Selling Cruises: New England and Canada -- The ‘New Alaska’
by John Hawks

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The result? You should consider adding Canada and New England to your clients' cruise "wish lists!"

Of course, viewing the region's gorgeous fall colors remains one of the top reasons for sailing through the area. However, your clients can also explore the many port cities along the way that have begun marketing themselves as prime shore excursions -- from Boston and Halifax (the most popular port calls for these cruises) to Bar Harbor, Newport, Quebec City, and Prince Edward Island.

Whale watching is a popular activity from July through October, and many cruise lines will offer port stops scheduled around music, arts, and culinary festivals in the region.

Your clients' two primary decisions about cruising this region will be the length of the trip and the type of ship they prefer. Many shorter voyages (a week or less) will be roundtrip sailings from primary ports like New York City or Boston; on these trips, passengers will typically travel no further than Nova Scotia, and they'll enjoy two or three port stops mixed with a couple of days at sea. If your clients can take the time, they should consider a longer trip (up to 14 nights or more) that includes more shore excursions and that offers other ports of embarkation such as Baltimore, Norfolk, or Philadelphia.

The larger cruise lines plying these waters -- including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Princess -- will offer your clients more onboard programming (such as kids' activities) and a wide range of amenities, but their vessels can't always dock in the smaller, more interesting ports along the way. You may opt for smaller cruise lines with ships that trade onboard evening shows and full-blown spas for the ability to dock in smaller ports.

Now's the perfect time to schedule New England/Canada cruises, too, because your clients will beat the Dec. 31, 2006, deadline for having a U.S. passport if their cruise enters Canadian waters!