Holland America Cruise Canada & New England

I have long been eager to explore the Canadian Maritime Provinces and Quebec City. What better way to explore these gorgeous places in Canada along with the iconic New England cities of Boston and Bar Harbor than on the Holland America Cruise Canada and New England?

We spent eight days on the magnificent Zuiderdam as our base, exploring charming ports brimming with rich history, jaw-dropping landscapes, fun excursions, and scrumptious seafood and local cuisine.

I flew into Boston, where I embarked on a 7-day cruise that ended in Quebec City. We enjoyed every port. Here are our adventures below.

Itinerary

Day 1: Embark in Boston, Massachusetts
Day 2: Bar Harbor, Maine
Day 3: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Day 4: Sydney, Nova Scotia
Day 5: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Day 6: At Sea, St. Lawrence River
Day 7: Quebec City, Canada

The Ship

Holland America’s Zuiderdam was perfect to spend the week on. With only 1964 passengers, they really go “overboard” (pun intended!) to make each guest feel special.

The Zuiderdam is a medium ship, which is what we prefer over mega-ships. It’s also a premium cruise line, meaning that they are very attentive to their passengers, which is what we experienced in spades, especially since it was their 150-year anniversary.

We loved our veranda cabin – incredible to watch sunrise or sunset on a personal basis, watch scenic landscapes go by, and just a great place to hang out with your cabin mate and a bottle of bubbly.

Music is an absolute priority on board. One whole deck is dedicated to live music venues. Called the “Music Walk,” it includes a rock club, a jazz club, dueling pianos, and a theater for live dance performances and comedians.

We took advantage of the hot tubs – a great place to relax after a busy day of excursions.

We ate delicious food in the main dining room on most nights, with two dinners in the specialty dining venues, Canaletto and Pinnacle Grill, which were fantastic, especially the lobster tails with filet mignon.

Pre-Cruise

We flew into Boston and stayed at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, an exquisite historic hotel in the Back Bay area and the official hotel used by Holland America. I highly recommend arriving at least a day early and staying at this official hotel to ensure you’re taken care of in case of flight issues. You’ll also want extra time to explore this historical city.

Guests place their luggage outside of the hotel door on the morning of embarkation for them to be picked up and transported to the cruise ship. We then proceeded to the ship via a bus provided by the cruise line.

1 Boston

Boston at a Glance

Population: 654,776 (2021)
Founded: September 7, 1630
Sales tax: 6.25% avalara.com
Demonym: Bostonian

I was born and raised in Rhode Island, and then spent 20+ years as an adult living in New Hampshire. So I know Boston pretty well, and in my opinion, it’s one of the best and most interesting walking cities in the US (driving is a whole different matter!).

It’s one of the most historically important cities in the United States, from the Pilgrims landing on nearby Plymouth Rock to the many sites associated with the struggle for Independence along the legendary Freedom Trail.

It’s a culturally rich waterfront city and foodie haven, with the best cannoli on the Earth (yes, including Italy, I’ve had both) to its iconic Irish pubs, and world-class Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox baseball team.

And don’t forget to try the legendary Dunkin Donuts coffee – the best coffee in the United States – accompanied by either a maple frosted doughnut or (duh) a Boston cream doughnut.

You may be interested in “Boston’s Best Canoli Challenge.”

For more information on visiting Boston, read my full article “10 Best Couples Things to Do in Boston.”

2 Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor at a Glance

Population: 5,535 (2018)
Settled: 1763
Known for: gateway to Acadia National Park

The quintessential Maine coastal town of Bar Harbor is charming and packed with charming shops, bakeries, ice cream shops, and museums.

Bar Harbor is also a prime spot for whale watching and kayaking and a popular port for cruise ships like Holland America.

And perhaps most importantly, Bar Harbor is where you can indulge in some legendary Maine lobstah (lobster)! Many people choose to forgo an excursion and spend this port day in the harborside village, just steps from the pier.

In addition to strolling around the cute port town, we chose to spend our day exploring stunning Acadia National Park, one of the top 10 most visited national parks in the USA.

Acadia National Park covers 47,000 acres on the coast of Maine and is the only major national park in New England. One of the top-visited national parks in the United States, Acadia National Park Photo spots are simply something you should not miss on your trip to New England!

