In August of 2026 my husband and I went on a New England and Canadian cruise with his parents and siblings, and his cousins. The cruise began in Boston, Massachusetts and concluded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
We flew out to Boston a couple days early so that we could spend some time in New England before the cruise began. We flew from the Salt Lake City airport (SLC) into the Boston Logan International airport (BOS). We flew on Delta because we wanted a nonstop flight and we wanted a reliable carrier. We’ve had some less-than-desirable experiences with other airlines.
Upon arriving in Boston we picked up our Turo car in the economy parking lot. When we have visited Boston in the past, we just used Uber or walking to get around, but we would be traveling across the state and into other states, so we needed to have our own car. Getting to the economy lot at Boston airport is a bit of a journey, so I was really grateful when our Turo car owner said they would meet us at the cruise port for the car return, rather than having to take it back to the airport again.
We drove to our hotel, which was the Hampton Inn Boston Logan Airport, located here: Hampton Inn Boston Logan Airport Their official website is here: Hampton Inn Boston Logan Airport Driving in Boston wasn’t too bad. It is similar to driving in Salt Lake City. That evening we ate at Legal Seafoods, which was very good. They have several locations in the Boston area.
The next morning we drove from Boston to the northwestern part of Massachusetts – North Adams, so that we could visit the only white marble arch in North America. It is by an old marble quarry and is housed on Natural Bridge State Park. The arch is known as New England’s Natural Bridge. Unfortunately, it is all fenced off now, so you can’t get on top of it anymore. We were able to admire the bridge through the fence. It has a creek running through it and a man-made waterfall nearby. It is worth the trip to see, even though it is fenced completely. Their official website is here: Natural Bridge State Park and the google maps location of the arch is here: Natural Bridge of New England
We were only 5 minutes from Vermont, and I had never been to Vermont before so we drove into Vermont to get a snack at a convenience store in the small town just across the border. Then we drove back into Massachusetts and traveled across the entire state to the south, to Connecticut. We went to the Hartford Connecticut Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The google maps location of the temple is here: Hartford Connecticut Temple
After the temple we visited Mark Twain’s house, which is only about 20 minutes from the temple. We arrived too late to enter the house, but we walked around the grounds of both the Mark Twain House and the Harriet Beecher Stowe house next door. Mark Twain’s house is located here: Mark Twain House and its official website is here: The Mark Twain House and Museum
We drove back to Boston after that and stayed at our hotel. The next morning we drove to the Boston Massachusetts Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is located here: Boston Massachusetts Temple
Our Turo car owner was kind enough to meet us at the cruise ship dock instead of at the airport where we had picked up the car. It was so much more convenient to meet at the dock! We headed onto our ship, the Volendam by Holland America. Here is their official website: Volendam by Holland America
We stayed in a room with a window, but not a balcony. We were able to go out on the ship deck whenever we wanted to be outside and enjoy the view. We had a large family group and met for dinners each night, and sometimes for breakfast as well. We relaxed that evening and enjoyed family time on the ship, as we started to sail away from Boston. The cruise ship always departs from Boston on a Saturday. The stops are:
* Boston, Massachusetts - Saturday
* Portland, Maine - Sunday
* Halifax, Nova Scotia - Monday
* Sydney, Nova Scotia - Tuesday
* Prince Edward Island - Wednesday
* Day at Sea, cruising St Lawrence River - Thursday
* Quebec City - Friday
* Montreal, Canada - Saturday
Some people had purchased a two-week cruise, going both from Boston to Montreal, and then back from Montreal to Boston again. For me, one week was long enough. I purchased the internet package so that I had internet for the whole cruise, but did not purchase a drink package. There was free water, lemonade, and juices on the ship. Eating in the regular dining room was included in the cruise, as was eating at the buffet. We didn’t try any of the specialty restaurants that cost extra.
There was a mandatory drill on the first day of the cruise. Everyone gathered by their assigned life boat. They waited until every single person on the ship was out at their life boat before letting any of us leave.
DAY ONE: PORTLAND, MAINE, Sunday
We got off the ship when it first docked, and headed across the street to try to find an Uber. We couldn’t find one at first because it was early in the morning on a Sunday. But I really wanted to go to the Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the United States. Finally we found an Uber and headed out to the light house. As we neared the light house I realized that we weren’t going to have much service out there. I was pretty worried that we’d get stranded out there without a way back. But I was determined to find the arch out there!
The Portland Head Light is located here: Portland Head Light and the arch is located here: Portland Head Lighthouse Arch We climbed down a side path on the mountain to get to the shore, climb through the rocks, and into the arch. There is a lot of graffiti near the arch. There are also lobster cages sitting nearby. You can stand inside the arch and have a beautiful view of the lighthouse through the arch opening.
There are a lot of other places to explore near the light house, such as Fort Williams. We shopped at the little stands near the light house. We were able to find enough cell service to order another Uber. He picked us up right by the light house and took us to one of the buildings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 29 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth. We went to church with several members of our family, and then took an Uber back to the ship. It left at 1 p.m. that day.
