Norwegian Escape - Canada & New England from New York

Where this cruise calls, day by day

7 ports and 1 sea day over 7 Nights.

1. Day 1

   New York, NY

   United StatesDepart

   New York sails from two very different places. The Manhattan Cruise Terminal occupies Piers 88 and 90 off Twelfth Avenue in the West 50s, a 1930s finger-pier arrangement with rooftop parking and Midtown at the end of the block. Brooklyn's terminal in Red Hook is calmer and roomier but further from a subway. Either way the ship must clear the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which rules out the largest ships afloat.

   • The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, a ten-minute walk from the Manhattan piers
   • The High Line and Chelsea Market, with Hudson Yards on the way back
   • The sailaway itself - past the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazzano; be on deck
   • Red Hook if you sail from Brooklyn: Louis Valentino Jr. Park has the best free Statue view in the city

   Getting ashore

   Manhattan berths at Piers 88 and 90 (West 46th to 54th Streets) with drop-off on Twelfth Avenue, while Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is in Red Hook; reckon 45-60 minutes from JFK or Newark and 30-45 from LaGuardia, all of it hostage to traffic.

   Best months

   May-Oct (Bermuda and Canada/New England runs; Sep-Oct adds foliage sailings)

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3

   Halifax

   CanadaPort

   Halifax was the port that recovered the Titanic dead, and it has never entirely let go of them - 121 graves in Fairview Lawn, an unclaimed deckchair in the Maritime Museum. Ships tie up at the Seaport piers at the south end of a long boardwalk that walks you into downtown past Pier 21, where a million immigrants first set foot in Canada. It is an easy, self-guided port.

   • The Titanic graves at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, laid out in the curve of a hull
   • Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for the Titanic and Halifax Explosion galleries
   • Halifax Citadel National Historic Site and the noon gun
   • Peggy's Cove lighthouse and the granite barrens, about 45 minutes out

   Getting ashore

   Docked at the Halifax Seaport piers; the boardwalk runs from the gangway into downtown in 10-15 minutes.

   Best months

   Jun-Oct; late Sep-mid Oct for fall colour

4. Day 4

   Saint John

   CanadaPort

   Saint John sits on the Bay of Fundy, which has the largest tides in the world. Here the range is around eight metres, and twice a day the incoming tide physically shoves the Saint John River backwards through a rock gorge - the Reversing Falls Rapids, which only performs if you time your visit to the tide table. The city behind the pier is a weathered working port with a genuinely good 1876 market hall, and you can walk off into it.

   • The Reversing Falls Rapids from Fallsview Park - check the tide times before you go
   • Saint John City Market, the oldest continuously operating farmers' market in Canada
   • The sea caves and covered bridges at St. Martins, about 40 minutes out
   • Hopewell Rocks flowerpot formations, walkable on the sea floor at low tide but 90 minutes each way

   Getting ashore

   Docked at the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal on the downtown waterfront, with an enclosed pedway through to Market Square and the City Market.

   Best months

   Jun-Oct; Sep-Oct for fall colour

5. Day 5

   Boston, MA

   United StatesPort

   Flynn Cruiseport sits on Black Falcon Avenue in South Boston's Seaport, and its selling point is Logan: about four miles away through the Ted Williams Tunnel, often fifteen minutes. Boston works both as a homeport for Canada/New England and Bermuda runs and as a port call where you can walk off the ship and immediately be somewhere worth being.

   • The Freedom Trail - follow the red line from Boston Common to Bunker Hill, about three hours end to end
   • Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, touristy but efficient
   • The Institute of Contemporary Art, a 15-minute Harborwalk stroll from the terminal
   • The North End for dinner, which is the real argument for coming in a day early

   Getting ashore

   Flynn Cruiseport Boston uses the Black Falcon Terminal in the Seaport District; Logan is about 4 miles by the Ted Williams Tunnel, usually 15-20 minutes.

   Best months

   May-Oct (Sep-Oct for the foliage sailings north)

6. Day 6

   Portland, ME

   United StatesPort

   Portland is the easiest stop in New England: larger ships tie up at Ocean Gateway, smaller ones at the Maine State Pier, and the Old Port's cobbled blocks of brick warehouses begin about five minutes from the gangway. It is a walking call, which means you can skip the excursion entirely and still fill the day.

   • The Old Port - Commercial, Fore and Exchange Streets for lobster rolls, bookshops and breweries
   • Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, 15 minutes out of town
   • The Portland Museum of Art, strong on Winslow Homer
   • A Casco Bay Lines mailboat run out through the islands if you have most of a day

   Getting ashore

   Ocean Gateway Terminal takes the larger ships and the Maine State Pier the smaller ones; both are a 5-10 minute walk from the Old Port, and the Jetport is about 15 minutes by road.

   Best months

   Jun-Oct (the season is short; late Sep-Oct brings foliage cruises and cold mornings)

7. Day 7

   Newport, RI

   United StatesPort

   Newport is a tender port - ships anchor out in Narragansett Bay and run boats into Perrotti Park at the head of the harbour, which lands you a block from Thames Street. The call is usually short and the town is compact, so the real choice is between the Gilded Age mansions on Bellevue Avenue and simply walking the waterfront.

   • The Breakers, the Vanderbilt house on Ochre Point, plus Marble House if you have time for two
   • The Cliff Walk, 3.5 miles between the mansion lawns and the Atlantic
   • Thames Street and Bowen's Wharf for chowder and boat-watching
   • The International Tennis Hall of Fame in the old Newport Casino building

   Getting ashore

   A tender call: ships anchor in the harbour and land at Perrotti Park, a block from Thames Street - no bus needed, but a stiff blow can cancel the tender operation.

   Best months

   Jun-Oct (September is the best combination of weather and thinner crowds)

8. Day 8

   New York, NY

   United StatesArrive

   New York sails from two very different places. The Manhattan Cruise Terminal occupies Piers 88 and 90 off Twelfth Avenue in the West 50s, a 1930s finger-pier arrangement with rooftop parking and Midtown at the end of the block. Brooklyn's terminal in Red Hook is calmer and roomier but further from a subway. Either way the ship must clear the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which rules out the largest ships afloat.

   • The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, a ten-minute walk from the Manhattan piers
   • The High Line and Chelsea Market, with Hudson Yards on the way back
   • The sailaway itself - past the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazzano; be on deck
   • Red Hook if you sail from Brooklyn: Louis Valentino Jr. Park has the best free Statue view in the city

   Getting ashore

   Manhattan berths at Piers 88 and 90 (West 46th to 54th Streets) with drop-off on Twelfth Avenue, while Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is in Red Hook; reckon 45-60 minutes from JFK or Newark and 30-45 from LaGuardia, all of it hostage to traffic.

   Best months

   May-Oct (Bermuda and Canada/New England runs; Sep-Oct adds foliage sailings)