Fall NE/CAN Cruise - Best Week? Vote here...

[WoodstockGirl]

We took the NE/CAN cruise in 2022 during the 4th week of October.

 

This year we are booked for the 2nd week of Oct.

 

Am already looking at booking same itinerary for next year.

 

Saving me having to personally try out every different week offered to find my "favorite" week for this cruise, are there opinions here about which is the "best" week" to choose? This for the 7 day itinerary that leaves from NY.

 

Thinking that the "no-predicting-the-weather" would probably have an outsized impact (including it being hurricane season) - still just wondering if some of you have experience(s) that speaks to "favorite week" for this one?  

 

Thanks!

WG

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by WoodstockGirl

[AZjohn]

Total roll of the dice regarding when the colors change is optimum and what the weather conditions will be year-to-year (IMHO).

Enjoy your cruises!

Edited July 14, 2023 by AZjohn

[Cruise Raider]

I think anytime in Sept or Oct are great months.  We have celebratory days in mid and late Sept so we usually tend to go then.  Since my DH is colorblind, he really doesn’t understand what most of us get all excited about with the changing of the color anyway.  
 

[iTownPrincess]

I was on the last cruise of the season on a girls’ weekend back in 2016, the last week of October. It was pretty cold (no surprise) but Hopewell Rocks was closed for the season. I knew that going in but didn’t realize at the time just how much we were missing. I would love to do this itinerary again and would plan for mid to late September, first week of October at the latest. I hope you have a fantastic cruise!

[skynight]

We did the Quebec City to Brooklyn in August. It was nice. I don't think there is any time that is better than another, although the late season might force more crowds indoors. Whatever fits your schedule at the time is the best time. From your signature I'm thinking you are from VT. If so you know the normal weather patterns for this area. 

[WoodstockGirl]

5 hours ago, skynight said:

....From your signature I'm thinking you are from VT. If so you know the normal weather patterns for this area. 

 

Thanks for noticing my moniker ... turns out there are a number of states with towns named Woodstock. Including the "famous" one in NY. But, we are in the Maryland one. 

[cr8tiv1]

I'm on the October repo from Quebec to FLL in October.  But let me give you my "strategy".

 

I had the same issue with picking a cruise for Japan Cherry Blossoms.  So I booked all three cruises in March/April.  When it came down to final payment, I had to choose one 90 days out.  

 

I scoured the internet in hopes of finding predictions.  Sites gave me "normal" and weather probabilities (drought, rain, temperature, etc).  I wavered between this date and that date for a few days then went with my gut.  We would be heading to the southern most port then head back up north.  Somewhere along the way, we "should" see cherry blossoms since they would peak in the south first.  

 

I nailed it!  Perfect week.  The Cherry Blossoms were at their peak at every port. The week before was wet and just beginning to open.  The week after, many of the blossoms had fallen.  99% luck.

[Coral]

I found this website helpful:

 

https://www.foliagenetwork.com/index.php/foliage-reports/foliage-reports-northeast-us/foliage-reports-northeast-us-archive

 

It achieves the fall foliage colors in the NE. I tried to use it for my cruises to Canada/NE but it is always luck of the draw. For example - I did a Quebec to FLL cruise, we had near blizzard in Quebec City (rare) and hit colors perfectly in Boston on Halloween day (so it was late that year). One year when we left October 14th or so, we were early.

 

We definitely had fun trying to hit the colors perfectly.

 

People often say Columbus Day but that doesn't appear accurate along the coast (too early). Maybe more inland. It seems like Oct 15 - Oct 20th is more historical for colors along the coast. Though weather patterns seem to be all other the place these days.

[bjkTX]

A Canada/New England cruise was our first (and what we assumed would be our only - turns out 26  cruises later not to be the case) on the Golden Princess - and like most "firsts" it was spectacular.  Since then we have done that cruise 4 more times including the longer cruise starting in Quebec and ending in FLL.  Every time we tried to predict the best time, and normally what we hear while we were there was "you should have been here last/next week."  But it was still always spectacular even trying to hang on to a building to take a picture in a blizzard at Peggy's Cove 🙂  One cruise sticks out - a 12 day starting in Quebec on 14 October.  Flying into Quebec was breathtaking seeing fall foliage the likes of which we had never seen before.  We spent the night at a B&B and wandered around Quebec that night and the next day.  I arranged for a horsed drawn carriage to take us around that following morning and just couldn't have been more perfect.  We (we invited two CC friends to join us that we are still friends with) had to have lap blankets, everything was wet, the ground was covered in red and yellow leaves, all the shops had Halloween pumpkins and decorations out, the young lady who was our driver/tour guide was fantastic - and we felt like we belonged there!  The next day we checked into the ship and that night I had made reservations at a very small restaurant in an alley that was really a treat - and I think we were the last to get in that night (there were only 8-10 tables).  Unfortunately we had a bad storm and had to walk back to the ship - but what a start.  Bottom line is we have never got the full "Fall Foliage" experience in the 5 cruises that we had in Quebec.  We love all the other ports as well - but Quebec is stall calling us 🙂  Good luck - and have fun!!!

