On the horizon, the shore of Deer Island appears to ascend from the sea, a dark line a few shades deeper than the gray water swirling around the tour boat my husband James and I boarded in Eastport, Maine. Part of Passamaquoddy Bay, near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, this enormous tidal whirlpool (which goes by the curious name of Old Sow) is the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, and occupies the sea between New Brunswick, Canada, and the state of Maine. It’s quite impressive — and a little bit intimidating.

We’re viewing the phenomenon of the spinning seas thanks to a daytrip organized by the highly capable Viking Cruises excursion team. This singular experience is just one of many offered as part of the 14-day Canada & New England Scenic Shores journey from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale aboard Viking Star. It’s also one of several Viking ocean itineraries beginning in Montreal or Toronto and following the St. Lawrence Seaway, where views include small islands, lighthouses and beautiful woodland coastlines.

Our own expedition allowed for exploration of the region’s fabulous cities and fascinating coastal villages thanks to carefully crafted shore days in Montreal; Québec City; Saguenay; Saint John, New Brunswick; Prince Edward Island; the historic port towns of Eastport and Portland in Maine; and America’s own Gilded Age City of Newport, Rhode Island.

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A blend of adventure and elegance is a given with Viking, where cruises to tantalizing ports around the world are augmented by exceptional dining, outstanding service, engaging lectures and presentations, and exceptional onboard musical and other performances. Onboard, James and I enjoyed daily rituals like breakfast overlooking the water from our private veranda and afternoon tea in the serene Wintergarden. We also indulged in more casual fare at Mamsen’s, where it was usually an option in the afternoon to indulge in the Norwegian tradition of waffles and coffee or open-faced smørrebrød sandwiches.

Anyone who knows us also knows ocean cruising is our all-time favorite break. Most late afternoons, while James got in a workout, a swim in one of the pools or an extended reading session in our lovely stateroom, I could be found enjoying a pre-dinner session in the ship’s Nordic Spa, participating in a traditional bathing ritual. For the better part of an hour, beginning in the sauna, I moved through a circuit of cold plunges, sessions in the steam bath and time in the spa’s heavenly snow grotto. The ship’s full-service spa includes a good selection of treatments and body therapies, and I made sure to schedule a few soothing massages between Montreal and Fort Lauderdale.

On sea days, a port talk or movie in the theater was often followed by a game of bocce ball or putt-putt golf on the Sports Deck. Most nights — and depending upon how busy the day’s activities had been — we opted for casual dining at The Restaurant or the World Café (where there was always an astonishing array of sushi). Particular culinary highlights included The Chef’s Table with its rotating menu. One of our Chef’s Table meals was billed as Asian Panorama, a delightful five-course menu with lobster and chicken Shu Mai, Peking duck and chilled king crab. We also made sure to fit in reservations at Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant, where the kitchen team outdid itself on our Northern Italian choices.

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Most evenings ended with a nightcap in the Explorer’s Lounge overlooking the prow of the ship. While the excellent range of creative cocktails is definitely a draw, it’s the setting itself that proves to be the true magnet. This singular space, with its soaring windows and air of nautical adventure, made us feel the panorama of stars filling the heavens above the ship were all within reach.

You can have a similar experience yourself. A host of new itineraries — and several new ships — are being introduced for 2024 and 2025. Among these are Viking Tonle, a river ship set to sail the Mekong; Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek, which will sail the Nile; and two new Viking Longships plying routes along the Seine River. Exciting new itineraries include Iconic Iceland, Greenland & Canada; Malta, Morocco & the Mediterranean; and a 2025 World Voyage and 2025 Grand Australia Circumnavigation. Viking’s Expedition Voyages will expand its Longitudinal World Cruise collection with two new itineraries: Longitudinal World Cruise IV and Longitudinal World Cruise V. There will also be From the Arctic to Antarctica, Into the Northwest Passage, Canada & Greenland Explorer, and Canada & the Northwest Passage.