Last year we stayed at the Residence Inn Weehawken which is right by the ferry pier. Good hotel - I recommend it. The ferry is easy to use and is a scenic way to arrive in NYC. It is about 3/4 mile away from the Disney terminal though. We boarded our ship right by the USS Intrepid if you want to Google Map it to see the distance between the ferry pier and the
DCL pier.
As far as things to do, you can take my advice with a grain of salt because I didn't actually go on that trip. I was CONVINCED that DCL was going to switch our Bermuda cruise to a Canada cruise due to a hurricane but they didn't. Here's what I had researched. We had planned to rent a car in each port. My Bar Harbor info is slight because husband and I had been there on a land-based trip and had already done Acadia, etc.
Halifax: Things to do.
Peggy’s Cove: Lighthouse, granite shores (free)
Peggys Point Rd, Peggys Cove, NS B3Z 3S1, Canada
https://www.harbourhopper.com/shore-excursions - $120 for a duck boat/Harbour Hopper tour
5050 Salter St, Halifax, NS B3J 1T3, Canada
Fairview Lawn Cemetery – Titanic victims buried (free)
3720 Windsor St, Halifax, NS B3J 3A5, Canada
Public Gardens – authentic Victorian garden – free
5771 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS, Canada
Citadel Hill – historic site with panoramic view - $15 for 4 people to go inside
5425 Sackville St, Halifax, NS B3J 3Y3, Canada
Car rentals: w/in walking distance of port in order of closeness: (GET GPS w/ CAR)
Hertz: 1099 Marginal Rd SUITE 104, Halifax, NS B3H 4P7, Canada
Dollar/Thrifty: 1181 Hollis St, Halifax, NS B3H 2P6, Canada
Enterprise/National/Alamo: 1161 Hollis St, Halifax, NS B3H 2P6, Canada
St. John: Things to do.
Budget/Avis: only car rental w/in walking distance (GET GPS w/ CAR)
4 Water St, Saint John, NB E2L 2A5, Canada
Reversing Falls Lookout Point (see @ high and low tide, 8 min. drive from car rental)
(other side of bridge, 200 Bridge Rd, Saint John, NB E2M 7W7, Canada)
Tide tables:
https://www.tideschart.com/Canada/New-Brunswick/Saint-John-County/Reversing-Falls/Weekly/
Drive to Big Salmon River Suspension Bridge, stopping on the way at St. Martin Sea Caves and Fuller Falls (1.25
hour drive w/out stopping from St. John to Big Salmon)
Sea caves: 82 Big Salmon River Rd, Bay View, NB E5R 1J7, Canada
Fuller Falls: Fundy Trail Pkwy, Salmon River, NB E5R 0B3, Canada, or try 9GXW+JW Little Beach, Saint Martins, NB, Canada or try 45.399522, -65.452406 (or if no GPS, drive 20 min total NE on Big Salmon, R on Little Beach, turns into Melvin Beach, turns into Fundy Trail Parkway)
Suspension Bridge: drive 10 more min NE on Fundy Trail Parkway
Fastest way back is to go back the way we came.
Bar Harbor:
LuLu’s Lobster Boat tour
Walk to Bar Island – must leave 1.5 hours before low tide and get back 1.5 hours after low tide