Montreal to Boston or the reverse

[1drifter]

We are considering a cruise on HAL next year to Canada/New England. They cruise from Montreal to Boston or Boston to Montreal. Does anyone have an opinion on which would be the best choice? I heard, I thought, that the Montreal pier is confusing therefore it might be better to start in Boston. Is this a valid idea?

The stops in Charlottetown PEI and Bar Harbor, ME would be earlier on the cruise starting in Boston but the the scenic cruising on the Saguenany Fjord would be late in the afternoon instead of early in the morning. It doesn't seem to make a big difference--unless stores aren't open until 10.

I'd welcome any insight anyone has. Shari

[Murphy]

What time of year are you sailing? If it is a leaf changing cruise and this is a priority for you, you might want to check out this post that lists when some of the prime leaf color is typically expected:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=231999

[1drifter]

Thanks Murphy--we were considering September for our anniversary, even though I know that will be too early for fall color.

[lomo]

Hi, I just got back from this cruise. I left August 27th from Boston and arrived in Montreal on Sept 3 on HAL's Maasdam. I really enjoyed the itinerary and stayed a day extra before and after the cruise. Its really hard to say which way is better, because I'm not sure that it matters. You might want to check some things like air schedules and prices, because it might make a difference on how much and when you want to travel. I had some difficulty getting flights out of Montreal because I didn't want to fly on a really small plane (a personal thing). Also, I thought coming home through Boston might be easier, because you don't have to go through customs and immigration at the airport. However, leaving from Montreal was a breeze and we went through US customs and immigration there, rather than the airport that we flew into.

 

Either way you go, the itinerary is really good and I loved it.

[1drifter]

Thanks for the reply, Lomo--I have been reading your posts and found them really informative. I hope our cruise is as nice!