Experts from the worlds of medicine, politics and government, finance and even show business will be on-board guests during Crystal Cruises’ New England/Canada itineraries in October.

The list of prominent personalities include the physician and international humanitarian, Dr. Bob Arnot, and the former Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle. They are among the notable newsmakers scheduled for four voyages departing from New York, Boston and Montréal aboard Crystal Symphony.

Additional special programming will highlight the line’s annual President’s Cruise, hosted by President Gregg Michel and his wife on October 30.

Fall cruises up the Atlantic Coast and down the St. Lawrence Seaway highlight the autumnal delights of the region, while providing access to the great cities and quaint villages of New England.

Crystal Symphony’s fall New England/Canada cruises visit New York; Boston; Newport, Rhode Island; and Canada’s Halifax; Quebec City; Montreal; St. John; and Prince Edward Island. Fares start at $2,575 per person double occupancy, and All Inclusive – As you Wish onboard credits of up to $1,000 per person apply. Crystal’s celebrity guest list includes:

October 1, seven days from Boston to Montreal, 7 days

* Tom Daschle – One of the longest serving Senate Democratic leaders in history, and

* Tom DeFrank – President-watcher, covering the White House since President Nixon.

October 8, Montreal to New York, 11 days

* Rita Moreno – The only female performer to win the Oscar, the Emmy, the Tony and the Grammy;

* Dr. Bob Froehlich – Former Chairman of Investor Strategy for Deutsche Bank; and

* Dr. Michael Boll – Historian and specialist in international security affairs.

October 19, New York to Montreal, 11 days

* Dorothy Hamill – Figure skater and 1976 Olympic gold medalist;

* Ralf Vargas – Retired U.S. Army Colonel and NATO Diplomat;

* Dr. Jay Wolff – History and culture expert detailing events that changed the world; and

* Peter Bobrowsky – Geographic expert and historian.

October 30, Montreal to New York, 11 days

* Dr. Bob Arnot – Physician and international humanitarian;

* Mike Jensen – Former NBC News Chief Financial Correspondent.

“Our guests enjoy – and expect – multi-dimensional vacation experiences that offer insightful information and cover a variety of issues, and we continue to strive to deliver that,” says Bret Bullock, vice president, entertainment. “The provocative guest speakers set for this fall will certainly stimulate conversation and pique guests’ interest.”

A bartender at Quebec City’s fashionable L’EChaude restaurant expresses mock indignation when a visitor asks how Quebec’s capital compares with the province’s largest city, Montreal. “They are not truly French,” the bartender says, conveniently overlooking the fact that as a Canadian, neither is he. “In Montreal, people speak French 50, maybe 55, percent of the time.” He steps back from the bar and folds his arms to proclaim, “Here, we speak French 95 percent of the time.”

Welcome to Quebec, the only Canadian province whose sole official language is French, only a short hop from the U.S. border, yet culturally worlds way. Indeed, the language and the lifestyle in this Eastern Canadian province are reminiscent of the motherland across the Atlantic. There is an authenticity of experience here that fools travelers into thinking they’re traveling not in Canada but in France itself.

It’s no faux French either. English does not even rank as an official language in Quebec, and though English is spoken with fluency in the big cities, things can get more challenging in the province’s hinterlands. A waiter in the village of La Bai apparently must have owned a French-English dictionary too heavy for him to heft, because each time we asked the English equivalent of a menu item, he trotted off to the kitchen and returned with the translation. The fact that he did so gladly was a clear indication that we were not in France.

Snobbery (that unfortunate French attribute) is conspicuously absent in Quebec; friendly people and genuine hospitality are not. Even locals who struggle with English are happy to give directions and advice.

Extending the spirit of generosity to their bottom lines, many Montreal restaurants even invite patrons to “apportez votre vin,” or “bring your own bottle of wine,” making the cost of meals with wine ridiculously inexpensive when compared to what you would pay for similar meals with wine elsewhere.

Nearly 400 years after the French explorer Champlain sailed along the St. Lawrence River to pitch camp at what would become Quebec City, French Canadians still hold France in high esteem. Today, 82 percent of the population speaks French in this North American crossroads between America and Europe.

Cruise “turn arounds” provide a great opportunity to spend time in the area before or after your cruise. Combine Montreal with a three-hour train journey to or from Quebec City, then rent a car to drive to Saguenay.

Seldom will U.S. travelers have the opportunity of being so close to a place that seems so far. It’s like having France in the backyard.

I never suspected that I would come face-to-face with Canada’s aboriginal people, but that’s just what happened on the day I visited tiny Havre-Saint-Pierre. On a tour offered to cruise passengers, I visited the Innu people, and it turned out to be one of the most interesting tours of my life.

Not to be confused with the Inuits, this sub-Arctic tribe still has its own language and honors its ancient customs just a few miles down the road from the village of Havre-Saint-Pierre. Like cruise passengers visiting the Innu, I learned how the Innu lived and worshiped — and how they live today.

