Classic Canada & New England

Civilisation galleries, Place Royale, or Dufferin Terrace.

Québec City is the capital of Quebec and the only walled city north of Mexico, its old town UNESCO-listed. The Château Frontenac, the Petit-Champlain quarter and the Plains of Abraham are all within walking distance of the port.

Second day in port. The ship stays overnight, so this call runs across two days. Check the all-aboard time before heading out.

La Baie is the cruise stop for Saguenay, Quebec, at the head of the Saguenay Fjord. Fjord scenery, local culture shows and wildlife are the highlights.

Founders food stalls, Beaconsfield’s rooms, or basilica architecture.

Charlottetown is the capital of Prince Edward Island, Canada, a small, walkable city often called the birthplace of Confederation. The island's red-sand beaches and Anne of Green Gables sites are popular excursions.

A harbour pause, Jost House rooms, or Sydney Museum collections.

Sydney is the main town of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, with a giant fiddle on its waterfront reflecting the island's Celtic music tradition. The Fortress of Louisbourg and the Cabot Trail scenery are the classic excursions.

A working harbour, maritime stories, a hilltop fort.

Halifax docks on the downtown waterfront, with the boardwalk, the Maritime Museum and the Citadel all within a walk uphill. The Titanic connection is real and understated here: the recovery ships sailed from this harbour and many of the dead are buried in the city.

A city market, uptown heritage, a tidal river.

Saint John sits on the Bay of Fundy, where the tidal range is the largest in the world and the river genuinely reverses direction twice a day. The reversing rapids and the old City Market are the call; time the tide before you decide what to book.

Old Port streets, art galleries, a historic house.

Portland docks at Ocean Gateway within walking distance of the Old Port, whose brick warehouses now hold most of the best food in Maine. The lighthouses south at Cape Elizabeth are a short drive and are the picture people want.

A historic hall, a garden, a naval yard.

Boston docks in the Seaport, a short ride from the centre, and the day organises itself around the Freedom Trail: a red line in the pavement connecting most of what people come to see. The North End at the end of it is the better lunch.