Afternoon: Independent arrivals and transfers to the program hotel after 3:00 pm. Please note that rooms are not generally available until mid to late afternoon.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel is at 6:00 pm.

Evening: INTRODUCTIONS: Following dinner, you will meet for introductions, a review of the program and site orientation.

Lodging: Sheraton Boston

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast is at the hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Boston's celebrated Back Bay, created during the second half of the 19th century--450 acres of tidal flats filled over three-plus decades--and known for its majestic Victorian-era architecture, including Copley Square, the home of Trinity Church and the Boston Public Library. This field trip is led by Lynda Morgenroth, author of "Boston Firsts: 40 Feats of Innovation and Invention that Happened First in Boston and Helped Make America Great."

Lunch: Lunch at Road Scholar Headquarters. Get the chance to meet Road Scholar employees and see where programs are actually born and bred!

Afternoon: LECTURE: Lynda Morgenroth describes Boston's Freedom Trail, easily accessible from Road Scholar HQ, and provides background and insight into her book, "Boston Firsts," which chronicles everything from the Massachusetts State Constitution, the oldest living, written, working constitution in the world, to the first organ transplant, to the innovation of Boston Cream Pie.

Dinner: Dinner on your own to enjoy local fare or join the Group Leader (at a local restaurant).

Evening: You may remain with your Group Leader to continue exploring local sites or take the opportunity to head off on your own to discover Boston.

Lodging: Sheraton Boston

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast is at the hotel

Morning: EXCURSION: Cambridge Guided visit of Harvard Yard, the Harvard campus buildings, and end by enjoying a view of the beautiful Charles River.

Lunch: Lunch at Novel Restaurant at the Boston Public Library

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Boston Public Library in Copley Square. Guided visit of the old building, and Research Library. Designed by Charles McKim in 1895 is very much like a Renaissance Italian palace. It has just been restored and includes three mural cycles done by well-known artists and contains other sculpture and paintings as well.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Lodging: Sheraton Boston

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast is at the hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Museum of Fine Arts - Guided visit. The original MFA opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1876, the nation's centennial. Built in Copley Square, the MFA was then home to 5,600 works of art. Over the next several years, the collection and number of visitors grew exponentially, and in 1909 the Museum moved to its current home on Huntington Avenue. Today the MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world; the collection encompasses nearly 450,000 works of art.

Lunch: Lunch is at the cafe of the Museum of Fine Arts

Afternoon: Early afternoon embarkation on the Maasdam - Black Falcon Terminal

Dinner: Dinner is on board ship in the elegant two-story Rotterdam Dining Room featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and two grand staircases. Our group has dinner at the Early Sitting which is at 5:45 p.m. Alternative dining options include The Pinnacle Room, The Terrace Grill, The Lido, Tamarind, Canaletto. This is no charge for dining in these venues except for the Pinnacle Grill.

Evening: Free time to explore the ship and its many venues.

Lodging: ms Maasdam

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast will be served on board. You may have breakfast in the dining room or the Lido Buffet; both are open seating.

Morning: This morning the ship will arrive in Bar Harbor, Maine. Travel by tender to the shores of the largest community on Desert Island; what was once the premier summer resort in New England in the 19th century. FIELD TRIP: Bar Harbor Guided walk including the beautiful historic properties and Saint Saviour's Episcopal Church with its 10 original Tiffany stained glass windows. Learn about the development of Acadia National Park spearheaded by wealthy summer residents such as Joseph Kennedy and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. You will also hear about the devastating fire of 1947 and its effects on the island.

Lunch: Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: This afternoon is yours to explore the ship and enjoy the many activities available to you. Try your luck at the casino, enjoy an afternoon of onboard shopping, relax by the pool, or treat yourself with a trip to the spa. The ship offers all this plus much more.

Dinner: Dinner is on board ship in the Rotterdam Dining Room

Evening: LECTURE: Introduction to the Maritimes Region This first lecture aboard ship will give you a good introduction to the upcoming maritime regions of Atlantic North America to be visited on the program. It preambles your visit to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island where you will witness the maritime way of life and learn of the history and culture of this region.

