December 1, 2023

Maritime Holiday Gift Guide

Your family and friends will fa-la-fall in love with these Maritime gift options this holiday season.

Sail into 2024 with gifts from the heart of the East Coast. With plenty of local businesses and holiday markets popping up from province to province this time of year, it is the perfect way to give meaningful and creative gifts to your loved ones. From rides at sea to gifts of luxury, we have suggestions for everyone on your Christmas list.

Prince Edward Island

Treat the traveller in your life to the ultimate road trip to PEI at their leisure. The Ferry Pass is always a great option for those looking for a dreamy road trip to explore beautiful beaches, green fields and Island culture. For the foodie in your friend group, treat them to an extra special farm-to-table meal at a restaurant called, you guessed it, The Table. This unique culinary studio offers a new seven-course meal every week. Each meal is based on seasonal, fresh ingredients paired with the Island’s only all-Canadian wine flight.

Is the gift of fine dining and province hopping not enough? Make the holidays extra extravagant with a spa pass for two at Mysa Nordic Spa & Resort, PEI’s first Nordic spa. Nothing rings in a new year like a refreshing dip and massage!

For a more classic gift, check out the world-famous MacAusland’s wool blankets. Your loved ones can bundle up by the tree in one of these soft and stunning hand-made creations. They have a reputation for making high-quality home pieces that any interior decorator would marvel over. Hand-made in PEI since 1932, these cozy creations will be a favourite present for anyone during the Canadian winter months.

If you are looking for artisanal jewellery, shop Garnish Jewellery on Etsy, a fantastic jeweller in Charlottetown. Feeling like spoiling yourself this holiday season? Purchase matching necklaces adorned with stunning little gemstones for you and your bestie for a perfect match. Believe us, there is no better excuse to buy yourself a sparkling piece!

Finally, for the vintage and consignment shopper in your life, consider perusing the isles of Luxury Market Consignment for some rare fashion finds. Here, you’ll find a variety of designer bags, clothes and accessories for the fashionista building their dream wardrobe.

New Brunswick

Rising Tide Gifts: Winter’s Delight Gift Basket

If you’re shopping for the home-sick or want to ensure your gift is 100% local, check out Rising Tide Gifts, based in Saint John, NB. Not only do they stock a variety of beautiful hand-picked objects and treats for every budget, but you can also order gift baskets of goodies that are themed by province. This is the perfect option for those living away who might want a taste of home.

Are you looking for a one-of-a-kind, jaw-dropping option? Shop the jewellery, fine art and crafts from Spicer Merrifield Gallery. If you have someone on your list with refined taste who loves to support up-coming artists and craft-makers, this is the place to shop.

Feeling inspired to make your holiday gifts this season? Good Fibrations in Saint John can help! This fibre arts supply store is full of beautiful hand-dyed yarn, spinning fibre and other tools you need to bring your from-the-heart creations to life. And if you’re not especially crafty, don’t worry! Good Fibrations also has plenty of mittens, hats and other handwoven items to purchase for everyone on your list.

Nova Scotia

Location: Compass Distillers
Photo Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia / Photographer: James Ingram

Do you have a thrill-seeker on your list this year? Have they ever raced through the rapids of the Bay of Fundy? If not, consider gifting them the ultimate adventure experience of Tidal Bore rafting with Fundy Tidal Bore Adventures. This family-owned and operated business in Green Oaks, NS, takes guests out on motor-operated zodiacs as the tides of the Bay of Fundy start to rise. And trust us, they rise quickly — resulting in an exhilarating ride through 30km/h currents and 4-12 foot waves!

Maybe your gift recipient is a more subdued homebody who loves to try new crafts and skills from the comfort of their living room. If so, we highly recommend gifting nautical-themed embroidery from Hook, Line & Tinker. These beautiful crafts are fun to make and become a gorgeous piece of wall decor for your home. If they already have the tools to make embroidery at home, you can give them a series of PDF outlines for their next sea-themed craft!

For the food lover in your life, Nova Scotia has a seemingly endless selection of options to elevate a meal or a drink! For the mixologist, consider Compass Distillers gin, made in Nova Scotia with locally grown botanicals. Not only will this add a special touch to any gin recipe, it will also look beautiful displayed on any bar cart. For the chef in your life, consider Rudi’s Hot Sauce so they can add a little (or a lot) of spice to their favourite recipes. Fish and chips? There is a hot sauce for that. Pretzels? There is a hot sauce for that. BBQ? There is a hot sauce for that! You really can not go wrong with any of their playful flavours! You will find Rudi’s at various farmers’ markets in Nova Scotia, but they also offer a wide variety online.

For those who wind down at the end of a long day, a herbal tea from Sip Café in Yarmouth, NS, would be a delight. Their wide variety of loose tea leaves is the perfect remedy to help with a long winter’s nap.

Explore the East Coast By Ferry

Sea-farers and travellers will love the option of planning a ferry trip at their leisure. A two-nation vacation between Bar Harbor, ME and Yarmouth, NS on The CAT is a thrilling way to experience two countries in one trip. A friend involved in the art scene would love to take MV Fundy Rose for a slow travel moment to Saint John to experience a wide variety of art and music. Maybe you know a family who travels to between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia on Northumberland Ferries every summer, grabbing the islander breakfast onboard along the way and watching for whales in the waves. Either way, gifting ferry travel means you’re spending quality time with loved ones and is there anything better than that? Maybe a close second would be a sea-themed ferry hoodie from the variety of swag options available onboard!

Whatever your gift-giving goals this holiday season, we hope this list sparked some local shopping curiosity and whimsical travel inspiration. Give the gift of lasting memories this holiday season with Northumberland Ferries, Bay Ferries and The CAT.

Book a voyage for you or that lucky someone today. The Ferry Pass can be purchased at the Wood Islands and Caribou ferry terminal.