Cruises from Quebec City to Canada & New England

Which lines sail from Quebec City to Canada & New England?

• Azamara
  Intimate, relaxed and destination-obsessed, with a boutique-hotel feel and a well-traveled crowd.
• Holland America Line
  Gracious and unhurried; live music at night, a good book by day and plenty of ocean views.
• Oceania Cruises
  Refined, relaxed and food-obsessed, with a country-club feel and a strong focus on the destinations.
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises
  Opulent, quietly sociable and genuinely all-inclusive; the kind of ship where you sign nothing all week.
• Silversea Cruises
  Quietly elegant and well-traveled, with butler-level service and a strong sense of place.
• Viking
  Quiet, elegant and intellectually curious; think a stylish Nordic hotel where the evening entertainment might be a history lecture.

When to go

1. January: Few or no cruises, average high 32 degrees F Jan 32°17°
2. February: Few or no cruises, average high 33 degrees F Feb 33°19°
3. March: Few or no cruises, average high 38 degrees F Mar 38°25°
4. April: Few or no cruises, average high 48 degrees F Apr 48°34°
5. May: Cruises run, average high 58 degrees F May 58°42°
6. June: Shoulder season, average high 67 degrees F Jun 67°51°
7. July: Shoulder season, average high 74 degrees F Jul 74°58°
8. August: Shoulder season, average high 74 degrees F Aug 74°59°
9. September: Best time, average high 67 degrees F Sep 67°53°
10. October: Best time, average high 56 degrees F Oct 56°44°
11. November: Few or no cruises, average high 47 degrees F Nov 47°35°
12. December: Few or no cruises, average high 37 degrees F Dec 37°24°

• Best time
• Shoulder season
• Cruises run
• Few or none

Temperatures in Fahrenheit, long-term averages. Climate source.

Cruises run from about May to late October. Fall foliage season (late September to mid-October) is in highest demand and fills early. Summer has the warmest weather; May and early June can be cool and foggy.

Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 to November 30) can affect this route, especially in September, when post-tropical storms sometimes reach New England and Nova Scotia and force port changes. Fog is common in early summer. Ports can be cool and windy in May and October, so pack layers.

Where you'll stop

Itineraries vary by line and length. These are the ports Canada & New England cruises most often visit:

• Bar Harbor, Maine, United States: Gateway to Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain, plus lobster shacks. A tender port with a daily cap on cruise visitors.
• Portland, Maine, United States: A food-focused harbor city with lighthouses such as Portland Head Light nearby.
• Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: A lively waterfront, the Citadel, Pier 21 immigration museum next to the cruise terminal, and Peggy's Cove.
• Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada: The Bay of Fundy and the Reversing Falls, where the huge tides push the river upstream.
• Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada: Access to Cape Breton Island, the Cabot Trail and the Fortress of Louisbourg.
• Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada: Red-sand beaches, mussels and oysters, and Anne of Green Gables country.

Before you sail from Quebec City

The port says the airport is about 20 minutes away by car. Both terminals are about a 15-minute walk from Gare du Palais, the VIA Rail station with daily trains from Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Arrive at the wharf at least two hours before departure, as the port recommends.

The Port of Quebec's Louise Basin lot offers long-term parking about a 15-minute walk from Terminal 84 and 12 minutes from Wharf 30, with multi-day rates sold only through the port's mobile app. At Terminal 84, drop-off is free for the first 10 minutes.

• Bring a passport; you need one to fly into Canada, and one-way cruises between Canada and the U.S. make it essential.
• Old Quebec's streets are steep and cobbled, so take a taxi to the terminal if you have heavy bags.
• If you have time before boarding, the port offers a luggage check service so you can sightsee without your suitcases.
• Book fall sailings early; September and October are the busiest months.

Documents: Round trips from New York, New Jersey or Boston are closed-loop cruises. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says US citizens on a closed-loop cruise can re-enter with a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID, and Canada accepts proof of US citizenship plus photo ID for cruise visitors. One-way cruises to or from Quebec City or Montreal are not closed-loop, and you will be flying into or out of Canada, so you need a passport book. US citizens do not need a Canadian eTA. We recommend a passport book for every itinerary. Non-US citizens should check both US and Canadian rules. Check current requirements with your line before you sail.

More detail: our full Quebec City cruise port guide and our Canada & New England cruise guide.

Related routes

Canada & New England from other ports: Baltimore, Boston, Cape Liberty (Bayonne), Montreal, New York City.