Cruising New England and Canada

As far as cruises are concerned, sometimes bad weather can force a change of course to destinations or entire itineraries.

On one memorable cruise, my Caribbean-bound Royal Caribbean ship was cut short thanks to an October hurricane. Before the ship even left port, we were told it was going north to avoid any potential problems. No one was especially happy for the change, but the cruise line atoned by gifting credits for every passenger.

While some choose to cruise south, there are exceptional cruising options in New England and Canada.

Most major cruise lines departing from the East Coast offer some type of itinerary to New England, Canada or both. There are attractive ports of call all up and down the coast and this region of North America is worth exploring.

One of the biggest draws for this region is the history and small-town vibes.

One of the biggest, most-accessible cruise spots has to be Boston. Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises both offer itineraries featuring Bean Town and, in Norwegian’s case, cruises only depart from Boston, but visit other New England towns like Bar Harbor, and Portland, Maine.

Princess Cruises offers cruises featuring Boston on a number of itineraries, including departures from New York City, Fort Lauderdale and Quebec.

While cruises to Bermuda, the Caribbean and the Bahamas take relaxation to the extreme, cruises to New England and Canada offer a different kind of vacation — think fall foliage and the nation’s founding facts.

Canada is an entirely different beast. While much of the cruise will still be rooted in visiting historic towns and looking at lighthouses, the change in scenery is unmistakable.

Norwegian  is one of the many family-friendly lines offering cruises to Canada from major ports, including New York City and Boston. Families can find cruises that stop in St. John, Halifax, Charlottetown, Sydney and many more.

Some travelers might scoff at the idea someone would travel north to Canada instead of a veritable paradise like the Bahamas, but the change in scenery and potentially cooler weather is a definite plus for many.