It’s easy to see why the Innu came here. The Mingan Archipelago is a mystical place. I didn’t get to see as much as I would have liked, but I did set out on a boat on a day when the ocean was not so calm to see the odd rock formations known as flower pots. The mysterious monoliths represent only a small part of the natural beauty here in this chain of islands and islets.

Havre-Saint-Pierre is an Avid Cruiser Recommended Destination on Saint Lawrence Cruise Itineraries.

When I visited Sept-Iles, the train service to visit the Innu Community had not yet started. But I did get an overview from a helicopter, and the trip along the Moise River looked promising then.

I did get to visit the train’s destination, where I spent an afternoon with the Innu people.

It was an absolutely fascinating experience, where I got to hear Innu stories, see a drum demonstration and sample some of the food, such as smoked salmon (from the world-renowned Moise River) and bannick bread, baked in an earth oven.

The drum ceremony was something truly special. Only the elder men in the tribe, and only certain ones of them, are allowed to play the drum, which is a sacred instrument among the Innu.

Sept Iles is an Avid Cruiser Recommended Destination on Saint Lawrence Cruise Itineraries.

I went to prison in Trois-Rivieres, and if you’re lucky, you will too.

The Canadian city on the St. Lawrence Seaway boasts one of the most unusual, and interesting, tours I’ve ever experienced, a prison tour with one of the former inmates as my guide.

Stephane had served seven years in prison but had vowed to live a crime-free life from now on. He showed me cells, solitary confinement and the dungeons, the latter with a visible shudder. It was enough to make anyone live according to the law.

The old prison is situated next to a museum depicting the culture of the Quebec people, a worthwhile visit in its own right.

Trois-Rivieres is North America’s second-oldest, French-speaking city, that you can easily explore it on foot. The historic quarter is near the central business district.

The one place you can’t walk to is the thoroughly enjoyable Chez Danny’s sugar shack. Sure, it’s touristy, but fun, with food served “lumberjack” style as well as good music and dance and, of course, samples of Canadian maple syrup.

Trois Rivieres is an Avid Cruiser Recommended Destination On Saint Lawrence Cruise Itineraries.

Sunrise in Baie-Comeau sheds light on a new and promising day, especially if you’re someone who loves nature.

In Baie-Comeau, do as I did, and get out on a boat. You may see whales — I did — but you’ll definitely see signs of the force of nature, such as the glacial scarring on ancient granite rocks and waterfalls that tumble into the sea.

You can be as active as you like in Baie-Comeau. Attempt a daring Tyrolean traverse along the cliffs in the Garden of the Glaciers or buckle up to zip-line through forest canopy and across the water, coming so close if you’re daring as to skim the water’s cool and refreshing surface.

I particularly enjoyed the beach barbecue, where delicious slabs of salmon were roasted over a campfire, along with mouth-water scallops, and all of it washed down by good Canadian beer, some good wine and Acadian folk music inside a yurt, where a welcome fire kept away the September chill. Life hardly gets any better than this.

Bai-Comeau is an Avid Cruiser Recommended Destination on Saint Lawrence Cruise Itineraries.

The striking thing for me about Iles de la Madeleine is its richness of color.

Red cliffs are topped by green grass against a blue sea. Sandstone rocks jut out on the beaches. A red, white and blue Acadian flag flaps in the breeze.

Equally as colorful are the people. It’s clear that this is an island of fishermen, who made their living from the bountiful sea.

But the sea was not always kind. You can visit the home of a fisherman who nearly drowned during a shipwreck. He abandoned his profession to create a miniature village that interprets traditional life in Iles de la Madeleine and also an exhibit that tells his own harrowing story. Rarely do tourists get first-hand accounts of such stories.

I enjoyed my visit to La Grave Historical Site, a charming village situated on a spit of sand, with restaurants (where I enjoyed a delicious seafood platter) and boutiques that don’t feel touristy. Iles de la Madeleine certainly has a feeling of authenticity — combined with charm and vivid, unforgettable, color.

Isles de la Madeleine is an Avid Cruiser Recommended Destination on Saint Lawrence Cruise Itineraries.

Saguenay is not only the only fjord in North America but also one of the world’s longest fjords.

You can appreciate this fact  sailing in on a ship, or, as I saw it, on a helicopter excursion. The daring adventure takes you up close  to — and high over — some of the world’s most dramatic landscapes.

There’s also quite a lot to appreciate on the ground in Saguenay, and it begins in the new cruise terminal, where there are boutiques and local craftsmen offering quality merchandise, not the kind of touristy trinkets you’d normally find in destinations frequented by tourists.

Saguenay’s natural beauty is spectacular, and so is its culture. I enjoyed visits to so-called Economy Museums.

One is the Savonnerie Olivier, which offers an exceptionally well-done and humorous presentation about soap making. I even bought a few bars of the soap, made from pure olive oil.

I also enjoyed an afternoon at Le Chevrier du Nord, a family farm that breeds angora goats.

At the Musee de Fjord, I learned a lot about the history of this region and about its natural habitat. I left Saguenay wanting to return.

Saguenay is an Avid Cruiser Recommended Destination on Saint Lawrence Cruise Itineraries.

