Canada & New England Cruises: Excursions

To make the most of your day in Portland, this tour combines the city highlights with a visit to Portland Head Light and the charming seaside town of Kennebunkport. Highlights of Portland include a scenic drive through the quaint streets of the Old Port where street lanterns highlight a gracious mix of architectural styles. Once the home of the warehouse district, the red brick buildings have been transformed into charming restaurants, pubs, unique boutiques, and galleries. Continuing past a number of historic Victorian homes and neighborhoods, enjoy terrific views of Casco Bay and the islands from the East End Promenade. Passing through the urban center, you’ll see Portland's new Arts District, as well as the thriving commercial and business district. Continuing along the beautiful coastline of Maine, arrive at the picturesque town of Cape Elizabeth for a visit of the oldest lighthouse in Maine. First illuminated on January 10, 1791, Portland Head Light has since stood at the gateway to Portland Harbor for mariners traveling Maine's perilous coast. A short photo stop will be made.

Located just 45 minutes from Portland, enjoy a scenic drive through Kennebunkport passing the stunning Federal and Victorian-style mansions built by wealthy sea captains and merchants in the 1700s and 1800s. Pass Walker's Point, the Bush estate and former Summer White House where world leaders often gathered. A stop will be made in the center of Kennebunkport at Dock Square to enjoy some free time for shopping along the picturesque bayfront streets lined with galleries, unique boutiques and antique stores. You’ll also have time for lunch or a snack on your own in one of the many restaurants, outdoor cafes, or pubs overlooking the harbor.

As you rove along the north shore landscape most famous for its red cliffs and sandy dunes, you'll get a real taste of what makes Prince Edward Island such a treasured vacation destination. Stop off at the Anne of Green Gables homestead and walk in the footsteps of one of Canada's most celebrated authors, Lucy Maud Montgomery. Then indulge in a favorite island tradition, a lobster ceilidh at the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company. Combine a magnificent view of the River Clyde, impressive surrounding gardens, a traditional lobster lunch and foot-stomping musical entertainment for an experience that will please all of your senses.

Ciad Mile Failte - A Hundred Thousand Welcomes await you. Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland and nowhere is this more evident than on Cape Breton Island. This picturesque excursion takes you to the very Heart of the Island. The route includes some of the Island's most dynamic scenery, weaving a route through rugged countryside, touching the shores of the famous Bras d'Or Lakes. Known as the Great Inland Sea (the lakes are salt-water) the Bras d'Or region is a major breeding ground for the bald eagle and other exotic wildlife. As your tour progresses, you'll stop at the geographical center of Cape Breton Island, Hectors' Point, Iona and visit the Nova Scotia Highland Village, a 50-acre historical site overlooking the Bras d'Or Lakes. Take a chronological journey through 180 years of Cape Breton’s Scottish architecture, hosted by costumed staff trained in conversational Gaelic and local history. Here you will view a full-size replica of a Scottish Blackhouse, the original one-room structure occupied by the first Scottish settlers in the region, and the only one of its kind in North America. A hilltop panoramic view offers a beautiful blend of land, sky and water. Enjoy tea or coffee and oatcakes before returning to your ship. Note: There is a fair amount of walking at the Highland Village. However, the tour is very scenic and if you wish, you can enjoy the views from the motorcoach and the Visitors Center. Tea or coffee is served at Highland Village. less

Climb aboard a 90 foot jet powered catamaran for a cruise past five of Maine's most beautiful and unique lighthouses. During your cruise, you’ll also pass Porcupine Islands, Champlain Mountain, Great Head, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach and the famous Otter Cliff, which juts out 110 feet making it one of the highest Atlantic coastal headlands north of Rio de Janeiro. An historian will be aboard to provide you with fascinating and fun facts about the five lighthouses that occupy the cliffs and islands that dot Acadia's coastline.

The Egg Rock lighthouse sits on an island in the mouth of Frenchman Bay. Winter Harbor features a round brick tower attached to a two story Victorian wood keeper's house. The lighthouse on Baker Island is round and made out of brick. Great is still an active lighthouse. The Life Saving Station on Little Cranberry Island marks your return trip back to the pier.

At the tip of a majestic fjord where the waters of the Saquenay and Saint Lawrence Rivers meet lies the charming village of Saguenay. With a decidedly French atmosphere and a touch of the Old World, you’ll visit the district of Chicoutimi and learn about the area's cultural, historic and natural history. As you begin your sightseeing tour, you’ll discover the importance of the fjord, deeply chiseled in the Laurentian Mountains, as a natural trading route for the first Nations people of the area. In the 1600’s, France established its first fur trading post and colonization of the area soon followed. Passing the industrial area, you’ll see how the early 20th century brought exploitation of the river with logging, the pulp and paper industries, and aluminum production. Continuing to Chicoutimi, you’ll drive along its main street – rue Racine – and its Old Port. A photo stop will be made at the Cultural Quarter and the Little White House that miraculously survived the Flood of 1996. A photo stop will also be made at the Pulp Mill of Chicoutimi. Founded in 1898, the mill played an important role in the development of the area. Also noted as the first French Canadian owned Pulp Company the mill produced a high quality pulp that was exported throughout the world. You’ll then drive by the Ha! Ha! Pyramid in La Baie district where you’ll learn of the great flood of 1996 that devastated the region and proved to be one of Canada’s greatest natural disasters. less