New England & Canada Cruises
Lighthouses, lobster towns and autumn color along the North Atlantic.
Get Free U.S. Cruise QuotesNew England and Canada cruises follow the North Atlantic coast from New York and Boston to Nova Scotia, the Bay of Fundy and the St. Lawrence River.
Typical Routes
Round trips of five to eight nights from New York, Cape Liberty (Bayonne, NJ) or Boston usually visit a mix of Newport, Boston, Portland, Bar Harbor, Saint John and Halifax. Longer one-way cruises, typically ten nights or so, link Boston or New York with Quebec City or Montreal, adding Sydney, Nova Scotia, Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island and the Gaspe Peninsula.
Newport, RI
Gilded Age mansions and the Cliff Walk; often a tender port.
Maine
Portland’s lighthouses and Bar Harbor, the gateway to Acadia National Park.
Quebec City
A walled old city on the St. Lawrence and a popular place to begin or end.
Fall Foliage and the Season
Ships sail this coast from late spring to October, but September and October are the most popular months because of the autumn leaves. Peak color moves south over several weeks, so foliage is never guaranteed on a particular day. Summer sailings bring warmer weather, puffins and whales, and usually less demand. Evenings are cool at any time of year, so pack a warm layer.
Good to Know
- Canada is a foreign country: carry a passport or other WHTI-approved document, and check your cruise line’s rules.
- Saint John sits on the Bay of Fundy, known for some of the highest tides in the world — the Reversing Falls show it well.
- Lobster rolls are a highlight in Maine and the Maritimes.
- Fall sailings fill early; book well ahead for late September and early October.
For a printable cool-weather packing list, see Cruising Checklist.
Port Highlights
| Port | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Bar Harbor, Maine | Acadia National Park, Cadillac Mountain and the Park Loop Road; usually a tender port |
| Portland, Maine | Lighthouses, the Old Port district and seafood |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | The waterfront, the Citadel, Pier 21 immigration museum and nearby Peggy’s Cove |
| Sydney, Nova Scotia | Cape Breton Island and the reconstructed Fortress of Louisbourg |
| Charlottetown, PEI | The island’s red-sand beaches and the Green Gables country of Cavendish |
| Quebec City | The walled old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Montmorency Falls |
One-way cruises to or from Quebec City or Montreal mean flying home from Canada, so price the open-jaw flights before you choose. Round trips from New York or Boston are simpler and suit a first visit; the longer one-way sailings reach the St. Lawrence and Prince Edward Island, which round trips rarely have time for.
Cruise New England and Canada
Tell us whether you want fall color, a short round trip or a voyage to Quebec. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will quote the North Atlantic sailings that fit, at no cost.
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