The morning that I boarded a boat to Bonaventure Island, Perce Rock was crowned by a wispy cloud. It was an indescribably beautiful sight, one of the world’s largest sheer rock formations and natural arches jutting out from the water in all of its sublime splendor.

If you journeyed here only to see Perce Rock, that would be enough. But beyond is Bonaventure Island and its bounty.

Upon landing, you wouldn’t suspect that a walk across the island, with incredible views along the way of Perce Rock, would bring you to a bird sanctuary  boasting more than 280,000 Northern Gannets. The spectacle is stunning.

The large seabirds come here to eat and to breed. I spent nearly an hour here, snapping photos and more photos and more photos. Every time I turned to leave, my camera wanted one more shot.

Gaspesie is an Avid Cruiser Recommended Destination on St. Lawrence Cruise Itineraries.

If there is one phrase that characterizes Quebec, it is ‘et pourquoi pas?’ The phrase, which translates to ‘and why not?’ seems to be on the tip of every Quebecer’s tongue.

It is a ready response of permissiveness and tolerance, a defender of an important concept — the joie de vivre or ‘joy of living’ — that is alive and thriving in Quebec.

And no place more so than in Montreal, a metropolitan city of 2 million where anything and everything goes. ‘We don’t care if you’re straight, gay, whatever,’ says Aline Bernier, a Montreal city guide. ‘We’re very open to all people and lifestyles.’ (In 2006, both Traveler’s Digest and AskMen.com ranked Montreal as the world’s number one city to live in for its culture, architecture, history and ambience.)

That tolerance perhaps explains why Montreal is so good at welcoming visitors. Stroll down almost any street to feel the palpable city vibe. Sidewalk cafes spill over with patrons sipping coffee or glasses of wine or champagne (et pourquoi pas?), cyclists pedal along sections of the city’s 400 miles of biking trails, shoppers crowd boutiques and shops both above, and below, ground. That’s right: below ground. With 22 miles of mazes and walkways, Montreal boasts the world’s largest underground city.

Indeed, Montreal is a city of dual identities — an above ground metropolis and an underground city within a city; the French joie de vivre mixed with North American pragmatism; modern architecture (UNESCO designated Montreal a ‘City of Design’) mixed with a well-preserved historic quarter.

To put yourself in the center of it all, check in at the Intercontinental Montreal, a five-star hotel situated in the International Quarter and also linked to the Underground City. Or plant yourself at Hotel St. James. If nothing else, stop in the St. James to admire its grand architecture and perhaps take afternoon tea or a bite at XO Le Restaurant.

The second largest French-speaking city after Paris, Montreal fools visitors into thinking they’ve arrived in France, but without accompanying jetlag or expense. And snobbery (that unfortunate French attribute) is conspicuously absent in Montreal; friendly people and genuine hospitality are not. Even locals who struggle with English are happy to give directions and advice. They are Canadians, after all.

It’s an easy walk from either hotel to ‘Old Montreal,’ where the city was founded in 1642. (For arriving cruise passengers the cruise terminal also is located only a few blocks from the hotel and Old Montreal.) Find your way to Rue Saint-Paul, ‘the street’ where it all happens, our guide Celine tells us as we walk along the cobblestone roadway.

You can drop in the Tourist Information Center or visit the official web site before leaving home for suggestions on what to see, but simply to walk and absorb the ambience is a sufficiently pleasurable experience.

Old Montreal embodies the many periods of the city’s history: the winding paths of the former French colony, 18th- and 19th-century architecture and the first Canadian skyscrapers. Architects came here from nearby Boston and other cities south of the Canadian border, so you’ll see a lot of American influence.

The center of Old Montreal is Place Jacques-Cartier, named for the explorer who founded the city. Walk to the top of the square to the monument of Admiral Nelson for superb views of the old port, then make your way down the festive sloping street past street artists, musicians, jugglers, mimes, face painters and other entertainers. Stop in a sidewalk cafe for lunch, a light snack, coffee or cocktail.

Recommendations in the area include: Restaurant du Vieux Port (good and reasonably priced), or if you’re willing to spend a bit more, Auberge de Saint-Gabriel or the unique Jardin Nelson, with its beautiful gardens.

For a romantic, five-star dinner, hail a taxi for Casino de Montreal on Notre-Dame Island. Dine at Restaurant Nuances, awarded the 5-Diamond Award by the Canadian and U.S. AAA/CAA associations.

On one day of your visit, hop on a bicycle at Caroule Montreal on Wheels and ask the shop’s owner to direct you on a flat 25-mile ride along the canals.

Break for lunch at Atwater Market, where you can pick up some cheese (La Fromagerie has more than 400 types of cheese from France and Quebec) and bread (from Premiere Moisson Bakery where the croissants are also tasty) and fresh vegetables. And that bottle of champagne you’re eyeing? As any Montrealer would tell you, ‘Et pourquoi pas?’

Montreal is an Avid Cruiser Recommended Destination On Saint Lawrence Cruise Itineraries.