Our northern neighbor is brimming with cool experiences, beautiful scenery, and friendly people. There is so much to see and do in Canada!

Over the course of a week we visited three different cities in three different provinces. Victoria, British Columbia; Quebec City, Quebec; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

On our way back to Seattle from Hawaii, our ship, the Crown Princess, made a stop at Vancouver Island. Did you know Vancouver island is about the same size as Belgium? We just learned that. It’s a big island!

We have both visited Victoria several times so we tried something different. Just around the corner from the port, we boarded a local bus and bought a daily pass onboard ($5 CDN cash required).

The bus took us out of Victoria and we stepped off in Sidney. It’s a cute port town with quaint shops and a beautiful sea walk. The weather held for us as we wandered around.

After a few hours we hopped back on the bus and visited a local farm/winery/bakery, Roost. We did not look at reviews first so we went in blind and had a great time! We tried several of the wines and shared a warm meatloaf sandwich and turkey chorizo soup. Vancouver Island’s climate is similar to Germany, and so like Whidbey Island and other Puget Sound vineyards, cold-weather grapes like siegerrebe thrive. We enjoyed the various expressions of siegerrebe, including a pet-nat!

The rain finally arrived but we had shelter outside that we shared with a large and noisy rooster. We were on a farm after all!

We grabbed baked goods on our way out as we could not resist eating Nanaimo bars while on Vancouver Island.

Though we still had several more hours in port, we boarded the ship early and watched football in the room. It was a cozy evening enjoying shipboard amenities on our final night.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

The next day our hellacious journey to Quebec began. The Port of Seattle typically offers a program called Port Valet, where cruise passengers can have their baggage transported from the ship to Sea-Tac Airport, where it is checked in for same-day flights. Unfortunately, since Crown Princess was only calling on Seattle twice this season, the ship was not set up for Port Valet.

Having anticipated Port Valet, we had booked a late-night flight, assuming that we would be free of our bags and could enjoy Seattle for one last day before leaving again. Unfortunately we were left to haul our own luggage all day.

Luckily, my parents took the ferry over and we spent several hours together planning our 2024 joint trip to Italy. They dropped us off at the airport after lunch but we again hit a roadblock as we were well outside of the four-hour window where we could check our bags in. So we found a bench outside and waited for a couple more hours. Eventually we checked in our bags and proceeded to a comfy lounge for the last four hours before boarding.

Lesson learned: Check in advance to see if Port Valet is offered. Port of Seattle also prefers that you sign up in advance, so booking ahead will alleviate any uncertainty. Other ports/airports offer similar programs, so it is worth looking anytime you are heading from ship to airport in the same day.

Our flight to Chicago took and off and landed with no issues. We had separate tickets to continue to Montreal, and we collected our bags at around 5 AM local time. Since I have Air Canada elite status (from a credit card), we had booked an Air Canada flight to take advantage of upgrades and the baggage allowance. Unfortunately, it was a codeshare and the flight was operated by United Airlines. With bleary eyes we went to the United counter, where we discovered that I did not get the same benefits on a codeshare, and United was unwilling to waive their luggage charges. Fortunately the Air Canada counter was next door in the terminal, and at that counter they were happy to move us to an Air Canada-operated flight where we could check bags for free. Unfortunately, the counter agents for United did not know the procedure to “uncheck” us in for the flight, and figuring out how to do this took them more than 40 minutes. We keep giving United a chance, and we almost always end up disappointed. Lesson learned: Always check to see what airline is operating the flight you book, not who is selling it!

Our travel day was nearing 24 hours as we went through security again and walked to our gate. The hassle left us no time to freshen up at the lounge. Again our flight had no issues and we touched down in Montreal just after noon, local time. I slept the entire time on the plane and still woke up tired. Nonstop travel will suck the life (and moisture!) out of your body.

At least we were finally in Canada! But we still needed to get to Quebec City. Flights from Montreal to Quebec City were astronomical compared to the price of a Via Rail train ticket, so we had booked the train in advance.

After retrieving our luggage, we discovered a slight planning error. The Montreal airport offers a free shuttle to the train station, but NOT the Montreal train station! Instead the shuttle goes to Dorval Station, the suburb where the airport is actually located. Oh no! So we skipped the shuttle and instead used Uber to take us to Gare Centrale, the Montreal Central train station. On arrival we had a couple more hours to wait until the train boarded. It was an organized system with clean, comfortable trains. I took short naps on the nearly four-hour train journey. Eventually, the train pulled into Quebec at 9 PM, about a half-hour late. Lesson learned: in unfamiliar cities, check maps for train station and airport locations to make sure that you buy the correct tickets and show up at the proper places!

From there we hoofed it to our quaint hotel in the old city. It looked close on the map, and it wasn’t far…but it was a climb! The Old Town is located on a hillside, so all roads led up from the gorgeous train station, Gare du Palais.

Traveling east compounds travel fatigue but our total journey time from ship to hotel room was 33 hours. We got a good deal on the journey (around $180 USD, including a first class flight and the cost of the train) but it was an arduous and excruciating trip. So why did we do it? To join a ship in Quebec!

