On this voyage we’ve combined the scenic beauty and natural wonder of some of Atlantic Canada’s most dramatic waterways with visits to historic cities that beguile visitors with their old world influences and French charm. After exploring the birding paradise of Witless Bay Ecological Reserve (comprised of four islands), set forth from Newfoundland’s capital of St. John for Ingonish, on the island of Cape Breton. Clelia II then enters the Gulf of St. Lawrence where we will explore Prince Edward Island, Gaspe Peninsula and nearby Ile Bonaventure, where, for millennia, tens of thousands of gannets return every summer to nest. A highlight of our journey is navigating the full expanse of the St. Lawrence River and Seaway, one of the world’s most magnificent inland waterways. En route we visit the enchanting city of Quebec and the alluring old quarter of Montreal. One of the outstanding engineering feats of the 20th century, the St. Lawrence Seaway comprises 7 locks which elevate the ship 228 feet into Lake Ontario. Clelia II is the ideal ship for this voyage. It enables us to enter shallow harbors, thread our way through locks and tiny inlets and intimately experience the scenic grandeur of eastern Canada and the St. Lawrence River.

Saturday, June 13, 2009 • USA | ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA

 

Sunday, June 14 ST. JOHN’S | CAPE SPEAR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE | EMBARK

 

Monday, June 15 • AT SEA

 

Tuesday, June 16 • INGONISH, CAPE BRETON ISLAND, NOVA SCOTIA

 

Wednesday June 17 • CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

 

Thursday, June 18 • GASPE | PERCE | ILE BONAVENTURE | GASPE

 

Friday, June 19 • AT SEA | SAGUENAY RIVER

 

Saturday, June 20 • QUEBEC CITY

 

Sunday, June 21 • MONTREAL

 

Monday, June 22 • THE ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY & THOUSAND ISLANDS | LAKE ONTARIO

 

Tuesday, June 23 • ROCHESTER | DISEMBARK | USA

 

View Deck Plan

Clelia II

Launched in 2009, after extensive refurbishment, redecoration and other improvements, the all-suite Clelia II offers the finest in small-ship cruise travel. This private yacht-like cruise ship accommodates only 100 guests in 50 suites, each of which affords ocean views, measures 215 square feet or more and is appointed with a sitting area or separate living room, twin or queen-size beds, spacious closets, air conditioning.

• Satellite TV, DVD/CD player
• Telephone
• Mini-refrigerator
• Marble-appointed bathroom with fine toiletries and teak floor
• Plush terry robes and slippers
• Fresh flowers and fruit basket
• 24-hour room service

 

BESPOKE SMALL-SHIP AMENITIES
Decorated with rich fabrics, handsome wood, polished brass, rare antiquities and fine works of art, the yacht’s public spaces are warm and inviting. These include:

• Library with Internet access
• 2 Lounges with audiovisual facilities
• State-of-the-art gym/spa
• Beauty salon
• Boutique
• Hospital
• Elevator serving all passenger decks
• Dining room
• Two sun decks
• Jacuzzi
• Swimming platform

Clelia II complies with the latest international and U.S. Coast Guard safety regulations and is outfitted with the most current navigational and communications technology as well as with retractable fin stabilizers for smooth sailing, an ice-strengthened hull and a fleet of Zodiacs. Clelia II is staffed by 60 European officers and crew. Taken together with her limited guest capacity, excellence of design, craftsmanship and material, Clelia II's spaciousness and intimate ambience combine to make her ideal for distinctive cultural and expedition voyages.

