I recently sailed around Canada on board Azamara Quest on their Autumn Colours Voyage, cruising from Montréal along the Saint Lawrence River and down the East Coast of North America to New York.
If you’re considering a Canada and New England cruise, I highly recommend travelling in the autumn, when the landscape transforms into a spectacular backdrop of red and golden leaves. Azamara’s small-ship luxury allows you to visit smaller, lesser-known ports and enjoy a truly authentic Canadian experience.
The voyage was the perfect combination of scenic beauty, cultural discovery and small-ship comfort. Every port offered something unique, from charming coastal towns, busier waterfront cities and lots of dramatic autumn landscapes.
With a fleet of four smaller ships, Azamara’s ships are able to dock in ports that larger vessels can’t reach, offering carefully crafted itineraries that allow guests to truly immerse themselves in each destination and experience the very best of every region and its culture.
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Azamara seamlessly fuses the intimate, small-ship atmosphere with the charm and warmth of a boutique hotel at sea. Life on board Azamara Quest is relaxed, yet elegant, and the friendly crew create such a welcoming environment that it immediately feels like home from the moment you step on board.
The dining on board is a genuine highlight, with a wide range of dietary needs thoughtfully catered for. For an extra fee, we dined at Prime C Steakhouse, a speciality restaurant where impeccable service and beautifully presented dishes made the evening feel truly memorable.
Our inside cabin was surprisingly spacious, comfortable and blissfully quiet. Across the ship, the public areas felt cosy and inviting, with plenty of room to unwind and tasteful décor adding to the sense of understated luxury.
Over twelve memorable nights, our voyage took us to a captivating collection of ports. Quebec City, Saguenay, Baie Comeau, Havre Saint Pierre, Halifax, Lunenburg, Saint John, Portland, Boston, and Martha’s Vineyard. It concluded with a spectacular arrival into Manhattan, New York.
My highlights included the beautiful Quebec City, a charming blend of French heritage and contemporary Canadian culture. Its cobblestone streets, elegant architecture and lively cafés made it one of the most captivating ports of the voyage.
Other memorable highlights included a visit to Lunenburg, a picturesque UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nova Scotia. This colourful harbour town, with its brightly painted wooden buildings and deep-rooted seafaring heritage, felt like stepping back in time. Only a handful of cruise ships visit each season, which made our call here feel even more special. Lunenburg is famously home to the Bluenose, the iconic racing schooner featured on the Canadian dime, and its working waterfront still reflects that proud shipbuilding legacy. I loved wandering along the harbour, admiring the boats and soaking up the town’s rich maritime history.
A final unforgettable moment was our transit through the Cape Cod Canal. Although we passed through in the middle of the night, I’m so glad I got up to witness it. The calm stillness of the water, the soft glow of the lights along the shore, and the quiet hum of the ship made it a peaceful and memorable experience, one of those special moments that remind you why it’s worth getting up early at sea.
When in Quebec, we experienced one of Azamara’s signature AzAmazing Evenings. These are complimentary events designed to give guests a deeper connection to the destination through local culture and entertainment. Our AzAmazing Evening took place inside the impressive Quebec Armoury, where world-renowned pianist and composer Steve Barakatt gave a mesmerising solo performance. His music filled the grand space, perfectly capturing the spirit and elegance of Quebec, an unforgettable highlight of the cruise.
Overall, I would definitely travel with Azamara and do a Canada and New England itinerary again. I wholeheartedly recommend the voyage to anyone seeking an elegant yet relaxed way to explore this stunning part of the world, especially during the autumn.
If you’d like to explore itineraries around Canada and New England, or are interested in sailing with Azamara, contact our luxury cruise concierge and they can talk you through all your options to create the perfect holiday for you.
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