Quebec City, Quebec

We arrived two nights before boarding Caribbean Princess for a 12-night Fall Colors / Repositioning cruise down to Florida.

I’m so glad we came early! Quebec is one of my new favorite cities. It has old world charm, militaristic fortifications, and quaint streets. It felt like I was transported back to Europe.

After the horrendous journey, we slept in late and spent much of the first day walking around admiring fall foliage, the buildings during the day and at night, and the sweeping views of the Saint Lawrence River.

After a second hotel night, it was already time to check in for the cruise. Our hotel in Quebec was perfect for our short stay. The building was built in 1805 but portions of the construction date back to 1640, with old wood planks and brick walls visible inside (but with all the modern touches). We highly recommend Auberge du Tresor as a hotel in Old Town.

Our first night “on the ship” was an overnight in Quebec. So we dropped off our bags, grabbed a quick lunch, and left to explore some areas outside of Old Town. We visited a few local microbreweries and explored quite a bit of the Saint-Roch neighborhood on foot. The craft beer scene is great and we enjoyed the brews at Apikol (meads), Noctem (cat themed IPAs), and La Barberie (we liked their fruit sours). We also picked up some cans at Nano Cinco to bring back onboard.

That night we did something we don’t normally sign up for: a walking tour. We purchased tickets for the Quebec Ghost Tour through Old Town. With the leaves on the ground and the town decorated for Halloween, it was an enjoyable experience, though admittedly a bit cheesy.

Our first stop the following morning was the New Grand Market, what was formerly the Old Port Market, but is now located a short bus ride away from the port. We love visiting markets but this one seemed to lack some of the liveliness and options that we see in European markets. But there were some nice shops and we bought a few treats for breakfast.

After walking around the retail street Avenue Cartier, we decided to play a game of Bus Roulette. This is a game of my invention that we sometimes play when we have bus passes. Head to the nearest bus stop and take the first bus that comes. No cheating! We jumped on a bus headed to the suburbs and had a pleasant scenic ride. We ended up near a park filled with bright orange, golden yellow, and fiery red trees. It was so pretty! We ended up not seeing much beyond that: the suburbs had the usual assortment of malls and office buildings. So we rode back, generally retracing our steps back to the port.

Our final stop was to the state-run alcohol shop to pick up some Caribou. Caribou is a Quebecois mulled wine, with red wine mixed with whiskey and spices, served warm. We tried to order this at multiple bars in Quebec City, but we discovered that it is apparently a drink for old people and tourists. I fall into one of those categories, maybe even both!

Most young people we spoke with had not heard of it, but we found it perfect for brisk fall weather! A premixed version is sold at the liquor store by the bottle, and we bought one to drink as a memory of Quebec City.

We then sailed on to the Eastern Seaboard, with two sea days until our first port stop. We hit some stormy weather with 15-20 foot waves. I slept like a baby while being not-so-gently rocked to sleep.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

We woke up to gray skies in Halifax. Our Canadian adventure wrapped up with another city that was new to us.

We waltzed off the gangway at around 8 AM and wandered along the Halifax Harbourwalk.

Halifax has a wonderfully activated waterfront, with a two-mile boardwalk. We walked past countless restaurants with nice outdoor seating, a playground, and plenty of shops. I wish Seattle would do more with their waterfront!

Across the water lies a small community called Dartmouth. We took a local ferry across (7 minutes, essentially a harbor cruise for the price of a bus ticket) and walked around the small downtown area. The highlight was the large croissants from Two if by Sea. Ginormous and so filling!

I’d like to think we burned a few calories climbing through Dartmouth Common to enjoy scenic views of the harbor and Halifax on the other side. We meandered around the port mall a little too long and missed our anticipated return ferry. I blame Corey’s last minute decision to order a very tasty lobster roll. So we rolled with it, and enjoyed the park outside while he chomped down on the sandwich.

Our poor timing meant that we missed the noon firing of the guns at the Halifax Citadel, but we still had a nice afternoon. Once back in Halifax, we walked down Argyle Street checking out the midday vibe: quiet for a working weekday. We found an intersection with a pizza restaurant on every corner, but instead bought Indian fusion French fries. This end of Argyle Street seems like the perfect spot for after-drinking food: pizza, poutine, kababs, etc.

Up the hill, we admired the beautiful modern library and stopped for a moment to enjoy the views from the viewing platform at the top.

Just a few blocks away, we sauntered through the Halifax Public Gardens. They were established more than 150 years ago, and much of the landscape looks the same! Throughout the garden are historic photos that show the views from more than a century ago. Our highlight was the dahlia demonstration garden. We each picked a favorite variety of dahlia.

Halifax was a delightful city and our time was so short. By 3:00 in the afternoon it was time to reboard the ship.

Caribbean Princess then headed south toward New England. We will cover those ports separately as we wanted to cover Canada exclusively, eh.

We love Canada. We loved the Canadian east coast. And we met so many friendly people.

Leaf peeping cruise was awesome and if you are considering a cruise in the future with Princess, reach out to Melissa. She makes the booking process so easy! We are also happy to help with advice on cruising, whether on Princess or any other line!

Here’s a post we wrote that helps with cruise planning.