Canada and New England Cruises from Boston

Timing is everything on this route

This is the one cruise where the calendar is the itinerary. Sail late August and you get warm harbor towns, lobster boats and whale watching. Sail the last week of September into early October and the same coastline ignites: Bar Harbor backed by Acadia in full color, the Saint Lawrence valley glowing on the Quebec runs. Lines price accordingly, the peak color week often costs 40 percent more than the same ships three weeks earlier.

The route rewards longer itineraries. Seven night loops cover Maine and the Maritimes; the 10 night one-ways add Prince Edward Island and finish beneath the walls of Quebec City, the single best arrival in North American cruising. Book the one-ways early, the Quebec hotel nights on either end sell out with the ships.

Boston vs New York departures

The same route sells from both cities, and the trade is simple: Boston starts you a full day closer to the good stuff, so 7 nights from Boston sees what 9 nights from New York sees. New York wins if you want more sea days or the Manhattan sailaway. Either way, pack layers: mornings on deck run 15 degrees cooler than the afternoons ashore, and our packing guide covers the full fall kit.