DESTINATIONS THE US |NEW ENGLAND CRUISE


operator operator ASK THE Andy Hawke,


river product and sales manager, Fred Holidays


“The New England Explorer is a fantastic way to see the region, and great value as it’s all-inclusive. It will appeal to older couples who like small ships, as well as non-cruisers as there’s plenty of land time. We can tailor-make packages, adding more time in Boston or a few nights in New York or Washington DC, with train travel between the cities.”


CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: American Constitution; The Breakers mansion, Newport; lobster bake; Camden harbour


chance to shrug off the jet lag and see some of the city before setting sail. ACL launched 50 years ago and


has 17 ships – increasing to 19 this year – but remains something of a mystery in the UK (unless you are talking Mississippi). That’s not by choice, so Fred Holidays has been busy raising agents’ awareness of the huge portfolio of river and coastal cruises the line offers.


RANGE OF ITINERARIES The line offers more than half-a- dozen itineraries in New England, as well as voyages on the Chesapeake, Hudson, Columbia and Snake rivers, in the San Juan Islands, to Alaska and more. “ACL’s Mississippi river cruises account for 95% of what we sell, but once we get a ‘.co.uk’ website [for ACL] with sterling prices, we’ll be able to showcase its portfolio better,” says Andy Hawke, Fred Holidays’ river product and sales manager. True to its name, the company is very American. Its ships are


30 1 FEBRUARY 2024


In Camden, being caught stealing someone else’s lobster traps is a shooting offence


built, flagged and sail in the US, and all crew have to be American. Said crew were great: courteous, helpful and amused by my British accent. I spent many a fun evening discussing our language differences with Nathan, the guest services coordinator- cum-barman. Why do we have taps and they have faucets? We never did get to the bottom of it. Nowhere is far on this cruise, so


a few hours after leaving Boston, we tie up in Portland, Maine, and the next morning head off on various excursions. While imbibing craft beers on a ‘walk, talk and taste tour’ with guide Tom, I learn that the city was a stop on the underground


railroad that smuggled slaves to freedom in the north and used to be big on rum, which led to the Great Molasses Flood in 1919 – and a literal sticky end for 21 people. No wonder they prefer beer these days. Lobsters turn out to be equally


lethal. “We lose about six lobster fishermen a year,” guide Sam tells me on a tour of the cute town of Camden. The fishermen are allowed 800 traps each, which they can attend to from Monday to Saturday. Sunday is a day of rest. What if you are caught stealing someone’s traps? “It’s a shooting offence.”


PLENTY TO DO The days in New England whizz by. In Maine, there’s a maritime museum in Bath, while Massachusetts has an eerie Gothic castle in Gloucester, a peek into Newport’s famed mansion houses and a ride on the Chappaquiddick (Chappy) ferry in Martha’s Vineyard. Each afternoon, I hurry back to hear guest speaker Tim Phillips’ lively talks that cover everything


from New England’s history to its gangsters and revolutionary heroes. On the last day, I take to a 4x4 with driver Chase to speed up and down sand dunes outside Provincetown, Massachusetts, before braving the crowds in town for the July 4 weekend. Here, America’s iconic national holiday looks like the scene from Jaws when the beaches open for the summer vacation, except (thank goodness) it’s only the lobsters that are getting eaten.


TW BOOK IT


Fred Holidays’ 12-night New England Explorer cruise-and-stay holiday pairs a night’s B&B at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston with a 10-night American Constitution voyage that calls at ports including Portland, Bar Harbor, Martha’s Vineyard and Provincetown. Prices start at £7,995 based on a September 5 departure, including flights, transfers, meals, selected tours, drinks and tips. fredholidays.co.uk


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURES: American Cruise Lines


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