Le Boreal Travel Journal - Boston to Montreal 10-Day Cruise

Le Boreal is a sleek, stylish, yacht-like cruise ship that sails fascinating itineraries ranging from the Arctic to the Antarctic, with hundreds of ports of call in-between. Le Boreal is one of five ships owned by the only cruise line with French owners--Compagnie du Ponant. Although the ship's primary language is French, all the cruises are bilingual, so English-speaking guests who enjoy small ships, unique itineraries, and an onboard French ambiance should love sailing on Le Boreal.

I sailed a 10-day cruise from Boston to Montreal on Le Boreal in late September. Like most New England/Atlantic Canada cruises, this itinerary included stopovers in Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Quebec City, Quebec. However, we also spent marvelous days in quieter ports that are seldom visited by small cruise ships and are almost inaccessible to large ships due to their small size and lack of docking facilities. It's these off-the-beaten-path locales that make a cruise on Le Boreal special.

I boarded Le Boreal in the late afternoon in Boston, where the ship was docked next to the Crystal Symphony. Although the Crystal Symphony is a mid-sized ship with about 1,000 passengers, the ship looked huge docked next to the 264-passenger Le Boreal. Like on most small ships, boarding was easy and very quick. Before I knew it, I was in my cabin, and the luggage arrived soon after. As I expected, my Le Boreal cabin was really lovely--very contemporary, with lots of taupe and splashes of bright red. Since it's French, I guess you could say it was tres chic! For example, the closet doors in the cabin had white leather padding on the outside, which matched the same on the drawers and the stool that sat in front of the vanity. The bath was split, with the toilet in one room and the shower/sink in another. I loved the decor and layout of this cabin, although it was a little smaller than balcony cabins on other ships.

I was unpacked and settled into the cabin by the time we had the mandatory life boat drill. The drill was in the theater and most of the passengers seemed to be French. I found out later that our cruise had about 20 English-speaking and almost 200 French. Before I knew it, dinner was served. Dinner was very nice, as I expected on a French cruise ship. We had a choice of two soups (spinach cream or consomme), three appetizers/salads (I got the goat cheese salad), two main courses (halibut or steak), and a couple of desserts or cheese tray. (I got chocolate ice cream). Nice way to start the cruise, and we adjourned to the bar for a nightcap after dinner.

Le Boreal had sailed for Bar Harbor during dinner. Our adventure had begun!

Le Boreal New England and Atlantic Canada Cruise Travel Journal

1. Overview and Embarkation
2. Bar Harbor, Maine
3. Halifax, Nova Scotia
4. Halifax - Peggy's Cove
5. Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
6. Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec (Magdalen Islands) - Morning Tour
7. Iles de la Madeleine - Afternoon Tour
8. Perce, Quebec
9. Perce - Bonaventure Island
10. Havre St. Pierre, Quebec - Niapiskau Island
11. Havre St. Pierre, Quebec - Quarry Island
12. Tadoussac, Quebec
13. Saguenay, Quebec
14. Quebec City
15. Montreal and Disembarkation