Twillingate Adventures: Cliffs, cod and community

An early morning alarm on the ship usually means a hurried breakfast and a scramble for the excursion group, but our tender into Twillingate pier at 8:30 am turned into an unforgettable experience of Canadian hospitality.

Before I could even take in the harbour, emergency struck—let’s just say cruise ships and morning routines don’t always align seamlessly. Enter Grant, one of the local organisers. Seeing my distress, he immediately ushered me into his personal car and drove me straight to his house so I could use his bathroom. That single act of kindness set the tone for the entire day: down-to-earth, unspeakably generous, and completely welcoming.

Back at the pier, the air was filled with lively, rhythmic tunes. A local singer and guitarist, Mike Sixonate, was set up to greet incoming passengers with acoustic songs that felt right at home with traditional Irish folk music. We chatted between sets, and he handed me one of his CDs—a true local treasure that I promised to mention back home.

Nearby, I met Heidi, a needle-felting artist originally from Hamilton, Ontario. She loves Twillingate so much that she owns a place there, flying from Toronto into Gander regularly and sometimes just to do craft demonstrations and welcome travellers.

Scaling the Cliffs at Long Point

Once our group gathered, our local bus driver, Barry, navigated us up the winding coastal roads to the trailhead by the iconic Long Point Lighthouse.

What followed was a dramatic 6 km coastal hike called the Horney Head Trail. The trail hugged rugged sea cliffs with steep, heart-pumping climbs and treacherous drops down to the icy Atlantic. The views along the jagged shoreline were stunning, making every breathless ascent worth the effort. We had opportunity to go down to a cave on the beach, with a chance for a breather before continuing our journey.

Thankfully , our whole group made it to the end unscathed, where Barry was waiting on the bus to take us back towards town.

Once we’d got off the bus, next stop was the historic Masonic Lodge for a legendary rite of passage: the Newfoundland Screech-In. To our surprise, the main speaker running the ceremony was none other than Grant—my bathroom saviour from earlier in the morning!

Kissing the Cod: Becoming Honorary Newfoundlanders

To officially become honorary Newfoundlanders, we had to complete four mandatory tasks:

1. Recite the Sacred Phrase: We had to reply to the prompt with a hearty, “Deed I is, me old cock, and long may your big jib draw!” (Translation: “Indeed I am, my friend, and may your sails catch the wind!”).

2. Eat the “Newfoundland Steak”: A thick slice of bolony.

3. Pucker Up: Kiss a very real, very frozen codfish right on the lips.

4. Take the Shot: Down a full measure of Screech—a fiery 40% ABV Jamaican rum bottled locally.

Because this was the MS Roald Amundsen’s inaugural visit to Twillingate, our ship’s captain exchanged an official ship plaque with the community, who presented a custom painting in return.

Afterwards, we sat down over local beers with Grant. It turns out he wears nearly every hat in town—port security, recreation coordinator, and he can even carry out the ceremony when people want to get married. We were also treated to an exclusive tour upstairs into the lodge meeting room by Doug, the Master. He walked us through the hierarchy of the lodge and explained how he reached the highest status in that lodge, pointing out the traditional blue décor that mirrors English Masonic lodges.

Mummers, Crafts, and Fresh Cod

Before heading back to the tender, we explored Scot’s Pencil Art Studio, a charming shop packed with detailed pencil drawings and handcrafted keepsakes.

I was particularly drawn to a set of unique Christmas tree decorations made from sand and glue, depicting mummering. Mummering is an ancient, playful Christmas folk tradition of Twillingate where locals dress up in bizarre, face-obscuring disguises and visit their neighbours’ homes. The hosts serve food and drink while challenging themselves to guess their identities; once guessed correctly, the identity of the person is revealed and the party continues.

We topped off the day with a late lunch of fresh, crispy local cod and chips—quite possibly the best meal of the trip—before boarding the tender back to the ship.

Twillingate delivered spectacular landscapes, but it’s the warmth, humour, and endless generosity of its people that made this one of the absolute best days of the expedition.

Back on the ship, the Aune restaurant had turned its daily offerings to all things seafood. It was a fabulous spread and a perfect end to the day.