Join nearly all-Quebecker cruises up St. Lawrence River and get to know the locals.
NEW! Check out photos from this cruise and its destination here!
Awful French? Pas de problème! Make a French-Canadian friend–I met gays on board!
A cruise from Montreal up the St. Lawrence River. Randall Shirley Photo
Learn something new. Dive head-first into Québécois culture.
The original purpose of my ferry cruise up Quebec’s St. Lawrence River was not to get in touch with Québécois culture; I did it because I like being on ships, and trying “cruises” that are different from what Holland America or Princess (those lines sail in the region, too) offer.
What I discovered was a chance to really meet Quebeckers—because most of the other passengers were from Quebec. I chatted with them in a way other visits to la belle province hadn’t allowed. We yacked over dinners, having drinks or just watching the magnificent Gaspé Peninsula glide by off the starboard side of the CTMA Vacancier. Hills rolled by, iconic village lighthouses regularly pierced the shoreline, while massive windmills seemed endless between Matane and Cap-Chat.
My awful French didn’t stop me from getting to know my dining mates, either: Montréalers André and Leo, and Suzanne, a single traveller from Québec City. Luckily, two of them spoke good English, and I tried to use some French, too. As with past cruise dining companions, we chatted about careers first, gradually getting more personal; I learned about André’s move from Québec City, Leo’s rural Quebec roots and Suzanne’s reasons for starting her grief-counselling service.
Instead of swimming pools and fancy casinos—there are none—I savoured cultural opps: listening to well-known Acadien singer/songwriter Georges Langford, who grew up on the very islands we were sailing to: the Îles de la Madeleine, known in English as the Magdalen Islands. When he sang, Langford enchanted a lounge full of Québeckers, who laughed with him and often hummed or sang along.
The ship itself was nothing special: a ferry fitted for extended passenger services (in fact, cars are carried below). Rooms were small and spartan, but comfortable enough: just a rose-coloured blanket on my bed and a basic, private washroom.
Instead of chocolate buffets, I had the pleasure of joining André on the deck near midnight as we passed his hometown of Québec City—magical Fairmont Le Château Frontenac hotel all lit up. We talked about family, friends, jobs, relationships. We talked about language; about French in Canada. I learned a lot. Cruising close to his home, we became friends. That’s a trend I like.
What else I liked:
- Ship staffers who jumped in to sing a song or two during entertainment time, even if it wasn’t their job
- No Internet, often no phone coverage; truly time to power down.
- Knowing this was not a “mass market” experience; it was homey and relaxing.
- My final destination: the marvelous Îles de la Madeleine.
My story originally appeared on the website http://www.canada.travel, and is repeated here courtesy Canadian Tourism Commission.
Alan, and 
Steve are discussing.
Steve 9:29 am on April 8, 2010 Permalink |
Thanks for sharing this article Randall! I’ve always wanted to cruise down the St. Lawrence and now I’m even more excited about doing it in the future. To be able to experience the culture is a big plus. I better start practicing my french.
Alan 2:53 pm on April 28, 2010 Permalink |
Hello Randall, I enjoyed your writing on the St. Lawrence seaway. That is a trip I’ve wanted to do since our week stay in Quebec City and taking a day trip on the coast toward the Atlantic. I know the ferry isn’t Holland America, but I’d like to know if you like the cruise line in the fact that you were satisfied with the basic comforts of the room and the food. Again, I know it’s not the best fine dining as in other cruise lines, but was everything adequate? Or should I just go with the masses and go on a popular cruise line. I do however love mingling with the locals soaking up local color and enjoy those “dolce fare niente” moments away from mainstream tourism. Your response would be appreciated.
Randall Shirley 4:14 pm on April 28, 2010 Permalink |
Hello Alan,
The cruise onboard the CTMA Vacancier is truly unique, and I personally found it very special and different from the mainstream. The vast majority of the fellow passengers were Quebeckers, and it made the whole experience feel so local.
Interestingly, Quebeckers are fascinated by the experience, and many of them dream of going to Les Iles de la Madeleine. Even as a non-French speaker, I found their enthusiasm for traveling in their own region very appealing.
The ship is plenty comfortable–NOT luxury by any means. But the food was good enough, and the variety of activities satisfied me. Rather than looking for swimming pools and casinos, I spent my time saying “bon jour” to fellow passengers and trying to learn all I could about their culture. Magic.
The “destination,” Les Iles de la Madeleine, was truly exceptional. I actually stayed there for several days, and then flew home. If this interests you (and it should), I recommend you fly to the islands, spend 4-5 days, then take the ship BACK to Montreal, as the interesting stops are actually on the return journey.
Here’s a link to my gay travel story about Les Iles de la Madeleine from Outlooks, Canada’s gay magazine (like Out), where I’m Travel Editor. Let me know what you end up doing!
http://randallshirley.com/Articles/LesIles.pdf