view from ship Canada/New England cruise

Is a balcony cabin important for a great view from ship between ports? Are you close enough to shore to see fall colors? Thanks for the info.

You're usually more than three miles out when sailing.

It's more about the view when entering and exiting port.

The only stretch where you will see land while sailing is on the St. Lawrence River. If you are sailing between Quebec City to Montreal (Maasdam), there are parts where you can see land.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Even though the ship doesn't sail close to land, we still like to have a balcony/verandah. We love to be out there when sailing into and out from a port.

What cruise line are you sailing on?

While having a balcony is great, seeing fall colors is not sufficient reason to pay the additional cost. Most of the time you will be out of sight of land, when entering ports there will not be much foliage to see- if you've ever sailed in our out of a major port you might recall seeing port facilities - but very few trees close up. Even in the St. Lawrence, you will be pretty far from shore much of the time.

Is a balcony cabin important for a great view from ship between ports? Are you close enough to shore to see fall colors? Thanks for the info.

you are not going to see leaves until you are entering port.. and if it is foggy( I am talking about YOU Bar Harbor! :mad: :rolleyes:) you won't even see the lighthouses.

That being said I use my balcony daily just to listen to the water so I always get one. what is the point of having coffee hand delivered by your husband after his workout if it isn't enjoyed on the balcony?!

you are not going to see leaves until you are entering port.. and if it is foggy( I am talking about YOU Bar Harbor! :mad: :rolleyes:) you won't even see the lighthouses.

 

That being said I use my balcony daily just to listen to the water so I always get one. what is the point of having coffee hand delivered by your husband after his workout if it isn't enjoyed on the balcony?!

There are times sailing into Bar Harbor they can't see the front of the bow from the bridge!!! :D

We have been there when Coast Guard required a Bridge Officer ride each tender with the quartermaster driving tenders ashore. The tender ride is about 5 minutes. :D Fog can be incredibly thick there.

We love our verandah on Canada/NE cruises. We use it a great deal but we usually sail during times when warmer temps are expected and more common.

IMO, balconies are highly overrated. Much nicer being out on the open decks, or in the case of less-than-ideal temps, in a public room with a view (or in a snug cabin).

Thanks all!!

you are not going to see leaves until you are entering port.. and if it is foggy( I am talking about YOU Bar Harbor! :mad: :rolleyes:) you won't even see the lighthouses.

 

That being said I use my balcony daily just to listen to the water so I always get one. what is the point of having coffee hand delivered by your husband after his workout if it isn't enjoyed on the balcony?!

What is unique to the waters you will be sailing from Boston to Portland or Bar Harbor are the buoys that have bells. The sounds of the buoys bouncing on the waves is so soothing. The often have markers for the lobster traps the lobstermen have dropped.

Booked first cruise out of New York to Quebec City, round trip to New York, leaving Sepember 27th, back October 11.

Am wondering what kind of weather we might plan for, realizing weather is unpredictable... interested in what others have experienced at this time of year.

We have a limited view cabin on the Queen Mary 2, so suspect we will spend some time on it, should we pack like we are going to Alaska, did an Alaska trip one year in September, it was cool.

The further north you sail, the cooler it might (probably) will be. Certainly NE can have a late summer spell but I would plan for a few layers of clothes so you can take off and put on per the weather. Mornings will be cool to cold but the weakening sun could add some warmth as the day goes on.

I suggest a water resistant jacket, a hoodie and/or sweater, some long sleeve jerseys/shirts and some short sleeve. You aren't likely to need scarf or gloves for warmth unless you get particularly cold easily.

Your dates are similar to the cruise we took. We left NYC on Sept 23rd. By the time we reached Bar Harbor on the 27th, it was chilly and rainy. The rain continued to Halifax, St. John and Quebec City. We took photos of the Fall Foliage in the pouring rain in Quebec City. We overnighted in Quebec City and the weather cleared for our Southward return to NYC.

So be prepared for cold, rainy, windy weather, and if it happens to be clear and warmer, thank the travel Gods.