16 HOURS ABOARD CANADA'S MARINE ATLANTIC FERRY (North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Argentia, Newfoundland)

[@2centschange]

So, pro-tip from a local that's taken this trip: When leaving the harbors, it is going to be rocky (basically until you're no longer surrounded by land). It's just the way the boats are designed and how the water cavetates around it in the harbors themselves. Once you hit open water it gets much smoother. When you're still in harbor though, if you like wildlife, I would suggest finding a window or if the weather permits, head up on deck. Pretty much until you're passed the point acconi lighthouse (or what's left of it, basically, the cliff face on the North Sydney side of the harbor that is the last 'close' part of land), you have a really good chance of seeing otters and other sea life around the boat. The otters, especially like messing around in the wakes of the boat before it really gets up to speed. From when you lose sight of the Cape Breton highlands, until you get to Newfoundland, if you look back towards the wake of the ship in the summer you have a very good chance of seeing Dolphins playing in the churned water and sometimes they'll swim along side. If you're lucky you'll also see the occasional pod of whales. The trick for finding whales is to scan the horrizon to see if you can see any spouts. Once you do, watch the area of the water it came from and if you're lucky the whales might put on a show of breeching and tail slapping.

[@DrifterDave]

Very cool, thanks for the advice. I didn't see much during this September trip, but that's good to know for the summer months.

[@mayfleur36]

Oh my goodness, the food at the Black Spoon Bistro is phenomenal 😊

[@DrifterDave]

Totally agreed! It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's a true local gem. Very hard to locate restaurants like that in such a small town!

[@mayfleur36]

@@DrifterDave had lunch there a few years ago, and the one thing that impressed me the most, was the presentation of the meal. My brother-in-law is a Red Seal chef, and even he’ll say that 90 percent of the meal is the presentation.

[@DrifterDave]

Definitely! I was very impressed 😎

[@shekitka]

Yep Black Spoon is the way to go. And the cabins may be a bit pricey, but I think totally worth it.

[@DrifterDave]

In my twenties, I would have crashed on the hard floor of the deck or in the movie room (where most twentysomething backpackers seemed to congregate). I think once you reach 40, you value comfort over money. So, I totally agree. And you're right, Black Spoon is incredible - my only complaint was the lacklustre service (maybe my waitress was just moody?) but the food was sublime!

[@calvinbungay9164]

I love the ferry ride to Argentia and the new ship is beautiful , food and drinks are very expensive

[@DrifterDave]

I bet! Would love to check out the new ship and see what it's like! I believe it started up about 6 months after I took my journey on the old ferry.

[@2centschange]

So, to explain why the museum closed: It's a non-profit organization that relies on the student employment program to run. The government generally only allows 8-10 weeks for the summer employment of students (starting June) so thats why you see a lot of those smaller things closing. They just don't have the funds to employ people full time. This video, despite being posted only 3 weeks ago, is also out of date as there is now a new ship that does the Argentina run (just started a few weeks ago).

[@DrifterDave]

This video was filmed in September 2023, so that's probably why. That's clearly indicated in the video description. Good to know about the new ship & why so many tourist sights close relatively early in the smaller towns 👍

[@Clay-Dough]

Hey love ur vids❤ my family is actually planning to go on this exact trip😅😅

[@DrifterDave]

Awesome! I hope you have a great time!

[@Clay-Dough]

@@DrifterDave thanks

[@tanyaperrin8844]

I did the same trip recently. Me, my car and a “pod” to sleep in, which had no bathroom or place to sit, but did have a window, cost $500!

[@DrifterDave]

Canadian pricing at its worst! It's a bit shameful, as I can get a cruise to Alaska for about the same price if I plan accordingly (and BC Ferries is about half of the cost of Marine Atlantic, so the "but it's a FERRY!" argument doesn't apply here). I hope you enjoyed the journey, even if your wallet arrived a bit lighter 😂

[@tanyaperrin8844]

@@DrifterDave I console myself by referring to it as a one night cruise rather than an overnight ferry.😂 Sounds so much better!

[@DrifterDave]

Haha that's totally fair!

[@blackice3395]

Dude, great fucking video! But I do hate it was short😂 My wife and and myself are planning to go that way next year on my motorcycle. Have a question ( and if I think of something else please bear with me) if I'm not able to get a cabin do you think the passenger chairs/seats will be comfortable for that 16-hour ride? And since we are coming from the US riding the motorcycle do they provide blankets and pillows on the ship? Thank you

[@DrifterDave]

If you book in advance, you should be able to get a cabin! Or get yourself on the waitlist as soon as they're sold out and you'll be highest priority if someone cancels. Some people I saw were using the airplane-style seats (definitely not ideal) but others were inflating air mattresses in the aisles and other spaces around the movie theatre (which seemed to work best). I believe you could also sleep in other open areas around the ship, as long as you run it by the crew. Not sure if you could sleep outdoors, though, as it's a pretty chilly and damp route. Regarding pillows and blankets, they only provide these in the cabins (all are hotel room or cruise ship style). If you're bunking without a cabin, I'd suggest hitting up the local thrift store in North Sydney or the local Walmart, and bringing these onto the ship with you. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! Glad you're considering this journey!

