Fall cruises for foliage in the northeast are growing more and more popular each year.

The foliage is like no other place in the nation, and more people are paying to cruise the rivers and oceans to peep leaves instead of braving the crowded roads and inns on land.

A fall cruise is a great way to relax and enjoy the show without some of the headaches that go along with a tour on land.

Generally, departure points include Boston, New York, Cape Liberty, and Baltimore. Fall cruises then head north to Quebec City or Montreal, making stops in places like Bar Harbor, Maine, Newport, Rhode Island, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia.

Such a beautiful show in the fall!

People from all over the country and the world travel to enjoy fall cruises along the eastern seaboard.

Jean Mallory of White Travel in West Hartford, Conn. said, “These cruises draw people from across the country.”

She continued, “People living in the Northeast like them because they can drive to departure points without having to fly somewhere. People living outside of the Northeast come because you just don’t see foliage like this anywhere else and cruising is such a great way to experience it.”

The fall cruise itineraries offer a very different experience than your general Caribbean or island cruise. Erik Elvejord, director of public relations for Holland America Lines, explains,

“These cruises offer a very diverse mix of ports. Quebec has a very European feel, Halifax is very British, Prince Edward Island is so quaint, so Anne of Green Gables. Passengers get a European experience without leaving North America.”

Fall cruises are becoming so popular that many major cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean and Holland America, now offer a fall cruise itinerary.

Is a fall cruise on your bucket list?