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H I S TO R Y & A R C H I T E C T U R E I S S U E 2 2
A day cruising the St. Lawrence River brought
us to Saguenay, but bad weather gave us the
excuse to enjoy another day on the ship,
exploring new nooks and corners while many
other guests were ashore. I spent some hours
in The Nordic Spa, having a deep-tissue
massage and trying out the snow grotto,
bucket splash, indoor pool and sauna.
Thankfully, the rain stayed off for awhile as we
sailed the next day into Quebec, which quickly
became one of my favourite cities. A short walk
from the port took us to the old town and
funicular railway for a spectacular view.
Later we joined a well-informed and jovial
guide for a tour, breaking off at one point to
eat a traditional dish of poutine and drink a
Baileys and hot chocolate to fortify ourselves
against the chill outside. I have long wanted to
visit Quebec. It's funny how you conjure up
images of places you haven't seen purely on
what other people tell you. This was one of
those ports that exceeded even those
expectations with its French colonial beauty.
Having said au revoir, our final stop was
Montreal and a visit to the Notre-Dame Basilica
in the old town. Nearby are two statues – an
Englishman and a French woman, both
holding dogs. Their snooty noses are turned
away from each other, while their pets are
obviously keen to get acquainted.
Later, a coach tour took us to Mont Royal, from
where the city gets its name. We stopped to
take in the view and reflect on our epic trip,
which had taken us from the bustle of
Manhattan to remote settlements on the
Canadian coast and into the heart of French-
speaking cities.
History – and our colonial pasts as British
people – followed us everywhere. To see
Montreal, Boston and New York in the autumn
on one cruise was a real treat. And, of course,
we loved the food on Viking Sea, from the
delicious burgers at the Pool Grill to the
glorious buffets in the World Café, where we
ate most evenings, and the à la carte delights
of The Restaurant.
As a couple, we could eat alone wherever we
wanted, meeting new friends around the ship
but retaining our own company at meal times.
This was especially true when we celebrated
our anniversary at sea at Manfredi's Italian
Restaurant with a romantic table for two.
During our journey, a range of expert lecturers
brought our destination ports to life, even
before we arrived. But it was always a delight
to return on board and be served a coffee or
drink in The Living Room while listening to
classical music being played in The Atrium.
With so much included in the fare, such as
At lant i c
O cean
C ap e Co d
C anal
New York
USA
QUEBEC
NOVA SCOTIA
MASSACHUSETTS
NEW YORK
Gaspé
G ul f of
St . L aw re n ce
St . L aw re n ce
R i ve r
Halifax
Quebec
Montreal
Saguenay
Boston
CANADA
–
C r ui s e
••
O ve r night in Po r t
VIEW
VOYAGE
GETTING THERE: A 13-day Eastern
Seaboard Explorer voyage from
Montreal to New York City,
or the reverse.
drinks with meals, we weren't left with a huge
onboard bill either.
Even after arriving in Montreal, our North
American adventure wasn't over and we flew
back to New York for a few more days before
heading home. The British were leaving. And
this time having been given a very warm
welcome during an unforgettable Viking
cruise.
Dave Monk writes for World of Cruising, the
Daily Telegraph, Daily Mirror and Metro online,
as well as his own award-winning blog,
shipmonk.co.uk. You can also follow him as
@shipmonk on Instagram and Twitter.
Explore Quebec with guide Gerald Boudreau