Located on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, the park has many unique features to make it worth a visit. This coastal gem offers craggy granite cliffs, miles of forested trails that glow in the fall, biking on the historic carriage roads, adrenaline-spiking hikes, kayaking on Jordan Pond, and enough photographic beauty to please every kind of traveler.

For more information on visiting Acadia National Park, read my full article “10 Acadia National Park Photo Spots You Can’t Miss!”

3 Halifax

Halifax at a Glance

Population: 431,479 (2017) United Nations
City: 1842
Highest elevation: (793.6 ft)
Province: Nova Scotia
Known for: Nova Scotia’s largest city, provincial capital & cultural hub

The Nova Scotia province of Canada is known for its 4,600 miles of rugged coastline, picturesque fishing villages and small coastal towns, rich history, and stunning natural beauty. These charming Nova Scotia towns offer visitors a glimpse into the province’s unique maritime culture along with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Blue Rocks, and Louisbourg are five of the prettiest and most Instagrammable places to see in the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

For more information about visiting Halifax, read my full article “These 5 Charming Nova Scotia Towns Really Exist!”

4 Sydney

In all honesty, there’s not too much to do around the port in Sydney. After researching, I decided we could have a fun day with great photography opportunities by visiting the historic fortress outside Sydney. It was the perfect choice!

Louisbourg at a Glance

The buildings you see represent only 25% or so of Fortress of Louisbourg’s original footprint.
Guests can pay for special activities such as firing a musket or cannon or designation as Prisoner of the Day outfitted in an iron collar for 30 minutes and be fed bread and water.

The fort was built in 1744 to protect and provide a base for France’s lucrative North American fishery and to protect Quebec City from British invasions. It is an accurate representation of a French garrison with much of the original materials repurposed during the restoration.

Described as “the jewel of all Canadian historic sites,” the reconstructed fortification is a one-quarter partial reconstruction of an 18th-century French fortress on the rocky shore of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia which was once a thriving seaport and capital of Cape Breton Island.

The entire complex is a huge living museum with costumed actors scattered about the streets, re-enacting town life during the 1700s. You can strike up a conversation with armed guards, visit the chapel, get some cooking tips from a servant, or grab it bite from the bakery.

I came attired in a generic medieval dress which photographed well, especially flouncing about the lovely gardens. Granted, it wasn’t authentic or as simple as the colonial peasant women interpreters were wearing, but it suited my purpose and brand, and we had a blast with our photo ops! Artistic vs. authentic in this case.

The Fortress of Louisbourg was featured on the TV show, The Amazing Race.

For more information on visiting the fortress, read my full article, “Relive History at Louisbourg Fortress.”

5 Prince Edward Island

PEI at a Glance

Area: 2,185 mi²
Population: 156,947 (2019) StatCan
Capital: Charlottetown
Length: 175 miles
Industries: Tourism, agriculture, fisheries
Famous For: Anne of Green Gables (book)

Picturesque Prince Edward, aka “the Gentle Island” and “PEI,” is the smallest province in Canada and one of eastern Canada’s maritime provinces, off New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The large island is known for its painted storybook houses, stunning red-sand beaches, rolling sand dunes, 19th-century lighthouses, seafood like lobster, oysters, and mussels, and of course, the literary heritage as the inspiration behind the beloved Anne of Green Gables novel. Even though it’s a small island (you can drive the entire length of the island in less than three hours), things to do in Prince Edward Island abound!

We did a tour set up for us by PEI Tourism, but I suggest that you rent a car and drive around the small island so you can see more. In addition to the charming downtown with pedestrian-only Victoria Street, you can also Cavendish beach and cliffs, North Rustico fishing village, Confederation Bridge, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s childhood home (the inspiration for Anne of Green Gables), and other highlights.

For more information on visiting PEI, read my full article “Best Things to Do in Prince Edward Island.”

6 Sea Day

Full transparency, I’m usually not a fan of sea days. But I really enjoyed my one sea day on the Holland America Canada cruise.

In the morning, I sat in on the lecture on the World Stage which gave interesting information on how the ship is run.

High tea in the afternoon was fun! We met up with some other passengers that we’d met and enjoyed sharing tea and tiered silver serving trays of petit fours that were to die for.