Lodging: ms Maasdam

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board open seating

Morning: EXCURSION: A coach excursion in Halifax will take you on a journey to the past and to present time. See Government House official resident of the province’s lieutenant governor. It is North America’s oldest consecutively occupied government residence, since the US’s White House was evacuated and burned during the War of 1812. Halifax Citadel allows you a wonderful view of the Harbor and the city. Take a stroll in the Public Garden’s next to the Needham Memorial Bell Tower. This historic tower overlooks the north end of Halifax, the section most devastated by the Halifax Explosion ub 1917. Visit Fairview Cemetery final resting place of 121 of the victims of the Titanic, many of them never identified.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Maritime Museum of the Atlantic This guided visit offers a great look into the maritime history of Atlantic Canada. The museum is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada and was first created by a group of Royal Canadian Navy officers who envisioned a place where Canada's naval past could be preserved. You will be introduced to the age of steamships, local small craft, the Royal Canadian and Merchant Navies, and WWII convoys. The museum also tells the story of famous historical events such as "The Battle of the Atlantic", the Halifax explosion of 1917, Nova Scotia's role in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster, various shipwrecks and more.

Dinner: Cocktail party in the lounge aboard the ship followed by dinner in the Rotterdam Dining Room

Evening: Enjoy the large variety of evening entertainment the ship has to offer.

Lodging: ms Maasdam

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board open seating

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Guided visit of the Fortress of Louisbourg. The French came to Louisbourg in 1713 after ceding Acadia and Newfoundland to the British as per the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht. They built the fortress to protect France's interest in the New World and to serve as the center of France's lucrative cod fishing industry off the Grand Banks. The location of the fortress on the eastern tip of Cape Breton Island enabled it to act both as the capital of the new colony at Isle Royale and as the first line of defense in France's struggle against Britain for colonial supremacy in North America. Entering the Fortress of Louisbourg you leave the modern world behind and step back to 1744. The fortress is alive with animators in full costume and character. Visit the lively town tavern, see Chapelle St. Louis, the garrison chapel, or explore the King's Bastion Barracks, the largest building on site and one of the largest buildings in North America in its day. Stroll through the fortress streets amongst the impressive walls, majestic gates, quaint homes and formal gardens.

Lunch: Enjoy a meal as the inhabitants would in 1744 with a lunch at Fortress Louisbourg consisting of 18th century cuisine.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Explore Sydney with a local expert from the mining and steel town of yesterday to the vibrant tourist area of today.

Dinner: Dinner is onboard ship in the Rotterdam Dining Room

Evening: Enjoy the large variety of evening entertainment the ship has to offer.

Lodging: ms Maasdam

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Historic Charlottetown/Early Exploration and Settlement of the St. Lawrence River

Breakfast: Breakfast on board open seating

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Charlottetown A local historian will guide you on a walking exploration Charlottetown, the birthplace of Confederation. Visit Beaconsfield Historic House with its mansard roof, elaborate gingerbread trim, and crowning belvedere stands. Learn about historic architecture with this enduring symbol of Victorian elegance. Hear about the restoration of Charlottetown's historic properties as you continue along Great George Street and visit St. Dunstan Cathedral as well as location for the last public hanging in the city. Learn about the high-profile people of the city, the prosperity and bust of its merchants, and of course the Fathers of Confederation.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: LECTURE: Early Exploration and Settlement of the St. Lawrence River This lecture will lead you into a world of adventure and exploration. Learn about the European explorers that set out to discover what the vast wilderness of Canada had to offer. Hear of how early exploration by men like Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain led to the settlement of the St. Lawrence region by Europeans traveling to the New World. The lecture will prepare you for the next phase of your voyage as you leave the Maritime region of Canada and journey to the province of Québec.

Dinner: Dinner is on board ship in the Rotterdam Dining Room

Evening: Enjoy the large variety of evening entertainment the ship has to offer.

