Quebecois Culture, Canadian Fjords & New Amsterdam

We follow French explorers to ply the St. Lawrence and discover Quebecois’ haute culture, craggy cleft landscapes and tiny islands with endless beauty. Our exploration begins where French colonial history started in Quebec City. Founded by Samuel de Champlain, fortified with 17th century ramparts and crowned by the Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City has reigned as a bastion of the French New World for more than 400 years.

The adventures of Jacques Cartier call us deep into the scenic Saguenay River. Wild, rugged and unfazed by time, the Saguenay is actually a flooded fjord noted as one of the ten longest in the world and breeding ground for the beluga and minke whales. Lichen-and-pine-studded cliffs guide us to La Baie, celebrated as one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in Québec.”

Further up the St. Lawrence River we find beautiful Baie-Comeau, which is the heart of the UNESCO Manicouagan-Uapishka World Biosphere Reserve and circular Manicouagan Crater & Réservoir that was created when an asteroid crashed about 215.5 million years ago — and it is even visible from space! Breathtaking landscapes carved by time, ice and patience produce glorious scenery that passes by as we silently sail to Prince Edward Island. A so-called gentle isle, P.E.I. is famed for black mussels, red-sand beaches, and the home of Anne of Green Gables.

Next, we toast the infamous adage of ‘great wines come from fringe places’ as we sail into Halifax where eighty-plus local wineries have perfected viticulture in their 410-years of production. Halifax also serves as our gateway to the wonderment of the Bay of Fundy. where the tidal range is 10 - 14 meters every day. From the capital of French Canada to the bastion of world commerce, we finally call on New York City. With a 24-hour overnight aboard ship, you can fully experience the “city that never sleeps.”

Whether you prefer art, architecture or cultural impact, make time for her newest icons: the Vessel, an interactive sculpture woven of 154 staircases, as well as The Edge, the highest outdoor skydeck in the entire Western Hemisphere.

EJ100 Operated by Explora Journeys