Narration while cruising St Lawrence?

[noloafing]

I usually can find answers to my questions by searching old threads, but I've had no luck with this one. Will someone please tell me if there is a naturalist and/or narration while cruising the St Lawrence river and the Gulf of St Lawrence during the Canada/New England cruise? Thank you.

[cruz chic]

I don't recall there being any narration but it could be my poor memory:o.

[sail7seas]

When we used to be so lucky to sail Saguenay Fjord, they brought Naturalist aboard and it was wonderful.

 

HAL stopped the Fjord on Maasdam's weekly Boston to Montreal to Boston cruises and there no longer is a naturalist.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

We did the Canada/repositioning cruise last fall, and there was no narration at any point. We went to Saguenay, but we stopped there all day instead of just cruising, so there wouldn't have been much time for narration. I think the spring repo/Canada is going back to cruising Saguenay (not sure, maybe it's next fall that does this), so maybe the narration will be back, too.

[trophy_23]

We had narration while sailing Saguenay Fjord last September (Eurodam) and it was wonderful. The actual sailing of the St. Lawrence was done when noone was awake.

[sail7seas]

With Maasdam's weekly seven day cruises, when sailing the north bound route, we are in St. Lawrence in day light and really enjoy that part of the cruise. When sailing southbound, Montreal to Boston, much of it is in the dark.

 

One year, Captain James Russell-Dunford gave us wonderful commentary regarding a small island we passed which was a bird sanctuary. He personally spoke for some minutes about the many species and details about the island. I was very interested in what he was saying. It's beautiful sailing the river and when we leave Montreal sailing to Boston, we can see shore to shore for some distance before it gets dark.

 

The repositioning cruises, of course, are only twice a year..... south to north in the spring and the reverse in the fall.

 

Maasdam does the Montreal to Boston to Montreal many times during the summer only with her break to do the Voyage of the Viking July/August.

 

Saguenay used to be a highpoint and we miss it. We loved to stop at the statue and each time we visited, the weather/sun/light was different and gave a different experience. It did cost a lot of fuel to do that and I imagine was a factor in discontinuing it.

[ellieanne]

When we used to be so lucky to sail Saguenay Fjord, they brought Naturalist aboard and it was wonderful.

 

HAL stopped the Fjord on Maasdam's weekly Boston to Montreal to Boston cruises and there no longer is a naturalist.

 

This has been my experience as well. My first cruise in 1998 had a naturalist on board during the scenic cruising of the Saguenay Fjord. My second Canada/New England cruise in 2003 had a naturalist, but it was a special itinerary that stopped at St. Pierre et Miquelon and St. John's (I have been hanging out for a re-do of that cruise!) My cruises since, 2007, 2008 and 2010, have not had naturalists, but stopped in Saguenay rather than just scenic cruising in the fjord.

 

Also, I was watching a nature documentary here, and the scientists were commenting that there are actually fewer whales in the North Atlantic, and no one seems to know why, but the numbers have dramatically decreased in the last 10-15 years. It may be that with fewer whales, there are fewer sightings and there may be really no need for a naturalist.

[bob brown]

There is none that I am aware of on cruise ships. The river is too wide to really get a good view of the shores unless you go beyond Quebec City to Montreal, where the river narrows considerably. But then, as mentioned, it is mostly in the dark. There are some daylight sightseeing boats that sail between Quebec City and Montreal, as well as further west on the Seaway. I am sure these would have a detailed narration. Perhaps something to check out for a pre or post one way cruise to or from Quebec?