Holland America’s Canada & New England Discovery Cruise is a Charm

“Oh, my God. I have never been,” was how Sam explained his decision to join the crew of Holland America Line’s Canada & New England Discovery Cruise.

This wasn’t the young Indonesian crew member’s first time working with the cruise line. He had previously sailed to Asia and Alaska, starting each journey, as he recalled, with the same excitement and enthusiasm for exploring new and unfamiliar destinations.

The thrill of discovering a destination for the first time is a big part of what travelling is all about, but it was the infectious positive vibes from Sam and the can-do attitude of the crew that made a seven-day voyage aboard the Zuiderdam an especially memorable experience.

Our Holland America Line cruise began in historic Quebec City, the only remaining fortified city in North America. From high up in the walled upper city, the ship looks majestic, dwarfing the nearby historic stone buildings. The boat spent the first night moored in the lower town of Old Quebec, which offered a chance to spend a night on the town.

ABOVE: Plan to spend an extra day in beautiful Quebec City. There are many quality museums and great dining, and the charm of the historic stone buildings never gets old.

Quebec is a super safe place and a busy tourist town. Even on a Thursday night in mid-September, the patios on Rue Saint-Jean were overflowing with people out and about enjoying the cool fall evening. Make sure to bring comfortable walking shoes; the cobblestone streets are unforgiving.

The following day, we set out on a guided tour to uncover the fascinating history and strategic significance of a city established in the 17th century as part of New France—a story deeply intertwined with the foundation of Canada. Our guide vividly described how waterways were the lifelines of the era, with the St. Lawrence River serving as a crucial artery connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic and even as far south as the Panama Canal. “Control Quebec City,” the guide explained, “and you controlled all of North America.”

After a delicious dinner at the Auberges Saint-Antoine, a Relais & Chateaux property that offers farm-to-fork dining with produce from its own gardens on Ile d’Orleans, a short distance upriver from the hotel, we headed back to the Zuiderdam to catch the Origin Story that recounts the 151-year history of Holland America Line in the beautiful two-storey World Stage theatre.

ABOVE: Holland America Line brings new meaning to the term ship-shape. The public spaces are so clean they gleam. At the same time, behind the scenes, the company has a rigorous fleet-wide environmental and recycling policy. This includes using biodigesters and dehydrators for food waste management, grey water and reverse osmosis filtration systems, and adapting ships to utilize shore power when available, reducing reliance on diesel.

Customer service has been at the heart of the cruise ship line since its early days as the Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij. After adopting a more streamlined name, the company became a gateway to the New World, transporting one in every ten immigrants to America. Its success was rooted in a customer-first approach that made the journey more than just a voyage.

Our first day aboard was a full day of sailing. The vast, largely uninhabited Gulf of St. Lawrence landscape is simply beautiful and totally relaxing. I visited the gym for a yoga class, spotted a whale while enjoying breakfast, then picked up a good book at the well-stocked library. It has the usual pulp fiction plus novels that touch on themes of immigration and stories that relate to the ports of call on the voyage.

The ship has several lounges and two pool areas where you can pull up a chair and relax or chat with the other passengers. There is also a pickleball court, which, for those who can’t find court time in Ottawa, might be reason enough to take a cruise!

ABOVE: Charlottetown is renowned as the birthplace of both Cows Ice Cream and Canada, the latter owing to the historic 1864 Charlottetown Conference.

The ports of call on our Canada & New England Discovery Cruise included Charlottetown, PEI, Sydney, NS, Halifax, NS, Portland, Maine and lastly, Boston, Mass. For an additional fee, the cruise line partners with local tour companies to offer a multitude of shore excursions. Those who prefer to do their own thing can tour the port-side towns, which are small enough to easily tackle on foot, or stay on board and take in the view while enjoying all the amenities and activities on the ship — and there are lots!

ABOVE: Halifax is renowned for its deep-water port, historically protected by a series of fortifications, including the prominent Citadel atop Signal Hill. Halagonians claim ownership of the donair, which they serve with tomatoes, onions and a sweet sauce made with sweet and condensed milk. The city is also fiercely proud of its oyster bars, offering an opportunity to savour the freshly caught crustaceans.

We opted to indulge our appetites at each stop, a self-guided food tour of sorts: Ice cream from Cows and chocolate-covered potato chips in PEI, Kitchen Party beer in Sydney, Donair and oysters in Halifax, and doughnuts and lobster in Portland.

ABOVE: In Portland, lobster is the main draw where you can lunch on it or have it shipped to your home.

Back on board, there is no risk of going hungry. The Lido Market and Dining Room offer rotating local menu items like the New England Seafood Boil, and both the Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto restaurants, which are by reservation with table service, offer local delicacies, usually for an additional fee. The dining rooms close at 9:30 p.m., but the cafeteria-style Lido Market on Deck 9 is open from 6:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily (except from 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.), and the drink station is always open for tea, coffee and water.  

ABOVE: A sampling of some of the delicious meals from the dining rooms Morimoto by Sea at the Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto.

Your time aboard the ship can be as busy or as chill as you make it. Each evening, our cabin steward left an extensive printed daily itinerary for the following day, along with a port and shopping map for each stop. The mobile app also has all the daily activities, allowing passengers to select the ones they like and make a personal itinerary. The app is also handy for checking your account balance and storing tickets for shore excursions.

The onboard activities begin early each day with exercise classes in the fitness centre or poolside Tai Chi and continue most nights until 11 p.m., with music trivia, game nights, dances and musical performances in the Rolling Stone Lounge, Billboard Onboard, the Ocean Bar and on the World Stage, which is where I headed each night after dinner.

There are art classes—origami, watercolours, doodle designs, card games, shuffleboard, basketball games, ping pong, mahjong, daily mass and trivia challenges. It’s impossible to do everything, but it’s safe to say there is something for everyone. No matter what you choose, the super-friendly staff will make your experience all the more enjoyable.  

Photo: Courtesy Holand America Line

The Zuiderdam covered a lot of water during our time aboard, stopping at East Coast cities that would otherwise be a multi-day, multi-hotel commitment. Sleeping in the same bed, enjoying the great dining and entertainment, and having a super friendly professional staff are likely why the Canada & New England Discovery Cruise consistently sells out year after year.  

There is no better testimonial than a member of the ship’s staff telling you, “I really like working here; the crew is really nice”, as Sam did on our first day. After a week aboard the ship, I concur and can’t wait for my next excursion. I hope it will hit the high marks in the same manner as this trip!

For information about cruising with Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, visit hollandamerica.com or call 1-877-SAIL HAL.