The 14 night New England/Canada cruise we just took was awesome! Here are some notes about each destination. We cruised on the Celebrity Summit but other cruise lines (Carnival, Holland America, Princess, Disney, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn) do this or similar trips as well and most visit the same destinations.
We departed Cape Liberty in Bayonne New Jersey and did a 180 degree trip around the Statue of Liberty taking in the scenic Manhattan skyline as we departed New York.
By the way, we departed Sept 6th which was the first of only 3 cruises this ship does on this itinerary. The Fall New England/Canada cruise season is short, so you need to book your cruise early.
Our ship’s Ports of Call were Cape Liberty, Bayonne New Jersey, Boston, Portland Maine, Bar Harbor Maine, Halifax and Sidney Nova Scotia, Charlottetown P.E.I. and an overnight in Quebec City, Quebec. It is a great way to see this part of the world and each port was interesting, unique and fun.
So much history starting with the first stop in Boston. We did the excursion for Salem and toured the Witch Trial Museum which I had wanted to do for some time. We stopped at the Salem Witch Trial memorial next to a cemetery. Very interesting story. But Boston has tons of things to do and see, a lot of which we did last year at the AARP convention there. Researching what to do is part of the fun.
New stop was Portland Maine. What a wonderful port! We docked right there next to the historic Old Port which was easy to walk to. There are cobblestone streets so be aware of that. Portland Maine is a foodie town. We visited the Wednesday Farmers type Market and had chowder and a sandwich for lunch. Just walking around and then getting something to eat is nice. We happened upon the Wadsworth-Longfellow House museum and took an interesting tour. No need to buy an excursion in Portland.
In Bar Harbor we took the Maine Foodie Tour which I found out about on TripAdvisor and booked online. They do Portland ME also. We have taken a couple of foodie tours before and loved them. We met the Maine Foodie Tour guide under the clock in middle of Bar Harbor along with about 10 others and did a 2.5 hour walking tour visiting 5 restaurants for different tastes and courses. We started with coffee and pastry, then a lobster roll, crab cake, a beer and duck fat fries at a bar, and the olive oil/vinegar store. Everyone on the tour was friendly and having a good time just like us. Highly recommended tour for Bar Harbor or Portland.
Two days at sea traveling up the coast, then making the turn and going down the Saint Lawrence Seaway to Quebec City was relaxing and a good break. Professor George McCue gave lectures about the history of each city including Quebec City. How it was captured by the British from France is an interesting story that we got to hear more about and see for ourselves in our stop in Quebec City. The ship’s shuttle bus (free) took us from the port to the old city in Quebec City and we walked around visiting the shops and took the vernacular up to the Frontenac (the most photographed hotel in the world and a spectacular sight!). It was quite windy up there! We visited the Musée de la place Royale which was just a short walk and this museum presents the history of New France and Place Royale through that of its inhabitants, from Samuel de Champlain to today. We took their walking tour which was excellent and I highly recommend. Cost was only like $8 for seniors.
In Charlottetown P.E.I. we docked right in this quaint town and took the ship’s walking tour but you can easily do it on your own also. Be sure to get some world famous Cows ice cream.
In Halifax we discovered the wonderful Waterfront Boardwalk takes takes you along the waterfront. Just go out of the cruise terminal and there it is. Go right. In about a 20 minute walk we came to the Maritime Museum. It is worth a visit. Then a little further on the boardwalk we came to Murphy’s restaurant and had lunch on the pier. Very nice day!
The only stop we didn’t find much to do was in Sidney N.S. We talked with fellow passengers in the visitors center while using the free wi-fi. One good thing about this cruise was the free wi-fi in every port. But we did have a nice little walk around town.
Ken Mills the cruise director had some excellent entertainers for us on board. Between the entertainment and the interesting ports, time just flew by. I am glad we did the New England/Canada cruise and would recommend it.