[SenecaMike]

We did 3rd week of October and had a great time with good weather, 

[Coral]

11 minutes ago, bjkTX said:

A Canada/New England cruise was our first (and what we assumed would be our only - turns out 26  cruises later not to be the case) on the Golden Princess - and like most "firsts" it was spectacular.  Since then we have done that cruise 4 more times including the longer cruise starting in Quebec and ending in FLL.  Every time we tried to predict the best time, and normally what we hear while we were there was "you should have been here last/next week."  But it was still always spectacular even trying to hang on to a building to take a picture in a blizzard at Peggy's Cove 🙂  

Glad I am not the only one who had blizzard or near blizzard conditions on their cruise!

 

Our entire pre-cruise stay in Quebec was at the Fairmont!! Glad we choose a huge hotel as we were stuck there for 3 days.....Those are the memories.  🙂 

[cr8tiv1]

I hadn't even considered a blizzard.  But weather is so strange now a days.  Packing for the heat of summer.  Will be much harder to pack for winter with luggage restrictions.

[Coral]

29 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I hadn't even considered a blizzard.  But weather is so strange now a days.  Packing for the heat of summer.  Will be much harder to pack for winter with luggage restrictions.

I just looked at the date of my cruise - it was October 23rd. We flew in a few days early to see Quebec City. We in fact only saw the Fairmont. When we got on the ship, there was snow all on Lido deck and snowmen. The ship overnighted in Quebec City so Princess ran tours but ran them to the Fairmont hotel. It was sort of funny as they didn't want to be outside touring. I believe we missed our first port on the cruise due to weather. Once we got out of the area - the weather turned beautiful. Boston was gorgeous. The temps were perfect and we hit the colors perfect that day (Halloween). Charleston was very warm. Strangest weather to go from near blizzard to FLL in one cruise.

Edited July 15, 2023 by Coral

[antmaril]

I have done the Canada/NE cruise twice leaving out of NYC in mid-September.  We were too early for any color, of course, but the weather was very nice.  I love that itinerary.  

[susancruzs]

I'm on the Quebec/FL cruise, leaving mid-Oct., too.  My 4th one and a word of advice, layers work instead of lugging heavy outerwear.  I've had a warmer than normal cruise, a heavy wet snowfall in Quebec, pouring rain in NYC during my Brooklyn Bridge walk.

 

I've always lived in the Midwest, weather doesn't phase me.  A few inches of unseasonable snow in Oct., will not be an every day thing.

 

I like positioning cruises, I don't depend on perfect Fall colors, leaf peeping, with changing weather climate, predicting peak or perfect, nearly impossible.  

 

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, susancruzs said:

I'm on the Quebec/FL cruise, leaving mid-Oct., too.  My 4th one and a word of advice, layers work instead of lugging heavy outerwear.  I've had a warmer than normal cruise, a heavy wet snowfall in Quebec, pouring rain in NYC during my Brooklyn Bridge walk.

 

I've always lived in the Midwest, weather doesn't phase me.  A few inches of unseasonable snow in Oct., will not be an every day thing.

 

I like positioning cruises, I don't depend on perfect Fall colors, leaf peeping, with changing weather climate, predicting peak or perfect, nearly impossible.  

 

Snow doesn't phase me either. We had white out conditions. That was our issue.

 

I also like repo cruises 🙂

[Teeara]

I live south of Boston and work in Boston.  Best color for this area is usually 2nd-3rd week of October for full color.  But, as mentioned before, the weather is crucial for fall foliage.  Mom and I did Canada/NE the 2nd week of October once and even Maine was still relatively green.  Not much color that year.  And if we get any hurricanes or tropical storms during that time it can strip all those pretty leaves off the trees.  So for Quebec and Maine the best color should be early October.  Not sure how this year will turn out with the incredible rainfall we've had this summer.