Norwegian Gem - 7-Day Eastern Canada & New England
Starting in Quebec City, Quebec, l would suggest at least a day stay over first, as it is such a beautiful old city with a very European feel - wonderful cafes and restaurants, and rich in history for those who want to learn about the early French-English battles for Canada.
You can’t miss the imposing Fairmont Le Château Frontenac historic hotel - one of the many grand railway hotels built by the CP and CN Railway companies across Canada.
For fans of winter sports, the Eastern Townships have some of the best ski hills, this side of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, at resorts such as Le Massif and Mont-Sainte-Anne - that are only about an hours drive from Quebec City.
(Note: Quebec City is a more French city than the more Bilingual English-French Montreal, but you will find in the Eastern Townships, it is VERY French and away from the ski resorts, it is a little more challenging with English only)
My experience with cruises, (or guided tours), is that they are generally taken by tourists who like to have everything spelled out for them. It is for that reason that I have added a full itinerary below for those who would like to get a full accounting of all the stops along the way.!!
A Donut Shop was a Highlight.??
The Holy Donut in Portland, Maine’s specialty donut shop can be found on Exchange Street in the Old Port district - The (not-so) secret ingredient is adding mashed potatoes to give the donuts the moist texture.!!
Although they make something like 2 million donuts a year - they still claim to hand cut every donut and continue to use wholesome ingredients.!!!
Boston - Home to the Freedom Trail
You will notice a district red line on the sidewalk throughout the historic downtown of Boston, and occasionally a brass plaque that will confirm you still on track to walk through the history of Boston...
You can book walking tours led by 18th-century costumed guides, or simply walk on a self-guided tour by foot with a map, as we did.16 historically significant sites include museums and meeting houses, churches, burying grounds, Faneuil Hall and of course Boston Common - America’s oldest public park. Experience over 250 years of American history in oneday.
“One if by Land Two if by Sea”
It is thought that the 18th century Old North Church became the launch point for Paul Revere’s revolutionary ride, and the beginning of the American Revolution.
On the night of April 18, 1775, a simple, secret signal planned by Paul Revere, had lookouts in the bell tour of the Old North Church setting out a warning with asingle lantern meaning that British troops would chose the land route and two lanterns meaning the water route.
After the two lantern signal, Paul Revere began his historic ride from Boston to Concord to alert the citizens that “the Regulars are out!”, referring to the soldiers of the British Regular Army.
The Old North Church can be found in Boston’s North End not far from the Paul Revere Statue - along part of the Freedom Trail.
Visit a Lighthouse Said to be the Most Photographed in the US.!!
We wanted to take a quick tour around Portland, Maine and see the famous lighthouse, so I found the best bet, seemed to be the Portland City and Lighthouse Tour.
Conveniently located at the dock was Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours offering a comfortable hour and a half city and Portland Head Light tour, perfect length for us - on their cute trolley buses with great narration by the driver. (The more involved multiple lighthouse tours seemed like too much)
Norwegian Cruises are known for their “Free at Sea” promos
Most popular of which is the free drinks package.
In our case, we found that you had to work out what was the best value for your own cruise style. We chose a cruise for the best value available, and it was not a good deal to get “free” drinks. Our basic inside room did not give any Free at Sea promos, so that meant we would have to upgrade our room, AND after adding the 20% gratuity - our additional cost was going to be about $650.
We still enjoyed wine with dinners and other drinks, and paid much less than this, but you need to look at the numbers carefully and how much you expect to drink before accepting if the “free” drinks package works well for your cruise.
Maybe more of a Personal Preference than a Cruise Tip.
We are NOT buffet kind of people.!! (As l write this from our latest cruise l am reminded how l HATE to see people eating while in line at buffets, l find it the most disgusting thing to see others grazing while l choose my own food.!)
A very nice surprise is to find that the main restaurants have breakfast service as well as lunch and dinner. (Also on the day you embark, everyone runs to the buffet, but the main dining room is opened and half empty) It seems so much more civilised than the crowds in the buffet. You are still able to order what you want even multiple items or custom orders in the comfort of a fine dining experience. Why not.! Prepared and delivered to you own table hot and fresh. We even noticed that the unlimited FREE freshly squeezed breakfast orange juice in the dining room was available at the buffet at a $3 extra charge, at the same time.! The cruising experience is filled with inconsistencies like this... a milkshake may be free, but the same counter may serve ice cream in a cone for a fee.! Look into all the options that your particular cruise line offers as they differ great from one to another, and it is surprising how much choice is available without getting caught up with the extra charges.
And, still after having said all that, we have had amazing cruise experiences, finding good deals far in advance and really enjoying cruise vacations
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