Mother (80) Daughter Trip NCL Pearl vs Holland Zaandam Canada New England Aug2023

[travelhome]

I will be staying with my mom in Boston for the month of August (next month). So I am planning an once-a-life-time mother daughter trip for late August!

 

This is really last minute and the choices narrow down to the following two below:

$1049pp Inside cabin for NCL Pearl 7 days 8/25 - 9/1 Boston roundtrip, Port of Calls: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island • Sydney, Nova Scotia • Halifax, Nova Scotia • Portland, Maine • Bar Harbor, Maine

$1493pp Oceanview for Holland Zaandam 11 days 8/23 - 9/3 Boston - Montreal one way, Port of Calls: Portland, Maine • St. John, New Brunswick, Canada • Halifax, Nova Scotia • Corner Brook, Newfoundland • Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island • Cruise Gulf Of St. Lawrence • Saguenay, Quebec, Canada • Quebec City, Quebec • Montreal, Quebec

 

My mom will be turning 80 December this year. She is relatively healthy, mobile and would be happy visiting interesting sites, but we may have to use wheelchair for long walks. 

 

I would have wanted a Balcony cabin, but at this last minute, Balcony is either not available (Holland) or too expensive ($3199 Pearl). I will just take the lowest cost cabin available and spend $$ elsewhere. I am not familiar with these two ships and these ports. My questions / considerations are:

1. How's NCL Pearl compared with Holland Zaandam, in terms of restaurant choices, senior friendly amenities, activity choices for sea days etc. 

2. How are these itineraries stack against each other, for senior that cannot take too long a walk. 

3. Since Holland Zaandam ship will be Boston-Montreal one way, is it possible to catch the flight to Boston at 8:15am after the ship docks at 7am? If not, we might spend the day tour Montreal and take a later flight back to Boston. But not sure whether we can keep the luggage at the port or somewhere? 

4. Not sure whether the one way trip will be too aggressive and too much of a hassle, compared to the Boston roundtrip one. 

 

Would really appreciate it if you could share your knowledge about the ships, the itineraries and senior travel. It will actually be my very first time traveling with my mom alone, no kids, no husbands, just two of us! 

 

Thanks a lot!

Tiffany