Forested headlands awash in explosions of autumn colors, fog-shrouded inlets and vast tidal flats: Canada’s Maritimes are nothing if not scenic. But this collection of Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) also offers tidy, walkable cities rich in history and a culture that mixes rural and seafaring traditions from Great Britain and Ireland, not to mention great opportunities for day hikes and sea kayaking. An ideal way to see the scenery is by boat.
Cruises along Canada’s eastern shore started for leaf-peepers. Because of the Gulf Stream, the season in many parts extends weeks beyond New England’s display. Since many ports of call are relatively close together, you typically arrive in the early morning and get a generous eight or nine hours on shore. Some cruises add bonuses, like a visit to far-flung Newfoundland and a stop in romantic Quebec City. Here’s what to see, do, try and eat at each of the major ports on a fall cruise to the Maritimes.
NEW BRUNSWICK
One of the first Maritime stops for many cruises is Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada’s first incorporated city. Set on the Bay of Fundy and settled by French-speaking Acadians fleeing British attacks, it’s in Canada’s only constitutionally bilingual province, with French and English intertwined like nowhere else. You can take in the Uptown area’s splendid Victorian architecture on foot (the Market Square information center has walking-tour maps) or onboard one of the horsedrawn trolleys lined up near the terminal.
The most dramatic sight is the Bay of Fundy itself, where the world’s highest tides surge upwards of 55 feet twice daily. Cruise ships offer whale-watching excursions, usually from nearby St. Andrews, allowing passengers to witness the dramatic tides and catch a glimpse of the humpbacks, minkes and finbacks that thrive in these waters.
HALL OF GREAT WHALES: The New Brunswick Museum has a Hall of Great Whales, with skeletons and life-sized models of the leviathans, as well as examples of the shipbuilding industry that helped establish Saint John’s prosperity. Market Square; 506-643-2300; nbm-mnb.ca; admission $8
OLD CITY MARKET: This 1876 market is the oldest in Canada, with a ceiling shaped like an inverted boat. A stroll here offers a culinary tour of the region’s history, from pasties and sausages to smoked salmon and lobster rolls. Try dulse, a salty dried seaweed that’s a local delicacy. 47 Charlotte St.; 506-658-2820; sjcitymarket.ca
IMPERIAL THEATRE: Consider a half-hour tour of this beautifully restored vaudeville-era theater on King’s Square. Call ahead to book. 506-674-4111; imperialtheatre.nb.ca; $2 per person
NOVA SCOTIA
Few places are more redolent of the sea than Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. Blessed with the world’s second-largest natural harbor, this former British naval garrison welcomes dozens of cruise ships every year. The city’s brightly painted Victorian cottages share streets with burly stone buildings that look straight out of Edinburgh. The six universities based here give Halifax a youthful, Bohemian flavor. Drink it in with a visit to John W. Doull Booksellers (1684 Barrington St.), a delightful madhouse of used books. Take a day trip to the much-photographed town of Peggy’s Cove, where the North Atlantic pounds on huge seaside rocks beside a lighthouse, or to the artist-filled village of Lunenburg. Some ships include a stop in Sydney, on the eastern shore of Cape Breton, the epicenter of the province’s Scots Gaelic culture. The Cabot Trail, a 185-mile loop drive around Cape Breton, passes through remote Acadian villages and skirts rugged stretches of coastline where waves crash and mountains loom.
PIER 21: Canada’s sole remaining immigration shed is now a museum commemorating immigrants, akin to Ellis Island. 1055 Marginal Rd., Halifax; 902-425-7770; pier21.ca; admission $8.50
OLD TRIANGLE IRISH ALE HOUSE: Grab a fish cake of smoked salmon and mackerel with a side of fiddle music at this Halifax pub. 5136 Prince St.; 902-492-4900; lunch for two, $25*
KAYAK: On an East Coast Outfitters trip, you’ll float in water that’s Caribbean-clear off the nearby fishing hamlet of Lower Prospect. 877-852-2567; eastcoastoutfitters.net; half-day tour $64
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
This 140-mile-long island province sits off the north coasts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and is known for its red sandstone cliffs, green fields and cobalt blue skies. The capital, Charlottetown, is filled with whimsical gingerbread architecture. But fans of Anne of Green Gables typically make a beeline for Cavendish to see Green Gables, the house where author Lucy Maud Montgomery set her 1908 novel of the red-haired orphan girl. P.E.I.’s flat roads are ideal for cycling; rent bikes at Smooth Cycle (330 University Ave.; $24/day) and grab a picnic at Shelley’s Bakery (73 St. Peter’s Rd.).
FOUNDERS’ HALL: An interactive exhibit celebrates the 1864 meeting in which the Fathers of Confederation conceived the plan for a united Canada. 6 Prince St., Charlottetown; 902-368-1864; foundershall.ca; $7
WATER PRINCE LOBSTER POUND: You’ll get a real taste of the sea at this Charlottetown institution, which serves the very freshest lobsters, scallops and fabled Malpeque oysters. 141 Water St.; 902-368-3212; lunch for two, $40
SEAL-WATCHING TOUR: Cruise Manada’s two-hour boat trip runs up the Murray River, home to the island’s largest seal colony. 1 Station St., Montague; 800-986-3444; cruisemanada.com; $28
NEWFOUNDLAND
Though technically not part of the Maritimes, Canada’s farthest-flung Atlantic province, known for icebergs, whales and puffins, is included on some cruise itineraries. The primary port of call is the capital city of St. John’s, with brightly colored houses on hills above the harbor. At night, Irish fiddle music prevails in pubs like Bridie Molloy’s (5 George St.), where the drink of choice is a potent rum called Screech. Some ships stop at Corner Brook on the west coast. Two nearby UNESCO World Heritage Sites are the draw here: Gros Morne National Park is home to spectacular freshwater fjords, while L’Anse aux Meadows is the site of a Viking village, the earliest known European settlement in the New World.
