Fall Colours Cruise to USA & Canada

Day 1 Tuesday 24 September 2019 Depart Australia to New York
Today we board our overnight flights from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to New York. We arrive the same day as we depart because we cross the International Date Line. We will be met at the airport by our private coach and transferred to our hotel.

Day 2 Wednesday 25 September 2019 New York, USA
Today we have a sightseeing tour of New York City. We will see the major sites of the city including the Empire State Building, Wall Street, the Rockefeller Centre, Fifth Avenue, Times Square and much more. We will also visit 9/11 Memorial, once the site of the World Trade Centre. The rest of the afternoon is free for sightseeing and shopping. A walk up 5th Avenue is an unforgettable experience as is walking around Soho, Tribeca, Brooklyn or Central Park. We will enjoy an included welcome dinner this evening.

Day 3 Thursday 26 September 2019 New York
This morning we travel by boat to the famous Statue of Liberty. A gift from the French to American people in 1886 and engineered by Gustave Eiffel, it has been the symbol of the freedom of the USA to immigrants for over 100 years. We then travel to historic Ellis Island where half the population of the US entered the United States for the first time. We will see the route that new immigrants took through the processing room, medical appraisal room and entry room.

Day 4 Friday 27 September 2019 New York / Embarkation
Today will be free for shopping and sightseeing. This afternoon the group will be transferred to the MS Zuiderdam. Enjoy the spectacular view of the New York skyline as we depart this wonderful city.

Day 5 Saturday 28 September 2019 Newport, Rhode Island
This morning we arrive in to Newport. In the 19th century, Newport was America’s Versailles. It was here that the great merchant princes and rubber barons of the ‘Gilded Age’ erected the elaborate summerhouses they so ingenuously dubbed ‘cottages’. At the height of its splendour, a Newport season was a giddy whirl of grand fêtes, yacht races and elaborate beach picnics for assorted Vanderbilts, Astors and Morgan’s. Today, it is the privileged traveller who marvels at the splendour of great mansions like The Breakers, The Elms, or Rosecliff. This evening we have a welcome drinks party to celebrate the start of our cruise. Please Note: Newport is an anchorage port. Transfer from the ship to shore will be via the ship’s tender service.

Day 6 Sunday 29 September 2019 At sea
The morning will be free to explore the wonderful facilities of the ship. This afternoon join the group for a fun game of bingo, with prizes for the winners.

Day 7 Monday 30 September 2019 Gloucester, Massachusetts
North of Boston and near the tip of Cape Ann, Gloucester is a picturesque fishing town with opportunities for seaborne adventures as well as charming sights on dry land. Established in the 17th century and one of the earliest settlements in Massachusetts, Gloucester eventually grew to be an important fishing town. Today, fishing is still central to the town’s economy – though tourism plays a large role too, with visitors drawn to Gloucester’s small-town appeal as well as the chance to experience life around the harbor. On arrival we will have a whale-watching tour followed by a stroll along the harbor where you can visit some of its appealing restaurants and shops.

Day 8 Tuesday 1 October 2019 Portland, Maine
Portland is at once historic, quixotic and beautiful, tinged by worldly Boston, but still inherently Downeast. We enjoy a scenic drive through the quaint streets of the Old Port, once the home of the warehouse district. The old red brick buildings have been transformed into charming restaurants, pubs, boutiques and galleries. You will pass a number of historic Victorian homes and neighbourhoods, enjoying terrific views of Casco Bay and the islands from the East End Promenade. In the urban centre Portland’s new Arts District is appealing and the thriving commercial and business districts are quite lively. Learn about the history, architecture, and the life of the people who call Portland home. The city was founded in 1632 and boasts architectural masterpieces ranging from Queen Anne, Colonial and Federal to Beaux-Arts, Classical and Romanesque. We also visit Victoria Mansion, one of the finest examples of Italianate villa-style architecture in the country. It was built between 1858 and 1860 at a cost of $400,000 dollars (an extraordinary sum at the time), and the richly decorated interior features colourful frescos, elaborate carved woodwork, an eye-catching chandelier, a Moorish–style smoking room, stained glass, and a magnificent flying staircase.

Day 9 Wednesday 2 October 2019 Bar Harbor, Maine
This morning we arrive in Bar Harbor, Maine. A beautiful natural area where many celebrities have holiday houses. We will explore some of the beautiful natural scenery in the area. We will drive through Acadia National Park, designated one of America’s most scenic byways and admire the spectacular coastal scenery, with stops for photographs. There will also be some short walks to highlights of the rocky coastline – the very essence of Maine. We will pass a number of Victorian mansions that survived the Great Fire of 1947 as we drive along a portion of the Park Loop Road. A very enjoyable and relaxing day. Please note: Bar Harbor is an anchorage port. Transfer from the ship to shore will be via the ship’s tender transfer.

Day 10 Thursday 3 October 2019 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
This morning our guided sightseeing tour takes us to Halifax’s historic waterfront, where we will hear tales of the Halifax Explosion of 1917, and enjoy the scenic Old Town area. We see the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where over 100 victims of the Titanic are buried. We will also visit the quaint fishing village of Peggy’s Cove, home to one of the most spectacular lighthouses in Canada. Peggy’s Cove is famed for its picturesque and typically East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic. Although this unique environment has been designated a preservation area, it is still an active fishing community.

