DH and I have cruised more than 10 times and have been on many different cruise lines, with RCCL being our favorite. We found a great price and itinerary that we were wanting to try and thought why not try HAL. We knew it was going to be a smaller ship than we have been on, and that it was a more "mature" group of cruisers that would be on this ship.

We flew from Chicago into Montreal, took the Montreal Bus for $9 each to the front steps of our hotel. We stayed at the Candlewood Suites in Centreville, near Vieux Montreal. Price was good, location was great for walking down to the Old Montreal section of town. The room was small, but everyone was very friendly and it was perfect for our one day stay. The front desk was more than happy to call us a cab on Saturday morning and it cost only $8 for a trip to the port.

If you go to Montreal, take a day or two to explore the old part of the city. It was one of our top places that we go to visit on this trip. Well worth the time. Ate at a little outdoor cafe Le Grange Gourmand, which was delicious while we listened to the guitar player/singer that was performing in the street. Took a carriage ride for $48 for a half hour, which was informative and delightful, well worth the money. Everyone in town was very nice and the language wasn't not a barrier, even for our waitress who had limited English but was able to communicate with my little French. US dollars are accepted everywhere on this trip. Read more