“I bet you’ve never seen anything like that,” the helicopter pilot yelled into the mic as we circled over Saguenay National Park. I certainly hadn’t. Dense forest draped in red, gold and russet colours as far as the eye could see. Talk about spectacular.
Canada and New England are famous for their autumn colours, but they are only one of the many reasons I love cruising this coastline. There’s the history and culture, and the picturesque towns and cities. And let’s not forget lobsters, which are devoured in their thousands, either whole or in rolls, everywhere you go. I’ve even seen lobster ice cream. I kid you not!
I doubt New York needs much introduction for most people. It’s an incredible city, famous for Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and of course, for not sleeping, but how many are familiar with Boston, where the American Revolution started, and the United States of America was founded? A guided walk along the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail and a tour of the Old State House Museum, where the US Proclamation of Independence was read out in 1776, tells the story.
Halifax has the final resting places of many who died when the Titanic sank and offers tours of the picturesque Peggy’s Cove; Charlottetown, on Canada’s Prince Edward Island, is home to Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery; Newport has extraordinary mansions built by America’s industrial tycoons in the 1800s. Breakers, a Renaissance-style mansion with more than 70 rooms, is a favourite. Cornelius Vanderbilt II called it his summer ‘cottage’.
St. John’s has the Reversing Rapids - a phenomenon that occurs twice a day when the huge tides in the Bay of Fundy cause the St. John River to flow backwards. A boat ride through the rapids guarantees a good soaking, but if that doesn’t appeal, whale-watching cruises in the bay surely will.
And then there is Québec City with its cobbled streets and French vibe. You’ll know when you’ve arrived because there, towering over the top of the town, are the turrets and towers of the fairytale-like Chateau Frontenac. It was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway at the end of the 1800s, but it looks like something out of Disneyland. When you see it, you’ll get why it’s dubbed the most photographed hotel in the world.
Québec is spread over two levels with a funicular between the two (there are steps, but the name, ‘escalier casse-cou’ or neck-breaking steps, is enough to put most people off); from the top, it’s a short walk to the Plains of Abraham, where the British beat the French in 1759 for control of North America. The two sides had been feuding for seven years; the battle was over in 15 minutes!
There is so much to discover on cruises here, but in case you need another reason to go, how about doing everything I’ve mentioned here and more without setting foot in an airport?
That’s the deal on offer by P&O Cruises, which has unveiled a new 30-night Canada and New England in the Fall sailing round-trip from Southampton in September 2028.
The cruise, reserved for adults-only, will be on Arcadia, a friendly ship with room for just over 2,000 passengers and a choice of 15 bars and restaurants, including Marco Pierre White’s Ocean Grill and Sindhu for Indian specialities. Calls include St. John’s, Saguenay, Charlottetown, Sydney, Halifax and Newport, as well as overnight stays in Boston, New York and Quebec City, and while it’s too soon for excursions to be finialised, if previous cruises are anything to go by there’ll be everything from kayaking in the Saguenay fjord to a jazz and blues evening in Harlem and traditional lobster boil in Sydney.
