Best time to cruise for best Fall colors?

[Reenwad]

When is the best week to do a New England/Canadian cruise to see the "peak" fall colors? I really wanna take my mom on a NE/Can cruise in Fall 2012, but not sure which dates to consider. Her birthday is late September, so I could always plan around that too.

Thanks for the input!

[SailBadtheSinner]

The first thing I suggest you do is to play the interactive New England fall foliage map of average foliage change here: http://www.yankeefoliage.com/peak-foliage-forecast-map/ . Once you play it, you will see how the foliage change creeps across New England from north to south and from the interior to the coast.

 

Somethings to consider, if you start your cruise in NYC and go north, the foliage change is moving from north to south, moving targets. Most of the ports of call are cities - Newport RI; Portland ME; Boston MA; Halifax NS. You will see foliage in the cities, but for the best views, you'll have to leave the cities and get out to the country side. The one exception is the port of call of Bar Harbor ME which is on the door step of Acadia National Park http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm . Should you see some good foliage in your other ports of call, consider that a bonus.

 

The cruise I would pick would include a stop at Bar Harbor a few days before to a few days after Columbus Day (observed).

 

The prior is JMHO.

 

September is too early for the best NE foliage.

 

 

SBtS

[jasperdog]

We took a cruise in 08 that left NYC on Sept 14th if memory serves me. We didn't see any fall colors probably for 2 reasons: 1) it was too early and 2) 99% of the trees we saw from the ship were pine. If experiencing fall colors (and they are gorgeous) is that important, I would do a land vacation----probably in the beginning of October. Whatever you decide check NE foliage maps on the web.

[Reenwad]

Thank you! We do live in Michigan, so we know what the fall colors are all about, just wasn't sure about the timing over there. Thanks for the cool fall color clip thing. I think her birthday time would be great!

Must stop = Bar Harbor.

Thanks again!

[Jan_In_Maine]

Thank you! We do live in Michigan, so we know what the fall colors are all about, just wasn't sure about the timing over there. Thanks for the cool fall color clip thing. I think her birthday time would be great!

 

Must stop = Bar Harbor.

 

Thanks again!

 

I lived in Michigan for awhile ... and I think the trees there are much prettier than in Maine. Maine is the Pine Tree State (state flower is the white pine cone and tassle). Usually Columbus Day Weekend is a great time for fall colors. Bar Harbor is a wonderful place to stop. Jan

[tetleytea]

I always wondered that. The cruises seem to be targeting the foliage season, but if you're there to see foliage, well...the leaves aren't on the ocean. I'm taking a land tour in the mountains this year, but I thought I would check in the cruise board to see if I'm missing something here.

[Gotta Go Cruisin]

The DW and I cruised 5 years ago to NE/Canada in early to mid-October and saw some beautiful fall colors in Halifax and then in Bar Harbor (Acadia NP). Rule of thumb says, Fall colors are ususally good around the Columbus Day holiday. Have a Great Time. :D

[Coral]

I left October 15th one year and we were too early for fall colors. Another year I left October 23rd and we left from Quebec - we were late up North (we hit a snow storm in Quebec) and we hit the colors perfect on October 31st in Boston and then south from there, we were early.