THE ROOMS: This bright cannery-like space houses the Provincial Museum & Art Gallery. 9 Bonaventure Ave., St. John’s; 709-757-8000; therooms.ca; $7
BACALAO: Come here for “Nouvelle Newfoundland cuisine”: snow-crab spring rolls, caribou steak salad and seafood pot pie. 65 Lemarchant Rd., St. John’s; 709-579-6565; lunch for two, $60
GATHERALL’S PUFFIN & WHALE WATCH: A boat trip takes you from St. John’s to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, a group of islands that’s home to a half-million puffins. Northside Rd.; 709-334-2887; gatheralls.com; $56
QUEBEC
Quebec City may not be part of the Maritimes, but it’s the last port of call for many Maritime voyages, and a dramatic one at that. You’ll sail up the St. Lawrence River, surrounded by mountains ablaze in oranges, reds and yellows. Some ships pause en route for a day of whale-watching at the Saguenay Fjord. The finale, Quebec City, is grand indeed. Cap Diamant, a rock bluff that once served as a military defense, is now dominated by the turrets of the Château Frontenac hotel. Below the stone buildings, the narrow cobblestone streets and cafés of Basse-Ville offer a glimpse of the Old World.
MUSÉE NATIONAL DES BEAUX-ARTS DU QUÉBEC: Housed in a former prison, this art museum has a deep collection of Québécois art and an Inuit art exhibition worth seeking out. Parc des Champs-de-Bataille, Quebec; 418-643-2150; mnba.qc.ca; $15
L’ÉCHAUDÉ: This elegant bistro in Basse-Ville offers classic fare, from salmon tartare to steak frites. 73 Rue du Sault-au-Matelot; 418-692-1299; dinner for two, $67
FUNICULAR & A WALK: Ride the funicular down to the once-forgotten riverside neighborhood of Basse-Ville/Vieux-Port, which has been revived with bistros and antiques shops in historic stone buildings. 16 Rue du Petit-Champlain; 418-692-1132
HERE ARE SIX CANADA CRUISES TO CONSIDER:
1. CARNIVAL
THE CRUISE: Five-day Canada/New England cruise on the 2,974-passenger Carnival Glory, round-trip from New York, calling at the historic cities of Saint John, N.B., and Halifax, N.S.
SAMPLE DEPARTURE: September 6, 2010; from $399**
2. CELEBRITY
THE CRUISE: Fifteen-day Canada and New England cruise, round-trip on the 2,034-passenger Summit from Cape Liberty, NJ, calling at Boston, Portland, Bar Harbor, Halifax, Quebec City, Charlottetown and Sydney. As well as lengthy days in some of the best Maritime cities, you get to see the foliage along the St. Lawrence River.
SAMPLE DEPARTURE: September 12, 2010; from $1,499
3. HOLLAND AMERICA
THE CRUISE: Seven-day Canada & New England Discovery on the 1,258-passenger MS Maasdam, sailing from Boston to Montreal with stops at Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown and Quebec City. You’ll see the Cabot Trail, Prince Edward Island and the foliage along the St. Lawrence River.
SAMPLE DEPARTURE: September 4, 2010; from $1,099
4. PRINCESS
THE CRUISE: Ten-day Classic Canada/New England cruise on the 3,080-passenger Crown Princess, from New York City to Quebec City, calling at Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney and Corner Brook. You’ll see two Maritime provinces, Newfoundland and the St. Lawrence River.
SAMPLE DEPARTURE: September 17, 2010; from $1,099
5. NORWEGIAN
THE CRUISE: Seven-day Canada and New England cruise from Boston to Quebec City on the 2,000-passenger Norwegian Spirit, calling at Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney and Corner Brook. This cruise allows you to explore the mountainous coastline along Cape Breton’s Cabot Trail as well as the fjords of Newfoundland.
SAMPLE DEPARTURE: September 25, 2010; from $699
6. ROYAL CARIBBEAN
THE CRUISE: Ten-day round-trip cruise from Baltimore on the 2,446-passenger Enchantment of the Seas, calling at Portland, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax and Boston. It offers three days at sea for a true blue-water cruising experience and two full days in the Maritimes, including the dramatic tides in the Bay of Fundy.
SAMPLE DEPARTURE: September 8, 2010; from $799
VALUE
Competition means low prices. A seven-night cruise can go for less than $700 per person.
Let RCI book your next cruise. To learn more about RCI’s cruising options, visit cruiserci.com or call 877-RCI-BOAT (877-724-2628).
*Prices throughout are given in U.S. dollars. Restaurant prices cover a meal for two without drinks, tax or tip.
**Cruise prices are per person, based on double occupancy. All lines offer multiple sailings through October.
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.