Autumn Foliage of Canada & America's East Coast

Welcome to Montreal. The largest French-speaking city in the Americas, Montreal has European flair and is known for its festivals, arts and good food. Spend the day wandering historic cobblestoned streets, including atmospheric Rue Saint-Paul in Old Montreal. Gaze inside the 19th-century Gothic Revival Basilique Notre-Dame, or order a bagel or some poutine to go (the city’s famous French fries, cheese curds and gravy).

On board Scenic Eclipse, you'll meet the Captain, the crew and your butler. Settle into your spacious suite and join your fellow guests at the Sky Bar for a glass of Champagne before setting sail for your unforgettable journey towards New York City.

Please book your flight to arrive into Montreal prior to 02:00 PM.

Canada's most diverse metropolis, Montréal, is an island city that favors style and elegance over order or even prosperity, a city where past and present intrude on each other daily. In some ways it resembles Vienna—well past its peak of power and glory, perhaps, yet still vibrant and grand.But don't get the wrong idea. Montréal has always had a bit of an edge. During Prohibition, thirsty Americans headed north to the city on the St. Lawrence for booze, music, and a good time, and people still come for the same things. Summer festivals celebrate everything from comedy and French music and culture to beer and fireworks, and, of course, jazz. And on those rare weeks when there isn't a planned event, the party continues. Clubs and sidewalk cafés are abuzz from late afternoon to the early hours of the morning. And Montréal is a city that knows how to mix it up even when it's 20 below zero. Rue St-Denis is almost as lively on a Saturday night in January as it is in July, and the festival Montréal en Lumière, or Montréal Highlights, enlivens the dreary days of February with concerts, balls, and fine food.Montréal takes its name from Parc du Mont-Royal, a stubby plug of tree-covered igneous rock that rises 764 feet above the surrounding cityscape. Although its height is unimpressive, "the Mountain" forms one of Canada's finest urban parks, and views from the Chalet du Mont-Royal atop the hill provide an excellent orientation to the city's layout and major landmarks.Old Montréal is home to museums, the municipal government, and the magnificent Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal within its network of narrow, cobblestone streets. Although Montréal's centre-ville, or Downtown, bustles like many other major cities on the surface, it's active below street level as well, in the so-called Underground City–-the underground levels of shopping malls and food courts connected by pedestrian tunnels and the city's subway system, or métro. Residential Plateau Mont-Royal and trendy neighborhoods are abuzz with restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, and cafés. The greener areas of town are composed of the Parc du Mont-Royal and the Jardin Botanique.

Considered the cradle of French America, Quebec City is a World Heritage-listed fortified city founded in 1608. Step through more than 400 years of history in its charming cobblestone Old Town set within gates, towers and ramparts complete with cannons.

Perched atop the headland inside is the century-old Chateau Frontenac, which now houses the luxurious Fairmont Chateau Frontenac hotel and Notre-Dame de Quebec Cathedral. The 425-metre wooden boardwalk Dufferin Terrace, which is frequented by street entertainers, has views over St Lawrence River and the Lower Town. See the city lights twinkle as your ultra-luxury Discovery Yacht departs port tonight.

Quebec City is by many accounts the most French city in New France. The Old Town’s centerpiece, the magnificent Château Frontenac, seems transported from the palatial landscapes of the Loire Valley, and its French-accented streets lead past white-stone buildings that evoke old-world medieval villages. The only remaining walled city in North America outside of Mexico, Quebec City was fortified in the 17th century soon after its founding in 1608. Its strategic setting on the rocky promontory of Cape Diamond gave troops a close view of the St. Lawrence.

Experience the splendour of scenic cruising along the St. Lawrence River today. This mighty waterway snakes for more than 1200 kilometres connecting Canada’s Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. It is known for the 40-plus traditional lighthouses that have helped sailors navigate this river for centuries.

Relax on board with a coffee on the private verandah of your spacious suite or dining with new friends in the casual Azure Bar & Café, as you pass quaint fishing villages. You may be lucky to view the riverside hardwood forests in their fiery autumnal glory at this time of year.

Charlottetown is Prince Edward Island’s vibrant capital – a small city with an island lifestyle. Prince Edward Island played a significant role in the confederation of Canada but its original occupants, the Mi’kmaq, lived here for 12,000 years. One of its biggest claims to fame is being the hometown of Lucy Maud Montgomery, who penned the classic novel Anne of Green Gables. It’s also a huge fishing and seafood destination with some 1000 kilometres of coastline and white-sand beaches. Explore the city's well-preserved history and architectural treasures, its bustling harbour and picturesque waterfront boardwalk.

Designated as the Island capital in 1765, Charlottetown is both PEI’s oldest and largest urban center. However, since the whole "metropolitan" area only has a population of about 65,000, a pleasing small-town atmosphere remains. The city is a winner appearance-wise as well. Peppered with gingerbread-clad homes, converted warehouses, striking churches, and monumental government buildings, Charlottetown’s core seems relatively unchanged from its 19th-century heyday when it hosted the conference that led to the formation of Canada. The city is understandably proud of its role as the "Birthplace of Confederation" and, in summer, downtown streets are dotted with people dressed as personages from the past who’ll regale you with tales about the Confederation debate.

The Port of Pictou has a rich heritage as the Birthplace of New Scotland and as one of the province’s largest lobster fisheries – it even hosts an annual lobster carnival. Spend the morning exploring the buzzy waterfront and museums where you can learn about its Scottish heritage and fishing industry.

Back on board, enjoy the panoramic views of rugged coastlines and historic lighthouses as we sail through Canso Strait. Curl up in a cabana on Deck 10 with a drink as you admire the ever-changing scenery or soak it up from the Observation Lounge.

