Canada and New England

My husband and I are planning to do a Crystal cruise starting in Quebec City on 13th October 2017 and ending in Fort Lauderdale. This is something I have always wanted to do, but he has avoided it until now as he is a warm climate cruiser, in general! My worry is that this will be a particularly poor time to sail ( the idea was to see N E in the fall - but we appreciate that 'fall' is not always at the same time, and we could easily miss it). The other worry is that being right at the end of the season many things will not be operational. We are no longer as active as we were, so the outdoor pursuits would not be important. Could anyone offer any advice, or give any comments, please?

Thank you. Dee

It is a great time for the fall colours. The third week of October in Nova Scotia (Halifax, Sydney) is usually the peak time.

As for what might not be operational you would have to be more specific. However this is peak cruise ship season in this part of the world so things which cater to cruise ship passengers should be up and running.

One exception is Fortress Louisbourg near Sydney which will be in low season. However if you wish to go there they generally put on a good tour for ships' excursions.

Scroll down the Ports of Call Canada/New England page ( http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=20 ) for more relevant posts. Also use the search bar to the right of the blue bar near the top of that page to do a search for more information.

Thank you, that is very helpful. Could you comment on the weather, or is it just the luck of the draw?

Mid-October in Québec City: it could be sunny and warm, or it could snow. Seriously. That said, recent years the warm weather has stayed for later into the fall, so I would probably expect temperatures to be somewhere around 10-15 Celsius - pleasant but brisk. The leaves follow the temperature - we really don't get the deep colours until the first frost - so again variable, but you probably will see some colours at those dates.

As for things not being operational - the ports along the traditional Canada/New England route are for the most part year-round destinations - they don't close down like the Greek Isles, for instance, when the main summer season is finished. You should be fine on that front.

Thank you! This confirms that it is the luck of the draw - so we will continue with our plans and hope we are lucky! I think it is the prospect of a lot of rain that daunts us the most, as we come from the Lake District in England - which is wet a lot of the time!

You may get rain, but not too often. Bring microfiber waterproof jackets with hoods, and think sweaters/fleece to wear under them when needed.

You may not need them but I would brings a hat and gloves to wear out on deck if there is a cool breeze.