Cruises and cruise linesClick a logo to explore a cruise line, or read our guides below

A cruise is a hotel that changes its view every morning: you unpack once and wake up in a new port. AquaTerra Travel sells the major ocean and river cruise lines, from the Caribbean to Alaska and the Mediterranean to the St. Lawrence, including no-fly departures from Montreal and Quebec City each fall. Our advisors compare the lines, the ships and the cabins with you, at no charge.

A-Rosa Cruises

AmaWaterways

American Cruise Lines

Aqua Expeditions

Atlas Ocean Voyages

Aurora Expeditions

Avalon Waterways

Azamara Club Cruises

Carnival Cruise Line

Celebrity Cruises

Celestyal Cruises

Costa Cruises

CroisiEurope

Crystal Cruises

Cunard

Disney Cruise Line

Emerald Waterways

Explora Journeys

HX Expeditions

Holland America Line

Hurtigruten

Lindblad Expeditions

MSC Cruises

Margaritaville at Sea

Norwegian Cruise Line

Oceania Cruises

Paul Gauguin Cruises

Ponant

Princess Cruises

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Riviera Travel

Royal Caribbean Cruises

Scenic Cruises

SeaDream Yacht Club

Seabourn Cruise Line

Silversea Cruises

Star Clippers

Swan Hellenic

Tauck Cruises

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise

Viking Ocean Cruises

Viking River Cruises

Virgin Voyages

Windstar Cruises

Which Kind of Cruise Suits You?

The cruise line shapes your experience far more than the destination does. Two ships sailing the exact same Caribbean itinerary can feel like entirely different vacations. Here are the five main families.

Mainstream lines — Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival — build resort ships: water parks, climbing walls, dozens of restaurants, kids' clubs. Best value on the market and the right call for a first family cruise. Skip them if crowds drain you.

Premium lines — Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line — cater to a calmer clientele, often 45 and up, who value dining, service and the ports themselves over waterslides. Expect roughly a third more than a mainstream line.

Luxury lines — Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Explora Journeys, Ponant — sail smaller ships with near-personal service and nearly everything built into the fare, gratuities and excursions included on several. The advertised price surprises; the final price much less.

River cruises — AmaWaterways, Viking, Avalon Waterways, Uniworld, Scenic, Emerald, CroisiEurope — travel the Rhine, the Danube, the Douro, the Seine or the Mekong on ships of about a hundred guests that dock in the heart of the towns. No seasickness, no sea days, one port a day. It is a different way to travel, not a smaller version of ocean cruising.

Expedition cruises — Hurtigruten, HX, Lindblad Expeditions, Ponant, Atlas Ocean Voyages, Quark — reach where big ships cannot: Antarctica, the Arctic, the Galápagos, Greenland. Zodiacs, lecturers, biologists on board. It is the fastest-growing segment and the one that needs the most preparation.

Where to Go, and When

The Caribbean remains the number one destination for Canadians, December through April, sailing from Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Port Canaveral. Eastern Caribbean for beaches and the French and Dutch islands, Western for Mexico and Belize, Southern for a climate outside the hurricane belt.

The Mediterranean runs April to October: Barcelona, Rome, Athens, the Greek islands, the Dalmatian coast. This is the history lover's cruise, and the one with the most walking.

Alaska sails May to September from Vancouver or Seattle. Glaciers, whales, coastal forest. May and September cost noticeably less than July, with daylight still long.

Europe's rivers run April to December, with two peaks: the Dutch tulips in spring and the Christmas markets along the Rhine and Danube in December.

The St. Lawrence and New England have their season from late August to late October, when the maples turn. It is the only cruise Canadians in Quebec and Ontario can take without setting foot on a plane.

Sailing from Canada Without Flying

This is the advantage few travellers use. From late summer to mid-October, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Silversea and others board guests right at the port of Montreal or Quebec City for itineraries toward the Maritimes and New England.

No flights, no connections, no risk of missing the ship because of a snowstorm. For a family of four, the airfare saved often passes $2,000 CAD. And from fall 2027, Disney Cruise Line adds New York to the map, six and a half hours by road from Montreal.

One detail that matters: ship size decides the port. Vessels over 90,000 gross tons generally turn around in Quebec City, since clearance on the river limits how far upstream they can travel. Mid-size ships dock in Montreal's Old Port.

What the Fare Covers, and What It Doesn't

A cruise fare covers your cabin, all meals in the main dining rooms and buffet, the evening shows, the pools, the gym and most onboard activities. On that basis it is one of the best values in travel.

Then come the extras: daily service charges, generally $22 to $35 CAD per person per day on mainstream lines; alcoholic drinks; Wi-Fi; specialty restaurants; shore excursions. On luxury lines several of those are already in the fare, which explains part of the gap in advertised prices.

We do not publish fixed prices on this page: they change weekly and will never match your dates. A personalized quote remains the only useful reference.

Inside, Oceanview, Balcony or Suite?

The rule our advisors repeat most: at an equal budget, a balcony on a mainstream line beats an inside cabin on a premium line.

The inside cabin is the most affordable way aboard and suits travellers who only sleep there. Oceanview adds a window. A balcony transforms the trip, especially in Alaska and the fjords. Suites add space and access to enclaves such as the MSC Yacht Club or Norwegian's Haven.

