Family-Friendly Wildlife Adventure Cruises in Canadian Maritimes. Now More Affordable with One Ocean Expeditions.

A 10-day adventure cruise entitled Maritimes – Fins & Fiddles, which is ideal for families seeking activities, wildlife, culture and access to the remote Atlantic Provinces of Canada, kicks off the cruise season on 16th July 2016 with specialist cruise operator, One Ocean Expeditions (OOE). And, with prices starting at just US $2995 per adult and US $1500 per child, it will appeal to those looking for great value, too.

What’s more, there’s also an early booking incentive with the first 30 passengers confirmed in twin or superior categories on this voyage receiving a cabin upgrade or no charge for single supplement.

Travelling through rich feeding grounds, which attract hundreds of bird species and an abundance of seals and whales, the emphasis of this cruise is on wildlife and spectacular scenery, as well as the distinctive musical culture – most notably fiddle playing, small fishing communities, superb seafood and Celtic traditions for which the Maritime Provinces are world famous.

Activities such as sea kayaking, for which there is usually an additional charge, are included in the cost of the cruise, together with biking, stand up paddle-boarding, guided hiking trips, daily shore excursions and exploration by zodiac boats, ensuring plenty of opportunities for adventure.

Passengers board the Akademik Ioffe in the historic port town of Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, once the third busiest sea port in North America, before setting sail towards otherwise inaccessible out ports and islands of Nova Scotia, Quebec, Newfoundland and the French territory of St Pierre et Miquelon.

First stop is the long, narrow, crescent-shaped sand bar of Sable Island, home to more than 350 bird species, including the endangered roseate tern, and where the population of five year-round inhabitants is outnumbered approximately 100-1 by the island’s wild horses! Dubbed the seabird capital of North America, the region is a paradise for serious ornithologists and amateur twitchers alike. Among the stops of note is Bird Island where Atlantic puffins have their nesting grounds, and where other important species such as the great cormorant, Atlantic razorbill, black-legged kittiwake and even bald eagle can be seen.

Quebec’s remote, sandstone Magdalen Islands offer the chance to visit isolated communities, learn about their fishing and sealing lifestyle, and experience the traditional Quebecois and Acadian culture that is evident in the local cuisine, crafts and language. One of the largest breeding colonies of gannets in the world can be found on Bonaventure Island on the Gaspé Peninsula, while the sparsely populated Anticosti Island, a national conservation park, is definitely worth exploring more closely, with its forests, lakes, rivers full of salmon and trout, deep gorges and canyons. A guided walk in to the World Heritage-listed Tablelands of Gros Morne National Park is also a must, as is a visit to the isolated marine community of Francois (pronounced Frans-way) on the southern coast of Newfoundland, which is only accessible by boat through a narrow, steep-walled fjord or by helicopter.

The ship’s final port of call before returning to Louisbourg is the small group of French islands, St Pierre et Miquelon, which has the dubious honour of being the only place in North America where the guillotine was ever used! Inhabitants of the archipelago speak French and many of their customs are more akin to those in France than in Canada.

Prices for the 10-day trip range from US $2995 per person in a triple room to US $7995pp in the luxury One Ocean Suite. All meals and accommodation on board are included, plus activities as outlined, ship transfers and foul weather gear. Children aged 16 and under travelling with an adult pay US$1500 each, while youths aged 17-21 years receive a 25% discount off the adult cruise price. International flights to Halifax, Nova Scotia, are not included in the price.

For further information please contact One Ocean Expeditions www.oneoceanexpeditions.com