Join Us For A Colorful Autumn Cruise You
Will Never Forget, In New England & Canada

In 2006, we planned a fall Eat Club cruise that I was, frankly, a bit dubious about.

The Eat Club had been all over the Caribbean, Europe, and even through the Panama Canal. "What's next?" people kept asking me. I didn't know, but someone suggested a New England cruise during foliage season. Nah, I thought. Too cold. And there's no foliage at sea!

That cruise surprised me twice. First, by attracting more readers and radio listeners than all but two of our 19 previous cruises. Second, the ports were so interesting and unique that all we did was talk about them during our dinners together every evening. We repeated the itinerary three years later, making it a few days longer. It was even better than the first one.

In February of this year--two years since our last Eat Club cruise--a brochure came in the mail from Cunard Lines. It offered an eleven-day cruise from New York through three ports in New England and three more in Canada. What caught my eye was that Cunard's Queen Mary 2 docks overnight in Quebec City--one of the most charming cities in North America. That would give us not only plenty of time to explore the town, but the opportunity to hold an Eat Club wine dinner in one of the many fine French restaurants in that thoroughly bilingual town. The Queen Mary 2's schedule also allows much more time in Boston than other ships on this route. And on top of all that, the price seemed to me a bargain.

We have sailed the Queen Mary 2 before, on a transatlantic crossing. It is not a cruise ship, but an ocean liner. My wife Mary Ann, who hates days at sea and even minimal ship motion, came away from that trip with a new favorite ship. "The whole thing is stunning," she says. "The waves outside were huge, but you could hardly feel any motion at all!"

What a perfect cruise for us to resume our Eat Club travels! Since we've been to all these ports before (most of them twice), we know our way around.

Other than the brilliant fall leaves (which really are amazing), there's great food. These are the native waters for the best lobsters, scallops, and mussels in the world. You haven't eaten lobster until you've tried it in Maine or Canada. In Boston, as you walk the route that brings you to all the historic places, you pass dozens of great Italian restaurants on the North End. In Halifax, the ship is hailed by a band of bagpipers. Driving around Nova Scotia is marvelously scenic--and the names on the mailboxes sound Cajun. Well, this is where the Cajun came from, after all. Every port has its own flavors.

Here's the itinerary:

I think you will find the ship a very pleasant place to live for a week and a half. Attention to all the little details is paid by the staff, who come from all over the world but all seem to have a British accent and sense of style. We will meet for cocktails and then dinner every night. (You may, of course, make your own plans without having to worry about offending anyone.) If you've never traveled with us before, know that the Eat Club is not really a club, and that many of our travelers will be on their first trips with us, too. Unless you actively try to avoid it (which is okay), I guarantee you will make many new friends. I hope one of them is me.

There are no activities you are required to attend (other than stuff like the lifeboat drill). But I will be organizing some lunches in the ports and get-togethers on the ship. I will deliver a daily newsletter to your cabin telling you what's going on, so you can join the group as you wish.

Fares, Reservations, And Other Details

Call our special representative Sharleen Gordon at Cunard:

1-800-468-7752 Ext. 31138

Tell her you are booking for the Eat Club group on the September 21, 2012 sailing from New York to Canada.

No ships have a greater spread of accommodations than those on the Cunard Line. You can get a basic inside cabin or book space in the Queen or Princess Grills--first-class service all the way. Here are some of the pricing schemes. There are others, which you can discuss with the Cunard people when you call.

These fares are per person, double occupancy. (A third person in your stateroom gets about a third off these fares.) The fares include all the standard amenities (stateroom, meals, entertainment, port charges, transfers to and from the ship and airport). They do not include beverages (other than coffee or tea), specialty restaurants on board, gambling, spa services, tours, and a few other things, all of which are explained in the material you'll get from Cunard.

Most people who travel with us prefer arranging their own airline reservations to and from New York. However, the Cunard people can plan that for you if you like. They also offer a "Cunard Care" program that covers emergency medical expenses. I recommend this.

The cancellation policy for refunds is on a sliding scale. The later you cancel, the more of your deposit you lose. There's also a schedule for when you need to have deposits and full amounts in. The representative will explain all this. I can give you rough ideas of all this, but you'll get a better answer from the cruise line. But feel free to ask questions of me: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

I'm looking forward to meeting, dining, laughing, and exploring with you this fall!

Tastefully yours,
Tom Fitzmorris

P.S.--You will love the Queen Mary 2!

For reservations, call our special representative Sharleen Gordon at Cunard:

1-800-468-7752 Ext. 31138

Tell her you are booking for the Eat Club group on the September 21, 2012 sailing from New York to Canada.