It is great to be back here on the blog challenge to connect with my long time friends who are regulars on this challenge and to meet those who are new to this challenge. For the previous two weeks I have been on vacation gathering pictures to share with you on this blog. The vacation was a cruise on the Seabourn Ovation from Montreal, Quebec to Saint John’s, Newfoundland and back to Montreal. Since we only visited two provinces of Canada, the Jones Act requires that the ship stop in another country before completing its return to Canada. In this case, we visited France.
ITINERARY FOR THE Seabourn Ovation 2026
Friday Sep 25 MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA
Saturday Sep 26 SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER CRUISING
Cruising only.
Sunday Sep 27 HAVRE-SAINT-PIERRE, QUEBEC, CANADA
Monday Sep 28 At Sea
Tuesday Sep 29 L ANSE AUX MEADOWS, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA
Tender required; Wheelchair access at Captain’s discretion.
Wednesday Sep 30 ST JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA
Thursday Oct 1 ST JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA
Friday Oct 2 SAINT PIERRE AND MIQUELON, FRANCE
Saturday Oct 3 CAP-AUX-MEULES, ILES DE LA MADELEINE, QUEBEC, CANADA
Tender required; Wheelchair access at Captain’s discretion.
Sunday Oct 4 At Sea
Monday Oct 5 SAGUENAY, QUEBEC, CANADA
Tuesday Oct 6 QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC, CANADA
Wednesday Oct 7 MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA 7:00am
Montreal is the second largest city in Canada after Toronto and “is the largest primarily French speaking city in the Americas.” (see Wikipedia.org) About 60% speak both English and French. We stayed in the oldest part of Montreal (vieux Montreal) in Le Petit Hotel. We chose it because it was a few minutes walk from where we would board the ship the next day. Due to current airport irregularities, we were advised to book a day ahead of boarding even though it was only a short flight of just over an hour. It was also close to the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History.
The Seabourn Ovation was slated to dock in the lower left corner near the cluster of red flags. The day before we left from home we received an email that instead of terminal #1 at the port of Vieux Montreal, we would be boarding at terminal #3. It is about five kilometres away at the top of the map at the red flag [2]. Please call a taxi for us and our bags. (SVP s’il vous plait.)
After checking into the hotel we went for a walk around the nearby streets and went to see where the ship was docked. We could not see it but we did see the Fun Show and all of the fair like attractions associated with it.
We did not get as far as the clock tower but halfway there we stopped and headed back to the Museum. The next picture is the landmark at the point where we turned back. (Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel an 18th century worship site and saint’s tomb). This is also near the tower for the zip line ride over to the island.
It will take me three weeks to update you with the other sites we visited.