DAY TWO: HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA, Monday
We had purchased the Hop On Hop Off Bus tour of Halifax. We went to the Citadel and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Public Gardens, and my personal favorite – the Titanic Cemetery, or Fairview Lawn Cemetery. We rode around in double-decker buses for the tour – one red, one pink, and one blue. We stayed out as long as we possibly could, in the last group to return to the ship. We ate lunch at Bluenose II Restaurant, which was very good and is very close to several of the bus stops. The Titanic Cemetery is very sobering. There is one grave that’s marked J Dawson, which is not the Jack Dawson from the Titanic movie, because he is a fictional character. But people from all over the world leave flowers at this particular grave. The website for the Hop On Hop Off Bus is here: Hop On Hop Off Bus Halifax and the Fairview Lawn Cemetery is located here: Fairview Lawn Cemetery
DAY THREE: SYDNEY NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA, Tuesday
We hopped off the ship in Sydney and decided to walk on the boardwalk and explore the town. We actually wandered to the movie theater and watched the new Spider Man movie. We did some shopping and then got back on the ship. It was our most laid-back day besides our day at sea.
DAY FOUR: PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA, Wednesday
We had purchased the Ultimate Anne of Green Gables Tour through the cruise ship, a 5 ½ hour tour. It was worth the money, and one of the highlights of the trip! We rode in a tour bus and heard about the author Lucy Maud Montgomery as we drove across the island. We first visited Lucy Maud Montgomery’s uncle’s home, where she spent a lot of her childhood. We saw hints of what appeared in her books, such as the Lake of Shining Waters by the house. We toured the house and met one of her posterity, who signed a first-edition Anne of Green Gables book that I had purchased. Her great niece was dressed as Anne and ready to take photos with whoever wanted them. We walked on Lover’s Lane and admired the different buildings on the property. That was my favorite part of the tour. It is called the Anne of Green Gables Museum, and it is located here: Anne of Green Gables Museum and their official website is here: Anne of Green Gables Museum You can see the fireplace where Lucy Maud Montgomery was married as you tour the house, as well as many other artifacts, and countless copies of her original books.
We drove past both Lucy Maud Montgomery’s birth place, as well as her grave. We also went to Cavendish Beach, where she enjoyed visiting and writing. And finally we went to the Green Gables Heritage Place, which is actually not tied to the author or the books, but is a place that Prince Edward Island created for tourists to go. It is a recreation of Anne of Green Gables. It is located here: Green Gables Heritage Place Their official website is here: Green Gables Heritage Place We bought a beaver tail to eat for a snack before returning to our tour bus.
After returning to the ship, most of the guests enjoyed going outside to watch as the ship went underneath the bridge which extends from Prince Edward Island to the mainland. It is called the Confederation Bridge and is 8 miles long. It is the longest bridge in the world over water that freezes in the winter. The official website of the bridge is here: Confederation Bridge The bridge was completed in 1997. The ship passed so close to the bottom of the bridge that everyone gasped and then cheered. It was a pretty exciting time to be on the ship!
DAY FIVE: DAY AT SEA, CRUISING THE ST LAWRENCE RIVER, Thursday
One of my sisters-in-law claimed to have seen several whales from the front of the ship, so I spent a lot of the day watching for the whales but never saw any. I did get to see what I think was Perce Rock as we sailed past it. It’s a sea arch located here: Perce Rock We went under four more bridges during our cruise, as we traveled down the St Lawrence River.
DAY SIX: QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC, CANADA, Friday
I have ancestors from Quebec City that I have been researching, so I was really looking forward to visiting the cemetery where they were buried, and seeing the town that they lived in. We rented a car from Dollar Car Rental, located at 44 Cote du Palais in Quebec City. First we visited a marker honoring the Robitaille Family in L’Ancienne-Lorette, the village that they were from, and then we visited the cemetery at Notre Dame de l’Annonciation in L’Ancienne-Lorette. We spent almost the entire day photographing graves there. We did go catch a peak at Montmorency Falls, although we didn’t have time to actually visit the falls or walk on the bridge or ride the cable car. Some of our family members did, though, and they enjoyed it very much. The streets in Quebec City are very steep. Another of our family members took a walking city tour and got completely worn out.
DAY SEVEN: MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, Saturday
The last day of our tour was docking in Montreal. We ordered an Uber and didn’t have any trouble finding one right away, even though most of the boat was exiting at about the same time. We found an Uber in only minutes and were on our way. We had him take us to our hotel because we didn’t want to pull our suitcases around although we could have paid to store our suitcases at the ship dock. That was Uber #1.