Day 11 Friday 4 October 2019 Sydney, Nova Scotia
Today we have an overview tour of the city of Sydney, founded by loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. We then travel on the Cabot Trail through and around the Cabot Highlands National Park. There will be stops for short walks and to take photographs of the spectacular scenery of Cape Breton Island. A great day.

Day 12 Saturday 5 October 2019 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
We dock in Charlottetown, the gracious capital of Prince Edward Island, with street’s lined with colourful planters. Prince Edward Island is the location for the novel Anne of Green Gables and the home of the author Lucy Maud Montgomery. We visit Anne of Green Gables Museum at Silverbush. This is the spacious house, where the author was married in 1911. We then tour some of the island and see the spectacular scenery and a lighthouse before we return to Charlottetown and the ship.

Day 13 Sunday 6 October 2019 Cruising Golf of St. Lawrence
A lighthouse on little St. Paul’s Island is a stark reminder of days gone by as you sail past this infamous old shipwreck site, known as the graveyard of the gulf, on our way through the Cabot Strait and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The largest estuary in the world, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence fringes the shores of half the provinces of Canada and is a gateway to the interior of the entire North American continent. Geographically, the Gulf is defined by stunning coast line and beautiful islands, including Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands. Thousands of migratory birds make this area their home during the spring and autumn migration period.

Day 14 Monday 7 October 2019 Scenic Cruising Saguenay Fjord
Located north of Québec City and emptying into the St. Lawrence River, Saguenay is the most southerly fjord in the Northern Hemisphere. The fjord and its surrounding dense woodlands supported native peoples for centuries, but it only took about 50 years for European settlers to deforest most of it in the late 19th century. In 1970, the Québec government began purchasing tracts of land along the fjord with the intention of protecting the region as the Saguenay Fjord National Park (Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay), finally established in 1983. The park is divided into three principal areas – the Baie-de-Tadoussac near the mouth of the fjord, the Baie-Sainte-Marguerite and, farthest inland, the Baie-Éternité. Its spectacular setting, with the wide Saguenay River overlooked by steep wooded cliffs, makes the fjord a popular year-round destination for kayaking, hiking and cross-country skiing. The fjord is also the foundation of a fascinating ecosystem that supports several varieties of migrating cetaceans, making it a prime spot for whale-watching. On its conifer-covered shorelines, the park protects populations of beavers, black bears, lynx and moose.

Day 15 Tuesday 8 October 2019 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
We arrive in the historic city of Quebec today. Founded in 1608 the Old Town of Quebec is the only walled city in North America and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At over 400 years-old the city is known for its cobblestone streets and squares and historic buildings. We will enjoy a walking tour through the charming streets of Québec’s Old Town, best explored on foot, to discover nearly four centuries of history in what is essentially a living museum. See Place-Royale where typical stone buildings surrounding the historic square that constitutes the heart of the Lower Town. It is home to North America’s oldest Catholic Church – Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. Petit-Champlain Street, around the corner from Place-Royale, is a charming pedestrian only area. The lower town has streets lined with shops and art galleries, which reflect the streets 18th-century heritage. We see the Royal Battery, which has been reconstructed and replicas of 18th-century canons are on display. We travel to Place Royal Square in the upper town, which was the hub of the city’s economic activity until the mid-19th century. We see the Citadel and Quebec’s fortifications.

Day 16 Wednesday 9 October 2019 Quebec
We disembark the ship this morning and further tour Quebec. We are then transferred to our hotel, our home for the next 2 nights. The rest of the afternoon will be free.

Day 17 Thursday 10 October 2019 Quebec
This morning we travel on the scenic train of Train de Charlevoix, from Quebec City through spectacular landscapes, seaside towns and villages. Founded by the owner of the Cirque du Soleil, Daniel Gauthier, the train travels through an amazing mountain and sea landscape and offers a unique 125 km rail journey across a legendary region of natural beauty. We will have time to explore historic towns before returning to Quebec and our hotel.

Day 18 Friday 11 October 2019 Montreal, Canada
Today we travel to the city of Montreal, founded in 1642 by French colonists. By the 1860s it was the economic heart of Canada. Today it is the second-biggest city in Canada, only to Toronto, and the largest French-speaking city in Canada. On arrival we enjoy a guided tour of Old Montreal. We see bustling Place Jacques Cartier and the Basilique Notre Dame, situated in Place D’Armes. We see the Old Seminary built by Sulpician missionaries in 1685, the oldest building in Montreal. The downtown area of Montreal has a North American look, with wide thoroughfares winding through a forest of skyscrapers. We check-in to our hotel in the afternoon.

Day 19 Saturday 12 October 2019 Montreal
This morning we visit Chateau de Ramezay, built in 1705 as the residence of Montreal Governor Claude de Ramezay. It is now a museum of early Quebec history and the enclosed garden next door has been re-created to resemble one like those cultivated by Montreal’s nobility in the 18th century. It was the first building in Québec to be classified an historic monument. This evening we will enjoy a farewell dinner to celebrate our journey.

Day 20 Sunday 13 October 2019 Departure
This morning we say farewell to Montreal and transfer to the airport for our return flight to Australia.

Day 21 Monday 14 October 2019 Inflight

Day 22 Tuesday 15 October 2019 Arrive Australia
Tour members arrive back in Australia. The tour concludes.