In October, I cruised to Canada/New England on Crystal Cruises' Symphony. It is a very nice ship and the itinerary was great.

We started in New York. With the ship departing at 8pm, we had time to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art; loved the Egypt section and also the art masters: Rembrandt, Vermeer, Picasso and more.

Our first port of call was Newport, Rhode Island, possibly my favorite because we got to visit the Elms and the Marble House. These are two of the fabulous "summer cottages" used by the rich and famous like the Vanderbilt's, for just a few weeks per year. They have incredible architecture--very impressive!

Then we had an overnight in Boston; of course, lots of historical sites like the home of Paul Revere.

Our third port was Bar Harbor, Maine. We took Oli's Trolley to Cadillac Mountain, a whopping 1,532 feet to the summit--impressive for a Californian! Not! But it was very nice to see the turning of the leaves; lots of colored leaves and beautiful scenery.

We finally made it to Canada, stopping at St. John, New Brunswick. It's a nice town and we walked from the pier to the Reversing Falls. The Bay of Fundy tides rise 28.5 feet!

Next stop: Halifax, Nova Scotia. We visited the Maritime Museum and learned all about the explosion and fire of 1917. Two ships collided in the harbor, one of them carrying munitions. It was the greatest known man-made explosion until the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945.

Another favorite stop was Quebec City. It is so charming with all the shops and restaurants, and the famous hotel which sits very regally on a hill above the harbor with its wonderful architecture: Chateau Frontenac.

And our final destination was Montreal. My favorite site is Notre Dame Basilica (where Celine Dion was married). I had been there before and forgot how magnificent it was.

And we were so lucky, the weather was perfect! Not too hot and the sun was out everyday. We had one day of rain while at sea and it drizzled all day in Montreal.

So...you've cruised to the Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska...I highly recommend this itinerary. And almost all of the cruise lines offer this or a similar itinerary. Call for more information or to plan your next vacation.

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