The Canso Canal is a man-made navigation canal located in Nova Scotia, connecting Chedabucto Bay with the Northumberland Strait. Opened in 1955, it cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Canso, separating Cape Breton Island from mainland Nova Scotia. The canal allows ships to pass safely and efficiently between the Atlantic Ocean and the waters of the Gulf region without navigating around Cape Breton Island. It is an important route for commercial shipping and marine transportation. The canal is crossed by the Canso Causeway, a major transportation link connecting Cape Breton Island to the mainland.

Spend the day in Halifax, Nova Scotia's dynamic capital. This historic port city has a Downtown district boasting a four-kilometre harbourside boardwalk filled with restaurants, shops, museums, beer gardens and public art. Argyle Street is another happening area with live theatres and pubs that spill out on to the streets.

For a change of pace, Halifax Public Gardens occupy an entire block, complete with manicured lawns and floral displays. The hilltop fortress Halifax Citadel National Historic Site overlooks the city; a cannon has been fired here every day at noon since 1857 (except on Christmas Day).

Halifax exudes a fine European air and lies along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors by sea are greeted by the 1758 Sambro Island Lighthouse, the oldest surviving beacon in North America. In the harborside Historic Properties district, grand and charming stone buildings built in the 18th and 19th centuries grace the cobblestone streets. The city grew up around Citadel Hill, where Fort George protected the harbor. The fortress, along with the adjacent stately Halifax Town Clock, has been gloriously restored and preserved.

A former rum-running and ship-building town, Lunenburg is arguably Canada’s most beautiful town. This World Heritage-listed site is a picturesque village with architectural wonders such as the 19th-century Victorian-style Lunenburg Academy, the pink Wedding Cake House, and the 18th-century St. John’s Anglican Church. The town is known for being one of the British Empire’s first Protestant settlements in Nova Scotia. It’s an extremely walkable city, so enjoy a relaxing day exploring its brightly painted homes, sample locally caught seafood, and find its many galleries and artisan studios.

Nova Scotia’s coast still retains much of its unspoiled natural beauty. Rolling hills and boreal forests stretch to coastal cliffs that steeply drop to rugged shores dotted with sheltered bays and sea caves. The site of the first permanent European settlement north of Florida in the New World, it is rich in maritime heritage. The city of Lunenburg was once a busy shipbuilding center. Its historic Old Town is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site, considered the best surviving example of planned British colonial settlement in North America.

Discover the coastal beauty of Bar Harbor. This is the gateway to Acadia National Park, which protects the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic Coast, as well as a landscape of ocean cliffs and rocky beaches, glacier-formed lakes and boreal forest. The town was a favourite summer getaway for the rich and famous in the 19th century, but many of its luxury homes on ‘Millionaires Row’ were destroyed by fire in 1947. Despite this, the town is filled with charm, with colourful clapboard storefronts and a variety of restaurants that serve lobster and wild blueberry-inspired dishes (Maine’s official fruit).

A resort town since the 19th century, Bar Harbor is the artistic, culinary, and social center of Mount Desert Island. It also serves visitors to Acadia National Park with inns, motels, and restaurants. Around the turn of the last century the island was known as the summer haven of the very rich because of its cool breezes. The wealthy built lavish mansions throughout the island, many of which were destroyed in a huge fire that devastated the island in 1947, but many of those that survived have been converted into businesses. Shops are clustered along Main, Mount Desert, and Cottage streets. Take a stroll down West Street, a National Historic District, where you can see some fine old houses.The island and the surrounding Gulf of Maine are home to a great variety of wildlife: whales, seals, eagles, falcons, ospreys, and puffins (though not right offshore here), and forest dwellers such as deer, foxes, coyotes, and beavers.

Follow the creative footsteps of Jackson Pollock in his spiritual hometown of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Since the 1940s, this coastal haven has lured artists to its shores – it is, after all, a place that celebrates freedom of expression and individuality. Indulge in a trolley tour for an exclusive experience of 'P-town,' explore galleries, and savour culinary delights at renowned restaurants.

Tonight, we will pass through the Cape Cod Canal transit, Massachusetts’s iconic water passage.

With a population just over 4000, the small town of Oak Bluffs is a beacon of inclusivity and diversity. It’s located on the island of Martha's Vineyard – which ironically has no operating vineyards – the setting of Dorothy West's Harlem Renaissance novel The Wedding. The town comprises charming 19th-century pastel-coloured gingerbread cottages, an ocean park, the oldest continually operating carousel in the United States, and enchanting views of Nantucket Sound.

Tonight perhaps meet your new friends at Sushi @ Koko’s for dinner. Enjoy entertainment in the state-of-the-art theatre and unwind with a nightcap at the Scenic Lounge Bar.

Cruise past the iconic Statue of Liberty and the breathtaking Manhattan skyline as you cruise into New York. From the bright lights of Broadway to leafy Central Park and the glitzy boutiques of Fifth Avenue, the Big Apple is an unmissable experience.

Spend the afternoon exploring this global city. Walk the bustling streets of Lower Manhattan's financial district, the charming corners of Greenwich Village, and uncover New York's tapestry of culture, culinary delights, and architectural splendour. In the metropolis that never sleeps, there's something for everyone. Return for your final night on board your ultra-luxury Scenic Eclipse.

From Wall Street's skyscrapers to the neon of Times Square to Central Park's leafy paths, New York City pulses with an irrepressible energy. History meets hipness in this global center of entertainment, fashion, media, and finance. World-class museums like MoMA and unforgettable icons like the Statue of Liberty beckon, but discovering the subtler strains of New York's vast ambition is equally rewarding: ethnic enclaves and shops, historic streets of dignified brownstones, and trendy bars and eateries all add to the urban buzz.