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Best Canada/New England cruise


sandwish
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I have been doing much research, including on cruise critic. Maybe too much;p!!! We want to take a Canada/New England cruise this next fall. We have been on several cruises and usually pick the cruise according to itinerary and price. Right now I'm stuck. Is it better to begin in Montreal or Quebec? Holland has a cruise out of Montreal which cruises the St Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec. Princess and others start in Quebec. Is it a beautiful cruising experience between Montreal and Quebec? Also, this Princess cruise stops in Saquena but not in Charlottetown. Other cruises don't stop in Saquena but do stop in Charlottetown. Any preferences from those who have been to these places? Thanks!

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I have been doing much research, including on cruise critic. Maybe too much;p!!! We want to take a Canada/New England cruise this next fall. We have been on several cruises and usually pick the cruise according to itinerary and price. Right now I'm stuck. Is it better to begin in Montreal or Quebec? Holland has a cruise out of Montreal which cruises the St Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec. Princess and others start in Quebec. Is it a beautiful cruising experience between Montreal and Quebec? Also, this Princess cruise stops in Saquena but not in Charlottetown. Other cruises don't stop in Saquena but do stop in Charlottetown. Any preferences from those who have been to these places? Thanks!

I'm booked on the Snowbird cruise Oct 2019 with RCI on Adventure it leaves from Quebec and ends up in Fort Lauderdale. We recently (Oct 2017) did the RCI Anthem New England out of Cape Liberty this was a great itinerary but really looking forward to the Snowbird cruise...maybe something to consider with all those great ports.

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OK my geography isn't so good, but isn't Montreal part of Quebec? Are there 2 different ports in Quebec? Just looking for future reference as I'm booked on a NE/Canada cruise out of Boston.

Hi! I was referring to the cities- Montreal and Quebec City. Smaller ships can dock in Montreal. Was just wondering what river is like between Montreal and Quebec City.

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^Generally it's narrower upstream as most rivers are, so leaving Montreal means stuff to see both sides for the trip to Quebec City. Keith makes a good point that flights to Montreal are MUCH more frequent, especially international ones, but for most tourists QC is probably a bigger draw - it's gorgeous, especially the old upper town with the Chateau Frontenac, so depending how much time you have for precruise you may prefer to be based in QC (Montreal is more cosmopolitan, Anglophones everywhere, has better restaurants & nightlife, and Old Town is plenty pretty too).

 

Charlottetown vs Saguenay - PEI is far and away our tiniest province and is extremely civilized - it's got a Ye Olde English Countryside feel to much of the province as it's heavily farmed. Saguenay is a less populous area, up a much narrower river than the St Lawrence from QC downstream, and a bit of a hotbed for Beluga spotting. I would personally always go for Saguenay over Charlottetown in a heartbeat - but if you're an Anne of Green Gables fan it's hard to pass up PEI!

 

We've never cruised there, but I've also seen a lot of reports that due to the rarity of cruise vessels the locals in Saguenay also give ships a really hearty welcome...

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^Generally it's narrower upstream as most rivers are, so leaving Montreal means stuff to see both sides for the trip to Quebec City. Keith makes a good point that flights to Montreal are MUCH more frequent, especially international ones, but for most tourists QC is probably a bigger draw - it's gorgeous, especially the old upper town with the Chateau Frontenac, so depending how much time you have for precruise you may prefer to be based in QC (Montreal is more cosmopolitan, Anglophones everywhere, has better restaurants & nightlife, and Old Town is plenty pretty too).

 

Charlottetown vs Saguenay - PEI is far and away our tiniest province and is extremely civilized - it's got a Ye Olde English Countryside feel to much of the province as it's heavily farmed. Saguenay is a less populous area, up a much narrower river than the St Lawrence from QC downstream, and a bit of a hotbed for Beluga spotting. I would personally always go for Saguenay over Charlottetown in a heartbeat - but if you're an Anne of Green Gables fan it's hard to pass up PEI!

 

We've never cruised there, but I've also seen a lot of reports that due to the rarity of cruise vessels the locals in Saguenay also give ships a really hearty welcome...

 

Thanks so much for the info and opinion, especially about Saguenay! I appreciate it!

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Hi! I was referring to the cities- Montreal and Quebec City. Smaller ships can dock in Montreal. Was just wondering what river is like between Montreal and Quebec City.

 

Thank you! Now I understand. Totally makes sense now and my geography just got a little better. Thanks!

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  • 1 month later...

I have taken Holland America twice and am scheduled for my third trip in early May (can't wait!). Holland America uses smaller ships - and can cruise all the way to Montreal. Is Montreal worth it? Yes! I would never take an east Canada cruise that does not include Montreal. It is magnificent! Since Montreal is either the beginning or end of the cruise, book a couple extra nights there. And yes, it is SO much easier to fly into or out of Montreal.

The other advantage of the smaller ships is that the lines are shorter on the ship ... and getting on and off the ship. It rather spoils you! The smaller ships generally have the larger cruise ship "bells and whistles," only on a little smaller scale. It's more peaceful!

We have also cruised Saguenay on Crystal Cruises. Gorgeous area ... but not really much to see in the little town. I do love Charlottetown and look forward to returning.

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