Start your journey with an introduction to the port of Sydney and a panoramic drive through the historic North End. Once acquainted with the area, step back in time to 1744 and experience the Fortress of Louisbourg—the largest fortified town outside of Europe. Louisbourg was once a thriving seaport and capital of Île Royale (Cape Breton Island). —the third busiest harbour in North America and one of France's key centers of trade and military strength in the New World. Situated along a rocky Atlantic coastline, the site now serves as an exciting and entertaining lesson in Canadian, American, French and British history. You’ll see a selection of buildings and exhibits as costumed actors reenact the lives of specific individuals residing here during the pre-siege era.

Experience the life of a military officer as you visit the home of Captain and Madame DeGannes. Discuss household duties with the servant in the Engineer’s Residence and discover some tip and tricks for open-hearth cooking (which every domestic cook needs to know); then wander up to the spectacular chapel in the King’s Bastion. If you’re interested, stop and talk to a soldier about his guard duty, living conditions, security and (most interestingly) diet.

OVERVIEW

Meander through the charming streets of Sydney and discover much about its early history through an array of monuments and architectural gems. Your walking tour will begin at Wentworth Park, an urban greenspace created shortly after Britain’s Lord Sydney founded the town in 1785. Outdoor monuments nearby include one dedicated to the sailors who served Canada in the merchant navy during the world wars and the Big Fiddle, an oversized steel musical instrument that pays tribute to the folk music of the province’s Celtic community. The creativity of the local artisans will be on display at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design, where you may see jewelers, weavers, dyers and glassblowers working on new pieces. While browsing Jost House, Sydney’s oldest original wooden building, be sure to notice the more unusual furnishings such as the beehive bake oven. St. George’s Anglican is notable for being the island’s oldest church.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk through Sydney’s historical downtown, which dates to the late 1700s.
• View a monument to Canada’s merchant navy and another that celebrates Celtic folk music.
• Visit the island’s oldest church and see the unusual tombstones in the graveyard.
• Purchase fine crafts by local artisans in an acclaimed design center, if you wish.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Sydney, many of them iconic attractions that define the city. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie expert guide will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Your pictures will be ideal for posting on social media and sharing in other ways.

As you walk and ride through Sydney, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:
• Wentworth Park
• Sydney sign
• Cape Breton Centre
• Merchant Mariner monument
• Waterfront boardwalk
• Saint George’s Anglican Church
• A Land of Our Own statue
• Big Fiddle statue

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies at the most photogenic attractions in Sydney.
• Follow tips from your selfie expert guide to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Pose before the world’s largest fiddle, a 60-foot-high solid-steel musical instrument.
• Walk through a lush park and along a boardwalk with the sea as a backdrop.
• See works from local artisans at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design.
• Behold a late 18th-century stone Anglican church built in the Gothic Revival style.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Sample a beer in three downtown pubs, all of them offering a selection of local brews and imported favorites from Ireland and England. After walking from the pier, you will soon reach the newly established Island Folk Cider House, Cape Breton’s first locally owned and operated craft cidery. Whether your predilections are tilted towards the unusual, or you prefer the familiar and steadfast, they've got something you'll love! Ciders are proudly brewed with 100% Nova Scotia apples, never from concentrate, never artificial, only local, quality goodness! During your visit enjoy a guided production tour and enjoy a sample flight of fresh ciders. Your second stop will be the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse, offering nearly two dozen different brews, ranging from Guinness Irish Stout to an India Pale Ale known simply as Keith’s. The Old Triangle also serves several local beers such as Breton Brewing’s Sons of Hector dark brown ale and Big Spruce’s Kitchen Party Pale Ale.. Whichever beer you choose to sample, you can be sure that the atmosphere will be inviting as you mingle among the locals. It’s only natural that this pub tour begins at an Irish alehouse, as Sydney has deep Celtic roots. The city’s iconic, 50-foot-high Celtic fiddle at the cruise terminal honors that history. Then it’s on to Daniel’s Restaurant & Bar, home to cold brews, great food and good times. Enjoy a beer from a selection of Nova Scotia brews, or perhaps something that reminds you of home. Afterwards, you will walk back to the pier or you may remain in town and return to your ship at leisure, if you prefer.

OVERVIEW

Meander through the charming streets of Sydney, discovering much about its early history and residents by touring several architectural gems. A guide in period costume will accompany you through town, which was founded in 1785 around coal mining. By the early 20th century, Sydney was home to one of the world’s largest steel plants. Although neither business is operating today, you will see some of the most significant buildings from the boom years, including St. Patrick’s, a 19th-century Roman Catholic Church that is now a museum. In the North End, you will visit Sydney’s oldest wooden building and then the Cossit House, a colonial-style house built in 1787 for Reverend Ranna Cossit, whose wife died there while giving birth to their 13th child. Later, visit the historic BMO building and enjoy a snack of oatcakes and tea.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

“Ciad Mile Failte” - a hundred thousand welcomes await you! Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland and nowhere is this more evident than on Cape Breton Island. This picturesque excursion takes you to the very heart of the island. You’ll see some of the Island's most dynamic scenery, weaving a route through rugged countryside, touching the shores of the famous Bras d'Or Lakes. Known as the "Great Inland Sea", as the lakes are salt water, this region is a major breeding ground for bald eagles and other wildlife.

