day in Saint John, New Brunswick.
First and foremost, wear comfortable footwear.
The area near the cruise terminals is known as uptown for good reason: you’ll have to
walk up from the waterfront to go anywhere.
Second, consider capturing the essence of Saint John’s tides.
Start by taking a photo of your ship when you disembark, then take the same photo again
before you reboard.
The tides in Saint John are influenced by the Bay of Fundy, which is famous for having
the world’s highest tides and you’ll likely see quite a difference between your two photos.
Third, check the Port Saint John website, which we’ve linked in the description below
this video, to know where your cruise ship is scheduled to dock, so you can plan your
day accordingly.
Fourth, remember that Saint John is on Atlantic time if you’re pre-booking independent excursions.
Your ship’s time might not change to local time, which could impact your reservations.
Additionally, we recommend traveling with a watch set to your ship’s time to make
sure you return before all aboard, since your cell phone might automatically update to local time.
Finally, if you want to add some historical sites to your visit, the Discover Saint John
website offers a number of free, self-guided walking tours that align well with our walking tour.
During a previous cruise to the city, we had a great time using the Discover Saint John
walking tours to explore the area’s history.