PROGRAM INCLUSIONS

• 1-night stay in St. John’s at the Fairmont Newfoundland Hotel, with breakfast

• 9-night cruise aboard the all-suite, 100- guest Clelia II

• Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions aboard ship

• All meals aboard ship, including house wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner

• Open bar aboard ship throughout the cruise

• Complete program of tours and excursions

• Educational program of lectures and discussions by accompanying guest lecturers

• Professional Travel Dynamics International tour staff

• Complete pre-departure materials

• Baggage handling and transfers abroad on the designated program departure and arrival dates

• Port and embarkation taxes

• Gratuities to porters, guides and drivers

Fly to St. John’s, founded in the mid-16^th century, and transfer to the Fairmont Newfoundland Hotel, your accommodations for the night. Explore this lovely capital city on your own.

 

Drive along the magnificent coast to visit Cape Spear National Historic Site. Enjoy a nature walk to Petty Harbour. Board local boats to Bay Bulls for an excursion to Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, where millions of seabirds come to breed every summer. Embark Clelia II in St. John’s and sail.

 

Enjoy a relaxing day at sea as Clelia II cruises in the Gulf of St. Lawrence toward Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island.

 

Arrive in Ingonish, nestled in a bay on the east coast of Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island where we will explore Cape Breton Highlands National Park, among Canada’s most majestic conservancies. Discover its famed Cabot Trail, with its dense forest and  magnificent views of the island and its surroundings.

 

Today visit Prince Edward Island, known as the Garden of the Gulf for its pastoral landscape. Enjoy a panoramic tour of the island, including the colonial seaport of Charlottetown and its historic Province House. Continue to Prince Edward Island National Park, where we will see the Anne of Green Gables House—the inspiration for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel—and take in some of the 200 bird species inhabiting the parkland.

 

Gaspe, on the eastern coast of the remote peninsula of the same name, is where Jacques Cartier first claimed Canada for France. From “Land’s End,” visit the National Park of Bonaventure Island and Perce Rock. Carved by volcanic action, Perce Rock is a continuation of the Appalachian Mountains, which extend from the peninsula to Alabama. Rising out of the sea to a solitary height of almost 300 feet, the dramatic sight of Perce Rock attracts visitors from all over the world. Its neighbor, Bonaventure Island, houses a migratory bird sanctuary with the largest concentration of Northern Gannets in North America.

 

Relax aboard Clelia II and attend a lecture by one of our onboard experts as we navigate the Saguenay River. The river was an important trade route into the interior for First Nations (the aboriginal peoples of what is present-day Canada) and, during the French colonization of the Americas, was a major route for the fur trade. Bordered by steep cliffs, the waterway is home to Beluga whales, which breed in its cold waters. As we watch from the deck of Clelia II, we are likely to encounter a pod of whales.

 

Quebec City, built on the site of the Iroquois village of Stadacona, sits high above the narrowest point of the St. Lawrence River. With its old city walls, narrow cobblestoned lanes, country squares, oxidized copper gables, outdoor cafes and historic battlements, Quebec City remains one of the most romantic places in North America. The authentic, undeveloped charm led UNESCO to designate it a World Heritage Site in 1985. Discover the Upper and Lower Towns; the Citadel; the Plains of Abraham, where General Wolfe claimed the city for England in 1759; and the Place Royale.

 

The second-largest French-speaking city in the Western world after Paris, Montreal is one of North America’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities. Known for its fashionable boutiques, gourmet restaurants and vivacious nightlife, Montreal strikes a dynamic balance between the avant-garde and the charms of the Old World. Our tour includes a stroll through the cobblestoned streets of the Old Quarter; the resplendent Notre Dame Basilica; and Mont-Royal Park, where the Iroquois established their original settlement. The afternoon is at leisure during which you may wish to visit the outstanding Montreal Museum of Fine Arts or the Chateau Ramezay Museum. In the late afternoon, we begin our beguiling transit through the seven locks of the historic St. Lawrence Seaway.

 

Continue navigating the St. Lawrence Seaway. Later in the morning, sail through the Thousand Islands, a scenic region that has been a popular vacation destination for more than a century. In the afternoon, Clelia II cruises Lake Ontario.

 

Arrive in Rochester, New York and disembark Clelia II. Transfer to the airport for return flights home.