As your tour progresses, you'll stop at the center of Cape Breton Island, Hectors' Point, Iona and visit the Nova Scotia Highland Village, a 50 acre historical site overlooking the Bras d'Or Lakes. Take a journey through 180 years of Cape Breton’s Scottish architecture, hosted by costumed staff, trained in conversational Gaelic and local history. Here, you’ll view a full size replica of a Scottish Blackhouse, a one room structure occupied by the first Scottish settlers in the region and the only one of its kind in North America. A hilltop panoramic view offers a beautiful blend of land, sky and water. Enjoy tea or coffee and oatcakes before returning to your ship.

OVERVIEW

Savor some of Sydney’s most characteristic foods and beverages and gain historical insight into the town while walking between venues. While sampling a selection of locally brewed craft beers, you will learn about the brewing process step by step and how it affects the taste of the IPAs, porters lagers and other beers. The exact ones chosen for the sampling will depend on what’s freshest and seasonal, but you can be sure that they will reflect the locally sourced ingredients. You will also be served some of Sydney’s most popular and representative foods, including mussels. These bi-valves are native to Atlantic Canada and grow naturally in the wild, although they are also farmed. The taste will depend on the species of mussel, whether harvested from the sea or from freshwater and how they are prepared. The possibilities are almost endless, which will make this culinary experience all the more rewarding.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Taste a selection of locally brewed craft beers in a downtown brewery.
• Sample a variety of characteristic local foods, including succulent mussels.
• Receive a recipe for one of the dishes so you can prepare it later at home.
• Learn a bit about Sydney’s history while passing key landmarks downtown.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Experience the rich Scottish heritage of Cape Breton Island with a visit to the Nova Scotia Highland Village and the village of Baddeck. Travel to Iona and immerse yourself in the Scottish pioneer culture at this living history museum located on a hillside overlooking the Bras d'Or Lake. Featuring a journey through 180 years of Cape Breton architecture, step back in time as the site’s costumed staff provide meaningful commentary. Each structure, from the simple one room Scottish Blackhouse to the more advanced, multistoried colonial homes, are filled with furniture and interesting artifacts.

Your next destination is the seaside community of Baddeck, home of Alexander Graham Bell. Nestled along the shoreline of the Bras d'Or Lake, this picturesque village features plenty of interesting gift shops and cozy cafes. You’ll be served a buffet lunch at a resort hotel and then enjoy leisure time strolling the main street while window shopping or perhaps relaxing for a bit while watching the pleasure boats ply the calm waters of the lake. You’ll tour the Alexander Graham Bell Museum prior to your scenic drive back to Sydney.

Travel to the picturesque little village of Baddeck situated on the shores of the beautiful Bras d'Or Lakes in the heart of Cape Breton Island. This is where Alexander Graham Bell spent most of the last 37 years of his life. Visit his museum which does full justice to the outstanding accomplishments of the man best known for the invention of the telephone and remarkable contributions in the fields of medicine, genetics, electricity, sound and speech, as well as aeronautics and marine engineering.

The museum itself is architecturally striking, as its design is based on the tetrahedron form Bell used for his flight test kites and houses the most extensive collection of artifacts contributed by his family. Enjoy the views of Boulanderie Island, Seal Island Bridge, Kelly's Mountain and St. Ann's Bay during the return drive to your ship.

Experience the Cabot Trail as you drive along a small portion of the Atlantic shore from the port of Sydney to Ingonish. You'll view some of the most dramatic and pristine scenery in North America including spruce covered mountains, tranquil rivers and ocean beaches.

This tour reveals vistas that inspired Alexander Graham Bell to observe, "I have traveled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes and the Alps and the highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all." Picture stops along the way will help you remember some of the most dramatic and unspoiled scenery you experienced while on Cape Breton Island. Enjoy a buffet style lunch along the Cabot Trail before returning to your ship.

Board your motor coach to explore Sydney, the largest community and commercial center of Cape Breton Island. Begin your tour in the historic north end settled in 1785 by British Loyalists from the New England colonies and pass by Victoria Park, the site of the original garrison camp. Continue to the First Nations community of Membertou where you’ll celebrate the heritage, culture and unique history of these people through educational and interactive experiences.

Your tour guide and/or Elders of Membertou will encourage you to experience their story, learn Mi’kmaq dance and drum as they provide a hands on demonstration. Sample traditional Mi’kmaq food and, or treat as you learn about the history of their food. Enjoy a walk in their garden area and visit Petroglyphs Gift Shop featuring arts and crafts from the Mi’kmaq Nation and other First Nations across Atlantic Canada.

You’ll then proceed to Whitney Pier, the former site of Sydney Steel Mill which dates back to 1900. Visit the Historical Museum and learn about the importance the Sydney Coal Fields have on the local economy. These industries brought immigrants from many parts of the world resulting in multicultural mix of more than 50 ethnic backgrounds. You’ll then board your coach returning to the ship along the waterfront.