7 things that surprised me on my first Canada & New England cruise

I had put off a Canada and New England cruise for years because it seemed like a secondary itinerary, but I wish I had done it sooner.

Cruise ships can visit so many places, and while the amount of ships heading north is relatively small, it’s a destination you shouldn’t sleep on any more.

I went on a 7-night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas to four ports across Maine and Nova Scotia.  

I was excited to try something new, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I would love spending time in this part of the world.  It was even more eye-opening for me considering I grew up in New England, so this wasn’t my first foray into the area.

From the beautiful landscape, to the terrific dining, and welcoming people, I not only had a great cruise, I really fell in love with the area.  

Many parts of the seven-night cruise surprised me, like how gorgeous everywhere we visited is and how I wanted to spend as much time as possible on shore.

Wild weather

Planning what to wear or how cold or hot it would be proved much more difficult than I anticipated. 

If someone is going to Alaska, it’s very common knowledge the weather shifts a lot there, but I didn’t get any sense of the same dynamic in the northeast.

Looking at the forecasts in just the last few days before the cruise, the forecast shifted a lot and I wasn’t sure if it would rain, be cold, or hot in any of the places.

It wasn’t until the day we set sail or so that the weather picture finally cleared up (literally and figuratively).

In speaking to crew members, they told us how lucky we were with the weather because rain has been dominant this cruise season.

The day before the cruise in Boston there was heavy rain all day, but the next day on embarkation day it was clear.  In Sydney, Nova Scotia, the temperature barely creeped above 60, while we were wearing shorts in Portland, Maine because it was 75 degrees.

My advice is wait to pack until just a few days before the cruise, but bring an extra pair of shorts and rain gear, just in case.

Read more: 7 best Canada and New England cruise tips

Maine was so much better than I expected

If you had asked me on embarkation day which ports I was excited to visit, I would have told you any day in Canada because I thought Maine was going to be more lackluster and familiar.

It turned out I was completely wrong about at least Maine.

Nova Scotia was beautiful and I enjoyed it, but I found I enjoyed Maine even more.

We visited Bar Harbor and Portland, and in both cases, our ship was located right in the heart of both towns. It enabled us to see and do more with less effort.

Bar Harbor’s quaint town along with Acadia National Park within a mile and a half provided much more to see and do than I thought.  I was expecting a sleepy town with a few restaurants and pretty trees.  Instead, I found so many ways I could spend my day there and I loved it all.

Portland is a city, and that means a great deal of dining and shopping. There’s also a number of beautiful lighthouses and just about every aspect of New England you’d want to see.

If I could do the cruise over again, I would plan out more of my time in Maine in order to maximize my time.

Boston was super easy to sail from

I had heard some horror stories about embarkation in Boston, namely long lines with no distinction between suites, Crown and Anchor status or anything.

As it turned out, embarkation was smoother in Boston than some cruise terminals in Florida.

The staff had everything set up from the start, and it was clear where to go and what to do for each step.

Sorry California, but Los Angeles still holds the title as worst embarkation experience in the United States in my opinion.

We did customs immigration halfway through the cruise

Every cruise I’ve taken up until now would have the immigration process occur at the conclusion of the cruise, but this time was different.

Because our cruise began in the United States, then went to Canada, and then returned to a US port midway through the cruise, we had to go through immigration on our visit to Bar Harbor.

Royal Caribbean made the process quite simple. If you had a cruise line shore excursion booked, they would escort you first through the customs process and then onto your tour.  

If you were going on your own into Bar Harbor, you got a time to report for customs interview process, and then could go on your way.  Think of it like when your luggage is ready to disembark the ship after the cruise.

I was expecting a super slow and backed up process, but it went incredibly quick.  Walk through the Main Dining Room, show your passport when it was your turn and go on your way.  In nearly all cases, the agents just waived you through.

The best part of this was because we had gone through the immigration process in Bar Harbor, we didn’t have to go through it again at the end of the cruise in Boston.

This is a beer lover’s dream cruise

I love a good craft beer, and both Nova Scotia and Maine had so many great choices.

No matter which port we visited, almost any restaurant would have at least a half dozen local brews to choose from on their menu.

If you went to a bar, there was a nearly overwhelming selection of local beers and I loved it.  Royal Caribbean’s onboard beer selection is underwhelming, especially if you like hoppier beers.  

The next time I go on this itinerary, I’d be quite tempted to skip an unlimited beverage package because I’d much rather spend my money enjoying beers around the ports.

In case you’re wondering, Tubular IPA by Orono Brewing Company, was my top choice during the cruise.

Staying solo in a Junior Suite felt palatial

I booked a Junior Suite for this cruise because at the time I thought it would be me and my wife without the kids, and wanted a nicer cabin to enjoy.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t join me for this cruise so I ended up in the Junior Suite as a solo cruiser and the extra living space made the cabin feel just as big as other full suites without the price tag.

I stayed in cabin 1044 on deck 10 of Serenade of the Seas and it had 293 square feet of space, along with a 41 square foot balcony.

There was not only more walking space, but a full sofa and a blue chair and ottoman that I used as my office every day.

I know some people would point out that almost any cabin when you don’t have to share it feels big, but I was surprised by just how big a Junior Suite felt with just me there.

Read more: I tried a Junior Suite to see if it’s worth it

Bar Harbor was so pretty, I would move there if I could

Within 15 minutes of disembarking my tender in Bar Harbor, Maine, I texted my wife that I wanted to move there.

Between the small town feel and fact it backed up against Acadia National Park, I really loved my time in Bar Harbor.

Admittedly I thought I was onto some kind of a secret until I learned every millionaire from the Gilded Age discovered Bar Harbor about 100 years ago.  You know what they say, good taste never goes out of style.

While I doubt we’re moving to Maine anytime soon, I really could envision myself spending more time in Bar Harbor on some future summer vacation. Maybe I’m just a sucker for New England, but it had just the vibe I was looking for.