Cruise

CRYSTAL AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Crystal Cruises has unveiled more than 65 new Crystal Adventures for outdoor enthusiasts sailing on five Canada & New England cruises this fall. Travellers who love outdoor activities, wildlife, vistas and ecology can explore nature in a variety of ways during one seven-day and four 10-day Crystal Symphony sailings beginning Sept. 16. The season begins with a new, 10-day, Boston to Montreal itinerary that features two maiden calls, and wraps with a 10-day Montreal-New York voyage that visits off-the-beaten-path Québécois ports alongside East Coast “old money”hideaways like Bar Harbor, Maine and Newport, Rhode Island. Crystal Serenity will explore the region in 2014 with five itineraries. New excursions include: !!! Kayak, bike, or boat past Cap-aux-Meules’s sandstone caves, craggy cliffs, endangered birds, and/or the charming fishing harbor. (Magdalen Islands); !!! Raise the sails, take the helm, and sail along the rugged Nova Scotian coastline. (Lunenburg); !!! Part Zodiac adventure, part physical challenge at Quarry Island, showcasing natural botanical gardens and habitats and impressive monoliths. (Havre-Saint-Pierre); !!! Bike past crashing surf through UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lunenburg. and Blue Rocks, a fishing village-turned-artist colony. (Lunenburg); !!! Kayak or hike through Saguenay National Park’s unique forest-marine ecosystem. (Saguenay); !!! Ride a helicopter, VIP-style, over Manhattan, from Harlem to the Statue of Liberty. (New York); !!! Learn about the ice age while flying over and under a glacier – virtually — at the Garden of the Glaciers within an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. (Baie-Comeau); !!! Explore the hunting paradise of Anticosti Island by seaplane and 4×4, led by a naturalist guide. (Havre-Saint-Pierre); !!! Volunteer with the SHAID Animal Shelter, raising money for this no-kill facility as part of Crystal’s You Care, We Care voluntourism program. (Lunenburg); !!! Visit Innus communities to intimately learn about the First Nations’ respect for, and use of, the land. (Baie-Comeau and Havre-Saint-Pierre); !!! Trek with a naturalist through Irving Nature Park’s wildlife-filled Acadian forest and uniquely complex marine ecosystem. (St. John). (http://www.crystalcruises.com)