If your idea of cruising only includes the Caribbean and the Mediterranean you’ll be happy to know that you can also see Canada via cruise ship. There are many different Canadian cruises to choose from and which one you opt for depends on which parts of Canada you want see and how long you want your trip to be. Whether you’re interested in a specific province or a journey which includes several ports of call in Canada, there’s a cruise that’s right for you. Check out our picks for some great ways to cruise your way through Canada.
Kingston to Quebec City
St. Lawrence Cruise Line offers a six night cruise along the St. Lawrence River that begins in Kingston and travels to Quebec City, taking in many noteworthy sights along the way. Overnight ports on the scenic cruise include Thousand Islands Anchorage, Brockville, Upper Canada Village, Coteau Landing, Montreal and Trois Rivieres. Some highlights of the trip include Old Quebec, the Chateau Frontenac and getting to cruise through the picturesque Thousand Islands.
Canadian Maritimes Cruise
Cruise your way from Portland, Maine to Quebec City, Quebec with Pearl Seas Cruises on this 10 or 11 night cruise that takes in the best of the Canadian Maritimes. Starting in Portland, the cruise stops at two more ports of call in Maine before heading into Nova Scotia where it will stop in Lunenburg, Halifax and Pictou. Next you’ll travel into Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and then into Quebec with ports of call in Iles de la Madeleine, Gaspe, Tadoussac and finally Quebec City. Along the way you’ll get to experience the charm of the Maritime Provinces.
Great Lakes and Georgian Bay Cruise
Beginning in Toronto, Ontario this 10 or 11 night cruise with Pearl Seas Cruises ends up in Chicago after focusing on the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay. The Great Lakes form the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world and you’ll cruise through four of them on this trip including Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron as well as through Georgian Bay. Georgian Bay is considered the “sixth Great Lake” and stretches 150 kilometres and contains tens of thousands of islands. After starting off in Toronto you will visit other ports of call in Ontario including Niagara Falls, Windsor, Midland, Parry Sound, Little Currant and Sault Sainte Marie. Then it’s onto Mackinac Island and Holland, Michigan before ending up in Chicago.
Canada and New England from New York
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a six day cruise that starts in New York and travels to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the world’s second largest natural harbour. Here, you’ll get to enjoy a lobster lunch and take in the many sights the city has to offer. Another highlight of the cruise includes a stop at the Bay of Fundy in St John, New Brunswick. During one tide cycle more than 160 billion tonnes of seawater flows in and out of the Bay of Fundy. Following St John the cruise moves into Portland, Maine before heading back to New York.
Snowbird Migration Cruise
Royal Caribbean offers a 14 night cruise that doesn’t spend all of its time in Canada, but it does spend a large portion of time here before ending up in a warmer port of call: Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The cruise takes place from October into November to take advantage of the fall foliage and begins in Quebec City. Following departure you’ll cruise through Saguenay, Quebec before moving into the following ports: Charlottetown, PEI; Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia; Bar Harbor and Portland, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; and Charleston, South Carolina and finishing in Fort Lauderdale.
Newfoundland Circumnavigation
Get up close and personal with Newfoundland by cruising around it on an 11 day trip with Adventure Canada that begins and ends in St. John’s. Some of the interesting stops along the way include Terra Nova National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site L’Anse Aux Meadows, the fishing village of Red Bay, Gros Morne National Park and St. Pierre and Miquelon (which belong to France) where you will enjoy French wine, food, fashion and architecture. Other highlights include viewing icebergs and whales, attending a classic Newfoundland “kitchen party” and exploring the streets of St. John’s.
Big Chute to Peterborough
Ontario Waterway Cruises offers several ways to cruise through some of the most scenic spots in Ontario. One in particular, a five day cruise, navigates a 240 kilometre section of the Trent-Severn Waterway and travels the Kawartha Lakes and the Severn River. Some of the places you’ll get to see along the way during this cruise include Orillia, Kirkfield, Bobcaygeon, Lakefield and then Peterborough.
Joie de Canada
If you’re interested in seeing more of Quebec, Crystal Cruises has an eight day cruise just for you. The idea is to explore the beauty and charm of French Canada. The journey begins and ends in Montreal and travels on both the Saguenay River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Along the way you’ll travel through Sept-Îles, the Magdalen Islands, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Quebec City and then back to Montreal.
Featured image: Robert Lindsell
