Day Cruising Gulf of St. LawrenceCruising Only The Gulf of St. Lawrence is an incredibly diverse and complex marine and estuary ecosystem and is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It's a busy and productive part of the ocean that has unique species, some that live there year-round, and others, like whales, which travel long distances just to visit this special spot. The area is made up of freshwater from the Canadian Shield, the Great Lakes basin and the St. Lawrence River system emptying out into the Atlantic Ocean, where it combines with the cold Labrador Current from the Arctic and the warm Gulf Stream from the tropics.
Day Cap-aux-Meules, Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec, CanadaArrives 10:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM This island in the archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence offers scenic fishing villages and wind- and water-sculpted coastlines of eerie beauty. The church of St. Pierre at Laverniere was constructed from the wreckage of ships that foundered on the offshore shoals. A lighthouse now warns others away.
Day Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CanadaArrives 08:00 AM Departs 11:00 PM "Charlottetown is the capital of Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island, as well as its largest city, though it has fewer than 35,000 residents. Despite its modest size, the city has an impressive number of Victorian houses and buildings and great parks waiting to be explored. For Canadians, it is perhaps most famous as the Birthplace of Confederation. It was here, mostly at Province House, that an 1864 conference led to the creation of the Dominion of Canada.
Prince Edward Island is linked to New Brunswick on the mainland of Canada by the 13-kilometer (eight-mile) Confederation Bridge that soars over the Northumberland Strait. A remarkable feat of engineering, the bridge opened in 1997 and is the longest in the world over icy waters.
Sites within downtown Charlottetown include the lovely Victoria Row, which becomes a pedestrian mall each summer, and other historic buildings, some of which are now museums. Nearby Prince Edward Island National Park is home to white-sand beaches and hiking and biking trailsâplus fans can see the house and farm that inspired the beloved book Anne of Green Gables. During your visit, you can also learn about the daily lives, past and present, of residents on lighthouse and boat tours.
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Day At Sea
Day Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaArrives 07:00 AM Departs 02:00 PM The ports of New England and eastern Canada bear witness to fascinating histories and vibrant cultures that continue to thrive to this day. Approaching these cities from the sea offers a memorable perspective: For many immigrants to North America, their first glimpse of their new lives would be from the decks of ships sailing into these harbors. While the fishing villages of New England and Canada's Atlantic Provinces embody a long seafaring tradition, neither region is frozen in time. World-class museums and celebrated restaurants sit side by side with historic sites. Whether you want to explore the early days of Canada and the United States or see what the future holds for their metropolises, a journey along North America's Atlantic coast promises to be unforgettable.
Day Bar Harbor, Maine, USArrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM "Located on Mount Desert Island in Maine, Bar Harbor is the quintessential New England coastal town. Picturesque and charming, it is a scenic and walkable town with streets lined with restaurants and boutiques. Dining on lobster is a must, as is a scoop or two at one of the town's homemade ice cream shops. Boat tours explore the waters and islands that surround Bar Harbor, with seasonal opportunities to see wildlifeâincluding whalesâand lighthouses along the way.
Bar Harbor is surrounded by the magnificent Acadia National Park, making the area an adventurer's playground. The park, which is celebrating its centennial in 2016, is home to sites such as Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain along the eastern coast of the United States and the first place in the country to see the sun rise. Guests can hike, bike or take a horse-and-carriage ride to explore Acadia's lakes and striking coastline. Take advantage of the best bargain in Bar Harbor during your visit: The free Island Explorer buses take guests to Acadia's major sites and to other nearby destinations.
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Day Provincetown, MA, USAArrives 08:00 AM Departs 09:00 PM P-Town, as the locals call it, is tucked into the curlicue of Long Point, the curving extreme end of Cape Cod. The point is dotted with lighthouses, and the town is a venerable haven for artists and craftspeople who sell their wares seasonally in its many shops and galleries. This was the actual first landfall of the ship Mayflower, where the English Puritan pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact before repairing to the site of Plymouth across the bay. The towering Pilgrim Monument was built in the early years of the 20th century. It was a famous fishing and whaling harbor, and still is, although whales are now pursued just for the thrill of seeing them. Much of the peninsula is actually protected wilderness as part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Visit the Race Point Lighthouse, peruse the cozy Provincetown Museum and stroll the compact Historic District, or travel a short way to Race Point or Herring Cove beaches.
Day Boston, Massachusetts, USArrives 07:00 AM The ports of New England and eastern Canada bear witness to fascinating histories and vibrant cultures that continue to thrive to this day. Approaching these cities from the sea offers a memorable perspective: For many immigrants to North America, their first glimpse of their new lives would be from the decks of ships sailing into these harbors. While the fishing villages of New England and Canada's Atlantic Provinces embody a long seafaring tradition, neither region is frozen in time. World-class museums and celebrated restaurants sit side by side with historic sites. Whether you want to explore the early days of Canada and the United States or see what the future holds for their metropolises, a journey along North America's Atlantic coast promises to be unforgettable.