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Montreal Airport We checked our luggage into the storage room at the hotel, since it was morning and our room was not nearly ready, and asked the hotel clerk where we could get dropped off to explore Montreal. She suggested being dropped off in the arts district. That was Uber #2
Place des Arts is located here: Place des Arts and was not quite what I had in mind. We somehow ended up in the middle of an Anime convention at the Montreal Convention Center, but we eventually wandered around past China Town, past the Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal, past Montreal City Hall, through and finally to the old port, Vieux Port de Montreal. We did a lot of shopping and ate some delicious gelato and blue lemonade with boba. It was a lot of fun to wander the streets with so many other people, enjoying the atmosphere of Montreal. So when you ask an Uber to drop you off in Montreal, ask for Old Montreal, or the old port. And if you are getting off the cruise ship in Montreal, know that you are already at the old port and don’t even need an Uber. From the old port, we ordered an Uber to take us to the Montreal Quebec Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was Uber #3.
When our Uber driver pulled off the busy highway at the Montreal Quebec Temple, he commented that it was a hidden gem in the city. It is literally right off the busy road. It is a peaceful, beautiful, sacred place. You must be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to go inside, but anyone can walk around on the beautiful grounds and enjoy it. We were there for about 2 hours, and then we ordered another Uber to take us to Little Italy. We had to wait about 15 minutes this time for the Uber to arrive because there were not any closeby. This was Uber #4.
Little Italy was definitely worth the Uber stop in Montreal, especially because it happened to be the ItalFestMTL at the time, a celebration of Italian-Canadian culture that is held for a couple weeks every summer. The streets were packed with people, booths, Italian cars, Vespas, and so much more. We ate dinner in one of the Italian restaurants, which was very good, and walked through Lizzie Italy shopping and enjoying the crowds. It was one of the highlights of Montreal! When we were ready to head back to the hotel, we ordered Uber #5.
Our hotel offered a 24-hour shuttle every half hour on the 15 and the 45. We had an early-morning flight back to Salt Lake City, so we reserved a spot on the 4:15 a.m. shuttle. We were taken to the Montreal airport in plenty of time to find our gate, eat some breakfast, and board our plane without any issues. We had a 4 hour layover in Atlanta and then landed in Salt Lake. It was an amazing trip!
The Volendam
The Volendam Cruise ship was a smaller cruise ship than I have usually cruised on. In fact, I think the only "cruise ship" smaller was the ship that I cruised from Sicily to Sardinia, Italy for just an overnight cruise.
Getting checked in to our cruise was very easy and stress-free. We dropped off our luggage first, and then checked in through a series of check-points. Our rooms weren't ready yet, so we went to the buffet to enjoy some lunch. The buffet was open most of the time and had a very wide variety of food. It was one of the better buffets that I have experienced on cruise ships. There was water and lemonade available for those who hadn't purchased drink packages. The buffet changed slightly between lunch and dinner, and also between each day. I especially enjoyed eating at the buffet for breakfast. It was quick and easy, with lots of options.
Itinerary of the Volendam:
Saturday - sail from Boston, Massachusetts, depart 3 p.m.
Sunday - Portland, Maine, arrive 7 a.m., depart 3 p.m.
Monday - Halifax, Nova Scotia, arrive 10 a.m., depart 6 p.m.
Tuesday - Sydney, Nova Scotia, arrive 9:30 a.m., depart 5 p.m.
Wednesday - Prince Edward Island, arrive 7 a.m., depart 4 p.m.
Thursday - cruising the Gulf of St. Lawrence
Friday - Quebec City, Quebec, arrive 9 a.m., depart 5 p.m.
Saturday - Montreal, Quebec, arrive 7 a.m.
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| enjoying the buffet |
Each day the Volendam changed the rugs in the elevators - it was actually quite helpful for remembering what day of the week it was.
Our room was a window room, not a balcony and not an inside room. When we opened the drapes it looked out onto the 3rd floor deck with lots of people walking past. But when we were out on the deck, you couldn't see through our window into our room.
Here is a video of the cruise ship departing from Boston: Volendam departing Boston It was really fun to watch the airplanes flying over the cruise ship.
Arriving in Portland, Maine
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| arriving at the Portland Head Light |
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| The Portland Head Light is the most photographed lighthouse in the United States |
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| The Portland Head Light Arch |
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| view from inside the arch |
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| view of the lighthouse from inside the arch |
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| the lighthouse through the arch |
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| the Portland Head Light Arch from behind |
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| the Portland Head Light, as viewed from our cruise ship |
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| The Portland Head Light from the water |
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| leaving Portland Maine |
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| goodbye to Portland |
Here is a video of our ship departing Portland, Maine: Volendam departing Portland, Maine
Here is a video of our visit to the Portland Head Light Arch: Portland Head Light Arch
Arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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| the old burying ground across from St. Mary's Basilica |
Public Gardens
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| The Halifax Public Gardens |
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| The Queen's Gate |
Halifax Citadel
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| Town Clock on Citadel Hill |
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| Town Clock on Citadel Hill |
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| walking around the streets under the Citadel |
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| Blue Nose II was a delicious place for lunch |
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