The cruise lines all use just about the same ports on this itinerary. Just make sure you start or end in either Montreal or Quebec. Stopping in Quebec City is a must. Sydney, Halifax, and Bar Harbor are also great. The real question is what cruise line fits your budget. If money is no object, take Regent or Crystal. If you can only afford a midlevel line, take Holland America.

I agree with the previous recommendations - Quebec City is beautiful and a "must see." My walking tour through the old, historic part of the city up the funicular to tea at the Chateau Frontenac was a highlight.

Halifax, Sydney and Bar Harbor are wonderful, but Charlottetown was my favorite port. "Anne of Green Gables" movies and books are my lifetime favorites and Prince Edward Island was a memory of a lifetime. I would recommend reading the books or watching the movies before your trip.

Holland America did a great job with our cruise - we were very happy with our trip.

Best Regards,
Julia
Blog: spasandadventures.wordpress.com

Thanks so much for your replies. Suggestions well taken. I guess one should not even consider NCL for this type of cruise, even if they are so much cheaper???

Has anyone gone with Princess's Sea Princess for this cruise? They offer a departure on October 3, 2008 which includes: New York City, Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney Charlottetown and ending in Quebec City. If we chose this one we could stay over a few days to explore Quebec. List price for OceanView is $1880 and balcony is $2375. Would it be worth it to get a cabin to better take in the splendor of the sites while cruising or would it be too cold or would money be better spent elsewhere, like on shore excursions. I also think i could get a better price on CruiseCompete.com. Thanks for your thoughts.

Jay

I admit I am biased, but I strongly recommend against taking the Sea Princess or NCL. Although Princess has its fans, we have had bad experiences with it. We had friends who took the Sea Princess on this very itinerary two years ago and they told horror stories about it. They were nickel and dimed to death, missed much of Boston because the ship forgot to tell the port they were coming, and generally had lousy service. NCL is an economy line. If you can afford Holland America, it is in a higher class and is worth the extra money. Celebrity is equivalent and is highly regarded if their cruise timing is better for you.

Thanks for your honest thoughts renaissanceman. Wife and I have cruised with Princess more than a number of times and have always done fine with them. You are correct, however, when you speak about nickle and diming to death. We usually don't bite at their nickle and diming offers. What do you think about oceanview vs balcony in October or is it not worth it in that this could very well be a "working vacation" with almost a port per day. We are currently getting ready to do a 10 day Southern caribbean cruise out of Miami mid-December 2007. Although i know you do not think much of NCL, we booked with the brand new NCL Pearl. Got a great price for oceanview. Will be our first experience with anytime dining and no formal nights! This ship does have a bowling alley for $5 bucks per game including shoes. How about that?
Appreciate your thoughts.

Jay

You only get "nickled and dimed" if you let them!! BTW don't miss Boston (we are from Boston)..Halifax is definetely a wonderful port as is St. John.. Won't swear by it, but few of the upper end cruise ships are stopping at a new possible port...the wonderful fishing vilage of Gloucester. We have done the fall cruise twice, once by accident and I can't say enough for some of these ports..like Halifax..St. John..and Bar Harbor..Bar Harbor is where we found the greatet and I mean greatest lobster shack on the water.. where we picked out the size lobster, steamers, corn and iced coffee and gourged ourselves like I couldn't believe.. Some ofthe cruise ships stop in Newport.. there are the mansion to visit and a few do Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket...St. John is absolutely charming...the Lord Mayor greats every ship with a bag piper and a rose for the ladies.. There is the Reversing Falls, the downtown area and another great lobster shack onn the way back to the beach. It is an old city, but charming.. There is only one port in Boston.. and from there you can take transportation to the Quincy Market and grab a tour trolley or better yet one of the Duck Tours.. or walk across the strees to downtown Boston, the Common and the Public Gardens.. Boston is a walking city..and I'm pretty proud of it.. Don't worry if it's NCL or Holland..it's the ports and the itinerary which count. Yes, you would probably get a smaller ship from NCL to do that itinerary...because Boston's Black Falcon Pier isn't big enough..Oh yes.. Portland, Maine..that's a great port too.. Please don't count on seeing colors the particular weekyour going... as they start up north and work it'sway down..we never know...

There's a cruise line for every passenger, and you may be among those who can thoroughly enjoy Princess or NCL. It would be terrible if everyone had the same tastes. I really can't advise you on oceanview vs. balcony, as it depends on the weather. Since this is very unpredictable in this area at that time of year, you would be safer taking the oceanview.

Are there any smaller ships that have a similar itinerary?

We are leaving on 10/10 out of Bayonne RT to Quebec City. This is a 13 night cruise on Celebrity.

I'll be glad to post a Trip Report when we return, or if you prefer, just email with with any questions and I'll reply to you directly.