Discover North America by ship

Why North America  

While you may be familiar with North America, its coastlines are often undiscovered for even seasoned travelers. The unique combination of nature, small harbors, and metropolitan areas opens up different experiences and a new perspectives.

Visit the places you have seen, read, or dreamed about in a fantastic mix, and a broad variety of stops, along the way. Cruising along the coast enables a much greater variety of experiences than regular travel, where you would have to pick a certain city or region to visit.

Discover history and culture, nature and wildlife, and local food and drink. The coastline is full of hidden gems and new discoveries. And in the oceans outside North America, you can expect to see dolphins, whales, and a large number of bird species.

Best time to visit North America 

North America is a great place to visit year-round, but for exploring the shorelines, the summer and fall are recommended. Summer brings warmer temperatures and better sailing conditions. The fall is a wonderful time to explore the beautiful coasts of Canada and New England as the foliage puts on an amazing show. This is, in fact, a reason to visit this region in the fall all by itself.

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Photo: Camille Seaman, Shutterstock, Camille Seaman/Hurtigruten and Chelsea Claus

What to see 

North America has it all – from the ultimate in urbanity to unspoiled nature.

East Coast 

Discover iconic East Coast cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, and Miami. In addition, visit small towns like Eastport, Bar Harbor, and Rockland. This provides a striking variety of beautiful scenery, culture, and city life in a perfect mix of wilderness, small-town charm, and bustling nightlife.

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Photo: Shutterstock and Andrea Klaussner

West Coast

On the West Coast, visit famous places such as Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Santa Catalina Island, Seattle, and Vancouver. Enjoy a mix of potential whale sightings, hiking, sampling of local foods in the many restaurants, learning about local history, and relaxing on sunny beaches. It’s a truly urban expedition along one of the most famous coastlines of the world.

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Photo: Chelsea Claus and Shutterstock

What to Expect 

You will explore and experience many sides of North America when traveling by ship. While providing the possibility to enjoy the rich variety of stops along the way, this is not a typical cruise experience. Except to get in-depth insight into the areas visited, and you will learn about the local culture, history, and wildlife of these destinations.

The oceans are full of exciting sea life, and in the skies and on the shore, you will see a large number of different bird species. In northern regions, you might even spot bears, moose, and the ever-popular puffin.

You may also enjoy hikes, museum visits, food- and wine-tasting, urban exploration, local cultural performances, small-boat cruising, and (where possible) kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, and beach clean-up activities.

For people who love to travel, and see and experience culture and history but don’t want the traditional white-ship experience, this is the perfect way to experience the North American coastline.