Best time to see leave change in NE/Canada Cruise

[cruiselover6854]

I was trying to determine what is the best week to cruise to New England/Canada to see the leaves change.  Any info. is appreciated.

[Host Carolyn]

It's a totally luck.. Have done this cruise 4 times and the only time the leaves had really changed in all the ports was last time when we went about Oct. 15. It had been warm and then very cold at night (in fact they had record low temps that week in Maine with daytime highs in low 40s and windy).  In mid- late Sept. once it was in the 70s and 80s; another time in October they had changed in New Brunswick and outside Halifax in Mahone Bay but not in Maine and another time just a little bit higher elevations in Arcadia.  Just book the cruise in mid-October and keep your fingers crossed would be my advice.  If they have chilly early fall in Canada the peak may be over but have never really seen in Maine and New England before October. 

 

It's a lovely itinerary IMHO and one that a lot of people overlook.  Ports are great, food delicious.  If you do a one-way to Quebec City (or from Quebec) leaf peak may be earlier than mid-October as it's further north.  That would be my ideal as Quebec is charming city and you get most of the same ports

[cruiselover6854]

22 hours ago, Host Carolyn said:

It's a totally luck.. Have done this cruise 4 times and the only time the leaves had really changed in all the ports was last time when we went about Oct. 15. It had been warm and then very cold at night (in fact they had record low temps that week in Maine with daytime highs in low 40s and windy).  In mid- late Sept. once it was in the 70s and 80s; another time in October they had changed in New Brunswick and outside Halifax in Mahone Bay but not in Maine and another time just a little bit higher elevations in Arcadia.  Just book the cruise in mid-October and keep your fingers crossed would be my advice.  If they have chilly early fall in Canada the peak may be over but have never really seen in Maine and New England before October. 

 

It's a lovely itinerary IMHO and one that a lot of people overlook.  Ports are great, food delicious.  If you do a one-way to Quebec City (or from Quebec) leaf peak may be earlier than mid-October as it's further north.  That would be my ideal as Quebec is charming city and you get most of the same ports

 

Thank you!   We are booking for October 8 through the 17, 2020, so hopefully we will have both good weather and see the leaves in that area!

[Jan_In_Maine]

11 hours ago, cruiselover6854 said:

 

Thank you!   We are booking for October 8 through the 17, 2020, so hopefully we will have both good weather and see the leaves in that area!

 

Usually indigenous peoples day is a good time to visit Maine for all the leaf peepers (in 2020 it will be October 12th), but as others have said ... it is the luck of the draw ---- Never know what the weather will actually be like.

 

(FYI - the National Park in Maine is called Acadia) 

 

I hope you have the opportunity to visit --- Bar Harbor is a wonderful area and Maine is amazing!!!).  Jan   If you have any questions about the area ... let me know!

Edited May 23, 2019 by Jan_In_Maine
can't spell

[maryann ns]

For Nova Scotia it is generally the second week of October. 

[mets123]

Weather can be tricky. He prepared for temps between 40 - 90.

[AF-1]

How about 24 Oct cruise?  Is this too late to see the colors?  Thanks

[cruiselover6854]

We are booked for October 8 to the 17th on Royal Caribbean, hopefully we will have good weather/leaves... not that we can't see them in Pennsylvania is just seems like a cool time to go North.

[gnome12]

53 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

How about 24 Oct cruise?  Is this too late to see the colors?  Thanks

Probably too late for leaf change, but it varies from year to year.

[Ashland]

Your timing for October should be great...we've done the same.

 

And yes, Acadia National Park is in Bar Harbor Maine...Arcadia is a city here in my home state of California hardly a national park

 

A plaque near the entrance on the sprawling grounds of the Santa Anita racetrack is the sole reminder of the track's place in World War II history as the nation's largest assembly center for Japanese Americans on their way to internment camps.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Ashland