Fall foliage, lobster harbors, and Quebec City under the stars.
The route traces the New England coast through Portland and Rockland, Maine, crosses to Halifax and Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, then runs up the St. Lawrence to Quebec City. What separates a good sailing from an ordinary one is whether the ship stays overnight there: dinner in Old Quebec, the Château Frontenac lit against the cliff face, and no tender queue at dusk. The return loops through Prince Edward Island. September and October catch peak foliage, which is why those departures close first.
The embarkation port. Walk the Freedom Trail, grab a lobster roll on the waterfront, or spend the morning in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum before boarding.
Pre-cruise afternoon on the Freedom Trail ending at Faneuil Hall
A working harbor town where lobster boats outnumber yachts. The Farnsworth Art Museum holds one of the best collections of Andrew Wyeth paintings anywhere.
Lobster boat excursion and dockside lobster bake
A maritime city with grit and charm. The waterfront boardwalk, the Citadel hill, and seafood chowder that rivals any in New England. The Titanic connections run deep: 150 victims are buried here.
Alexander Keith's brewery tour followed by Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The only walled city north of Mexico. Old Quebec's cobblestone streets, the Plains of Abraham, and the Château Frontenac looming above the St. Lawrence. The overnight stay is what makes this itinerary: dinner in Petit-Champlain, then the city lit up from the water.
Evening stroll through Old Quebec followed by dinner at a French-Canadian bistro
The birthplace of Canadian Confederation, but most visitors come for the red sand beaches, the seafood, and Anne of Green Gables country. Lobster suppers are a PEI institution.
Community lobster supper at a church hall, a true PEI tradition
One of America's great food cities, packed into a small peninsula. The Old Port's cobblestone streets are lined with independent restaurants, craft breweries, and galleries. Peak foliage frames the harbor.
Food walking tour through the Old Port ending at a waterfront oyster bar
Send your dates. We will come back with the sailings worth taking, the cabin to ask for, and what we would arrange ashore.