[@blackice3395]

@@DrifterDave thank you 😊

[@2centschange]

I live in North Sydney and once upon a time me and my friends would do a yearly 'day cruise' which is when you do the port aux basque run over and back on the same ship for about $80. We never bothered with cabins and the chairs are in fact comfy. All the boats have a front 'tv' cabin with rows of recliners that often get used for naps or sleeping. However, a few weeks ago they just started using a new boat for the Argentia run which is larger and has a lot more cabins (including a lot more pet-friendly areas), so you shouldn't have an issue getting a cabin now. As for sleeping outside, they don't allow sleeping on the floors, and as the OP mentioned, outside gets pretty cold and wet, as well as windy. Back when they were still using the caribeau and its sister ship, there was actually a front area on the deck you could go, but during crossing it was a fight against the wind to get up there even on a nice day.

[@blackice3395]

@@2centschange thank you. How is it living in North Sydney?

[@blackice3395]

@@nathangeestudios6644 thank you. I pray I won't need any medical assistance while visiting. We are planning for the month in June and I'm hopeful to see some wales. Thank you for your help. I can't wait!!! One more thing, I hear it's a huge bike rally in North Sydney each year. Should I plan my trip to Newfoundland to attend the rally?

[@ianpilkington2037]

3:00 The tag on that car, now THAT'S a road trip! 😅

[@DrifterDave]

@@ianpilkington2037 Quite the drive from Vegas to North Sydney 😅

[@NathanWalsh-p9y]

Im a local i actully seen the road i live on in north Sydney i was shocked to see this video im glad you had a good experience but i wouldn't say its the best place to have a vacation everything here is over priced

[@DrifterDave]

Thanks for your candid opinion! It's definitely expensive, but I've grown used to this as a Canadian. Prices out there are a bit lower than here in Alberta, I'd say, but it's still a bit expensive. Thankfully my AirBNB in North Sydney was only $65 - a steal by today's standards!

[@rchvbz]

Your Airbnb host is a huge slumlord around Sydney. He has treated new comers like they were subhumans. I’m surprised but glad you had a positive experience with him.

[@DrifterDave]

Are you sure it's the same person? He and his wife were incredibly kind to me, and it didn't seem that he had any sort of widespread rental business. Just a couple rooms in his AirBNB. I definitely had a positive experience & the house was beautiful and comfortable 👍

[@rchvbz]

@@DrifterDave I am very sure unfortunately. Thank you for showcasing Sydney though! The videos were nice to watch. If you ever come back, I suggest checking out the Cabot Trail. ☺️

[@DrifterDave]

I did the Cabot Trail back in 2011, but was plagued with horrible rain the entire time - definitely on my "need to return to" bucket list! Thanks for your kind words & I'm glad you're enjoying this Maritimes series!

[@nameistaken]

The guy lives near me and I can't say I've ever seen anything like that from him. Seems to be nothing but welcoming to people of all colors and creeds

[@DrifterDave]

@@nameistaken He definitely seemed like a stand up fellow. He and his wife went out of their way to welcome me and offer rides to help me out. Very kind people from my experience.

[@jrherita]

If you bring a car on this ferry - are you allowed to access your car, or do you have to stay away from the parking area?

[@DrifterDave]

You're not allowed to access the vehicle decks after the ferry departs, unfortunately. You can get organized and get what you need during the boarding and parking processes, though - they don't clear you out until shortly before the ferry pulls out of dock.

[@jrherita]

@@DrifterDave awesome thank you for the info and for this video!!

[@LeonardHiggins-q1z]

Come back to cape Breton more great spots 👍🏼

[@DrifterDave]

I would love to do a more fulsome tour at some point! Maybe next summer? It's relatively hard to get any sponsorships in that region as the tourism board is tiny, so I might need to save up my pennies (lol) - it's not cheap out there! But I'd love to do some serious exploring out that way.

[@johngawrylash7732]

Is this on the newest ship of their fleet that was delayed for a month? Is this a rougher ride than the short ferry ?

[@DrifterDave]

I believe it's the same ship! As for the rougher ride, I'd say that's a given, as the route to Argentia enters the open ocean (and you can definitely feel the sway) compared to the relatively sheltered Port-aux-Basques crossing.

[@johngawrylash7732]

@@DrifterDave thank you I was on the shorter trip in June , reserved seat on the way there , cabin on the way back . Worth getting the cabin for the overnighter.

[@DrifterDave]

I could see that! My cabin was extortionate but I know that I wouldn't have been able to function the next day without one. I was also healing from a major neck injury at the time, so I really wanted something comfortable to rest up! In the future, I think I'd try to bring an air mattress and set it up in the theatre area - seemed to be a common theme among some passengers.

[@mikepech6822]

No discount when they know you're only going to use one bed??? Hell, I'd have slept on all of them a few hours at a time. What the hell, you paid for them, may as well use what you paid for.

[@DrifterDave]

@@mikepech6822 Not a cent! They don’t care if you’re highlighting them in a video or advertising their services - they don’t do partnerships or discounts. They know they have a monopoly, so they don’t need some travel vlogger helping them along 😅 People are going to pay up, even if the service is complete 💩 Definitely overpriced cabins - I wish they used the Finland/Sweden or Greenland model and sold them by the bed. That was an expensive ride. Thankfully, this video should help pay down the steep price 👌

[@DrifterDave]

@@nathangeestudios6644 lol … go seek counselling bud. Your anger has gotten the best of you. I was there to review the ferry crossing as it’s a major company in the transportation sector in the Maritimes. Get help 🙏 PS - reported and banned 😀