New Market for New England and Canada Trips

When nervous cruise lines canceled many Mediterranean sailings during the Persian Gulf War in January and February, they had to find substitute itineraries quickly, or risk losing lots of money.

Alaska and the Caribbean were logical alternatives, and both regions are still picking up ships for their already busy ports. The real surprise, however, was the greatly increased ship traffic suddenly slotted for eastern Canada and New England.

Although Canada and New England long have been on the cruise circuit, mostly in early fall for viewing foliage, they haven’t been considered a rival of the glamorous Mediterranean.

So when Seabourn Cruise Lines offered discounts up to $1,000 to previously booked Mediterranean passengers, fewer than 35% changed their vacation plans to Canada and New England, according to President Duncan Beardsley.

“What’s happening instead is that we’re getting a lot of new passengers--a whole new market,” Beardsley said.

Seabourn is attempting several different ideas with its Canada/New England sailings scheduled for this month through August.

First, its itinerary will vary somewhat from the traditional route that goes from New York City, up and around Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and then down the St. Lawrence River into Quebec and Montreal for the turnaround.

Instead, the 212-passenger ship will sail from Boston to Labrador and remote ports usually visited only by expedition ships coming south from Greenland or Iceland.

Beardsley said they have a very experienced local pilot who will take the ship through Labrador’s icy Lake Melville, considered an ideal spot to look for the aurora borealis, and into Goose Bay.

Other ports of call on the Labrador itineraries include Newfoundland’s remote and beautiful Bonne Bay for whale watching, and the 1,000-year-old Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows at the northern tip of Newfoundland, where voyagers from Scandinavia set up an outpost 500 years before Columbus discovered the New World.

The Seabourn Pride is making 7- and 14-day sailings through the departure of Aug. 28. Sister ship Seabourn Spirit, deployed in Scandinavia and Northern Europe through the summer, will pick up the Canada/New England schedule Sept. 30 through the sailing of Oct. 7. Per-diem fares range from $547 to $999 per person, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles.

Crystal Cruises’ 960-passenger Crystal Harmony, also originally scheduled to spend the summer cruising in Europe, heads for New England/Canada at the conclusion of its series of five Alaska cruises.

The first of six 10-day cruises between New York City and Montreal sails Aug. 22, with the last departure scheduled for Oct. 11. Prices per person, double occupancy, per day, range from $215 to $1,135, including round-trip air from Los Angeles.

When Royal Cruise Line pulled its 460-passenger Golden Odyssey out of the Eastern Mediterranean for summer, it also substituted 12 seven-day Alaska cruises before moving to Canada/New England for six autumn sailings between New York City and Montreal during prime fall foliage time.

The Golden Odyssey season runs from Sept. 16 through the sailing of Oct. 21, at per-diem prices of $255 to $671 per person, double occupancy, plus $300 for air fare from Los Angeles. Passengers booking before June 1 get an additional early booking discount of 20%.

The 114-passenger Renaissance III from Renaissance Cruises also threw in 11 New England and Canada 10-day packages, including 7-day cruises between Boston and Quebec during August, September and early October. Prices per passenger, double occupancy, per day, range from $361 to $523, plus $300 for round-trip economy air from Los Angeles.

In addition to these four cruise lines, Canada/New England has 12 cruise ships scheduled to return this summer.

As early as last fall, Commodore Cruises announced that it was doubling the number of Canada/New England sailings for its Enchanted Seas and Enchanted Isle, each carrying 715 passengers.

Its seven-day cruises between New York City and Montreal run from June through October, with per-person, double occupancy, per-day fares ranging from $128 to $271, plus air add-ons of $350 from Los Angeles. The price includes an overnight in a New York City hotel and transfers prior to sailing. Three August departures aboard the Enchanted Isle are round-trip seven-day cruises from New York City that visit ports in New England and Nova Scotia.

Cunard’s 589-passenger Sagafjord will be sailing 10- and 11-day itineraries between Fort Lauderdale and Montreal Sept. 26 and Oct. 7 at per-diem fares of $305 to $543 per person, double occupancy, with air fare from Los Angeles included.

The largest ship scheduled in Canada/New England this summer is Princess Cruises’ 1,200-passenger Royal Princess, making a series of four 10-day sailings beginning Sept. 9 between New York City and Montreal at per diem of $255 to $637, including air fare from Los Angeles.

Royal Viking Line’s 740-passenger Royal Viking Sun is scheduled for four 7- and 14-day cruises from New York City to Montreal. Prices run from $239 to $793 a day, per person, double occupancy, with round-trip air from Los Angeles included.

The flagship of Regency Cruises, the 816-passenger Regent Sun, will sail between New York City and Montreal from June 6 through Oct. 23 on 7- and 14-day itineraries for per-diem rates of $151 to $306 per person, double occupancy, plus an air add-on of $375 from Los Angeles.

Children sharing the cabin with two full-fare adults pay $345 each for the week between June 23 and Sept. 1, plus the air add-ons.

American Canadian Caribbean Lines’ 80-passenger Caribbean Prince and 72-passenger New Shoreham II charge from $99 to $183 a day per person, double occupancy, on their 12-day itineraries along the Erie Canal and St. Lawrence River. Air fare is extra.

Clipper Cruise Line’s 108-passenger Nantucket Clipper makes round-trip cruises out of Boston to the islands of New England (seven-night cruises) and the coast of Maine and Bay of Fundy (10-night cruises) for $229 to $370 per day per person, double occupancy, plus air fare.

The only Canadian-flag cruise line, St. Lawrence Cruise Ships, sails its replica steamboats, the 66-passenger Canadian Empress and the 103-passenger Victorian Empress, on 3-, 4- and 7-day cruises along the St. Lawrence River between Kingston, Ontario, and the Saguenay Fiord, from $185 to $360 a day per person, double occupancy, plus air fare.

And following its adventurous attempt to transit the legendary Northwest Passage, Salen Lindblad’s new 164-passenger Frontier Spirit is scheduled to cruise around Newfoundland and the Maritime States of Canada, sailing Sept. 16 and disembarking in New York City 10 days later. Cost will be $383 to $563 per person, per day, double occupancy, plus air fare.