Location matters as much as category. A midship cabin on a middle deck moves less and reduces the odds of seasickness. The best-positioned cabins in each category sell first, and that is precisely where an advisor earns their keep.

When to Book

Unlike southern all-inclusive packages, cruising rewards booking early. Nine to eighteen months out, the lines open their itineraries with the widest cabin choice and the best deposit terms. Fares climb as the ship fills.

Last-minute deals exist, but they mostly cover leftover, poorly located cabins, and almost never during school breaks or the holidays. Several lines will reprice or sweeten an existing booking if a promotion appears before final payment: that is follow-up we handle systematically for our clients.

Our Cruise Guides

Our advisors have written full guides on the questions that come up most often:

Why Book Through an Advisor Rather Than a Website

The price is the same. What changes is what happens when something goes sideways: a cancelled flight, a promised upgrade that never materializes, a promotion that appears the week after you booked. Booking at midnight on a foreign website means being alone in front of the screen when trouble hits.

Booking through a licensed Quebec agency places your payments under the FICAV, Quebec's compensation fund for travel agency clients, overseen by the Office de la protection du consommateur, a safety net foreign booking sites do not offer. Travel insurance remains essential on top of that, all the more so at sea, where a medical evacuation runs into tens of thousands of dollars.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cruises

Which cruise line is the best?

There isn't one. The right line depends on your profile: Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises for families and spectacle ships, Celebrity Cruises and Holland America Line for dining and service, Silversea and Regent Seven Seas for all-inclusive luxury, AmaWaterways and Viking for rivers. An advisor's real value is telling you which one is wrong for you.

How much does a cruise from Canada cost?

For a couple departing from Montreal or Toronto, a realistic all-in budget runs $5,900 to $9,800 CAD for seven Caribbean nights in a balcony cabin, including flights, gratuities, insurance and extras. A fall cruise from Montreal or Quebec City removes airfare entirely, which often makes it the easiest option to budget.

Can you cruise from Canada without flying?

Yes. From late August to mid-October, several lines sail directly from the ports of Montreal and Quebec City toward the Maritimes and New England, at the peak of fall colours. It is the simplest way to try cruising without flight logistics.

Do I need a passport for a cruise?

For Canadian travellers the short answer is yes, valid at least six months beyond your return date. The exemptions you may have heard about mostly apply to U.S. citizens on certain closed-loop sailings and do not work the same way for Canadians.

Are gratuities mandatory on a cruise?

Service charges are added automatically to your onboard account on most lines, at $22 to $35 CAD per person per day. They can technically be adjusted, but they directly compensate the crew who look after you. The simplest approach is to prepay at booking.

What is the difference between an ocean cruise and a river cruise?

A river ship carries about a hundred guests, docks in the heart of towns and calls at one port a day, with no sea days and no seasickness. An ocean ship can carry several thousand and becomes a destination in itself, with shows, pools and multiple restaurants. They are two different trips, not two price brackets.

When should I book to get the best price?

Nine to eighteen months before departure, when the lines open their itineraries and cabin choice is widest. Last-minute deals do surface, but mostly on the least desirable cabins and rarely during school holidays.

Let's Talk About Your Cruise

Our cruise advisors compare lines, ships, cabin categories and promotions every week for travellers across Quebec and Canada. Tell us about your project, even a vague one: the destination that appeals to you, your rough dates, your children's ages if that applies. We will turn it into a clear proposal, and tell you plainly if another formula would serve you better.

Contact us at 450-628-6241 or toll-free at 1-866-628-6241, or by email at info@voyagesaquaterra.com. The quote is free, and so is the advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

There isn't one. The right line depends on your profile: Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises for families and spectacle ships, Celebrity Cruises and Holland America Line for dining and service, Silversea and Regent Seven Seas for all-inclusive luxury, AmaWaterways and Viking for rivers. An advisor's real value is telling you which one is wrong for you.
For a couple departing from Montreal or Toronto, a realistic all-in budget runs $5,900 to $9,800 CAD for seven Caribbean nights in a balcony cabin, including flights, gratuities, insurance and extras. A fall cruise from Montreal or Quebec City removes airfare entirely, which often makes it the easiest option to budget.
Yes. From late August to mid-October, several lines sail directly from the ports of Montreal and Quebec City toward the Maritimes and New England, at the peak of fall colours. It is the simplest way to try cruising without flight logistics.
For Canadian travellers the short answer is yes, valid at least six months beyond your return date. The exemptions you may have heard about mostly apply to U.S. citizens on certain closed-loop sailings and do not work the same way for Canadians.
Service charges are added automatically to your onboard account on most lines, at $22 to $35 CAD per person per day. They can technically be adjusted, but they directly compensate the crew who look after you. The simplest approach is to prepay at booking.
A river ship carries about a hundred guests, docks in the heart of towns and calls at one port a day, with no sea days and no seasickness. An ocean ship can carry several thousand and becomes a destination in itself, with shows, pools and multiple restaurants. They are two different trips, not two price brackets.
Nine to eighteen months before departure, when the lines open their itineraries and cabin choice is widest. Last-minute deals do surface, but mostly on the least desirable cabins and rarely during school holidays.