We also enjoyed a couples’ massage performed by well-trained aestheticians

But my favorite part of the sea day on the Holland America Canada cruise was the Orange Party. Inspired by its Dutch heritage, a la King’s Day, Holland America celebrates one night on each cruise as “Orange Party.” Guest are encouraged to wear their best orange attire, and have photo ops with orange wigs, glasses, bowties, etc.

We had a blast with our new friends, dancing until the live band went off stage for the night!

7 Quebec City

Quebec City at a Glance

Language: French
Established: 1608
Population: 542,298 (2017) United Nations
Area: 187.6 mi²
Province: Quebec, 150 miles north of Montréal
Founder: Samuel de Champlain

I tell you the truth, Quebec City is the prettiest city in North America. There are so many beautiful places in Quebec City that we were not able to see all of them, having only one day to spend there. Which means I want to go back, tout de suite!

One of Canada’s most visited cities, Quebec City feels like you’ve been transported to a small village in the French countryside in Europe. So it’s no surprise that, like me, most people who visit immediately fall in love with the utterly charming old-world architecture and vibe.

The postcard-perfect UNESCO old town has colorful 15th-17th century architecture, cobblestone streets, bougie boutique shops, charming cafes and bistros, and an abundance of green spaces; there are enough beautiful places in Quebec City for an Instagram extravaganza.

I felt immediately in sync with this scenic city sitting on the St. Lawrence River. You see, my inheritance is that ALL my ancestors emigrated from France and Belgium to the Quebec province, to Rhode Island. The Canadian French sounded nostalgically in my ears like every family event on my paternal grandparents’ side; even the heavily accented English sounded like their conversations. I was overjoyed that I would be able to find the yummy food of my childhood: tourtiere, crepes, quiche, bouillabaisse, and croissants. The food of my youth always has my mouth watering.

There is so much more to the city besides the Chateau Frontenac, gorgeous as that is. I highly recommend Place Royale, Place de Paris, and just strolling around the lower town. Our guided tour with Holland America Line introduced us to the layout of the city and some of the highlights, and then we continued to explore on our own. We were dead tired at the end of the day, but oh so worth it!

Did you know that the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac lays claim to being the most photographed hotel in the whole world? And what a stunning beauty it is!

I especially loved strolling around lower town, especially idyllic photo spots like Breakneck Stairs and Rue du Petit Champlain (one of North America’s oldest commercial streets) for shopping therapy.

And of course, I had to try one of their irresistible “beaver tails,” a scrumptious pastry – a flat, oval, fried dough pastry made to symbolize a beaver’s tail, topped with sweet confections such as frosting, cinnamon, Nutella, or other condiments. It is similar to American doughboys or elephant ears.

Getting an iconic photo with this hotel in the background was #1 on my list of things to do in Vieux Quebec (Old Quebec). But as is my custom, I went over the top finding the most Instagrammable spots.

For more information on visiting Quebec City, read my article “Beautiful Places in Quebec City for Instagram Envy!”

Conclusion

Holland America cruise – Canada and New England is a great way to see this part of the world at an affordable price. They take wonderful care of their passengers and offer excellent shore excursions. I can’t think of a better way to check these off my bucket list

Most photos by Kary Kern.

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Disclosure: The author was honored to be the guest of Holland American Line during her stay, but as always, the opinions, reviews, and experiences are her own.

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About the Author

Patti Morrow is a freelance travel writer and founder of the award-winning international blog Luggage and Lipstick and the southern travel blog Gone to Carolinas. TripAdvisor called her one of the “20 Baby Boomer Travel Bloggers Having More Fun Than Millennials” and she was named one of the “Top 35 Travel Blogs” in the world.

She is also the star of the upcoming TV series “Destination Takeover” which is scheduled to premiere in the next few months.

Patti is the author of the book “Girls Go Solo: Tips for Women Traveling Alone,” and has over 150 bylines in 40 print and online publications, including The Huffington Post, International Living Magazine, Washington Post Sunday Travel, Travel Girl, Travel Play Live Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal. She has traveled extensively through six continents looking for fabulous destinations, exotic beaches, and adventure activities for her Baby Boomer tribe.