Lodging: ms Maasdam

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cruising the Gulf of St. Lawrence/The Fur Trade and the French-Indian Alliance/Cruise the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Breakfast: Breakfast on board open seating

Morning: LECTURE: The Fur Trade and the French-Indian Alliance. As we make our way through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, learn about the history of the fur trade industry in Quebec and the alliance created between the French settlers and the native population of the region. Historically important to the area’s First Nations people for both transportation and as a fishery, the gulf was also the site of the first known exchange between the native population of the Quebec region and Europeans. The first documented voyage through the gulf’s waters by Europeans was in 1534 with the arrival of Jacques Cartier. In 1603, Samuel de Champlain negotiated the first economic and military alliance between North American Indians and Europeans at Tadoussac. Under the terms of the agreement, the First Nations would transport and deliver beaver pelts to the French in exchange for European goods and a pledge to aid the Huron and Algonquin in their longstanding war with the Iroquois of New York.

Lunch: Lunch is on board. You may decide to eat in the dining room, at the Lido buffet, the poolside grill or other locations the ship offer. Open seating is available at all locations.

Afternoon: Relax on deck as the ship glides through the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The world’s largest estuary, the gulf is the outlet of North America’s Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence River. Known as the “great highway into the continent” this inland waterway of the northeast lead to the bounty of forests, furs and raw materials. Carved between the Laurentians to the north and the Appalachians to the south, it forms a natural pathway to the lakes of Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior.

Dinner: Dinner is onboard ship in the Rotterdam Dining Room

Evening: Enjoy the large variety of evening entertainment the ship has to offer.

Lodging: ms Maasdam

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board open seating

Morning: FILED TRIP: Join a local expert on a walking field trip through charming and historic Old Québec City. Start at the Lower Town and Place Royale, known as the cradle of French civilization in North America with its fine stone merchant houses and Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church. Walk through the charming commercial district of rue du Petit-Champlain. Continue on to Upper Town and visit the Cathedral-Basilica Notre-Dame-de-Québec, site of the first diocese in Canada and founded in 1663 by Bishop Laval. Your morning walk will end at the famous Château Frontenac which dates back to 1892 and is a testimony to the important role played by the railroads in building Canada. Countless personalities have stayed within the walls of this most prestigious hotel; kings, queens, American and French presidents, Hollywood movie stars and other celebrities. More important perhaps were the Québec Conferences held in 1943 and again in 1944. Present were Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and the Allied High Command to discuss war strategy and plan D Day.

Lunch: Enjoy a buffet lunch at the Café de la Terrasse in the Château Frontenac.

Afternoon: Continue exploring North America's most European city on your own before returning to the ship.

Dinner: Dinner is onboard ship in the Rotterdam Dining Room

Evening: This will be your last evening aboard ship to take advantage of all there is to see and do.

Lodging: ms Maasdam

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board open seating

Morning: Say goodbye to the ship and board a coach for a look at the city of Montréal. Founded in 1642 by a group of French missionaries, Montréal is one of Canada's most diverse and fascinating metropolises. Gain insight into the city's rich architectural heritage by embarking on a journey of its historical and architectural landmarks.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: On a guided coach interpretation of Montréal highlights will include a photo stop at Mount Royal Park, inaugurated in 1876, planned by Frederick Law Olmstead. See St Joseph's Oratory atop Mount Royal, one of the world's most visited shrines. Learn about newly canonized Saint (Brother) André, the humble doorkeeper who initiated its construction in 1904. View the Olympic Park from the Mount Royal lookout and admire the sweeping curves of the Olympic Stadium. Drive through Notre Dame Island, and visit St Helens Island with a wealth of discoveries including the impressive dome of the former U.S. pavilion designed by Buckminster Fuller.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Pointe-à-Callière Museum of Archaeology and History - Guided visit. Built atop actual remains of the original 17th century city, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum offers its visitors a genuine archaeological view where they can see the first public square, the vaulted canalization of the St. Pierre River, the first Catholic cemetery, and much more. The museum was founded as part of the celebrations marking Montréal's 350th birthday and owes its existence largely to the significant archaeological discoveries made on the site during the 1980s. Pointe-à-Callière houses hundreds of artifacts from the archaeological site below, a site that shows evidence of more than 1000 years of human activity in the area. Being the only sizeable archaeology museum in Canada, Pointe-à-Callière is truly a unique and spectacular place.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Evening: The evening is yours to relax, take a lovely stroll about the city, or further explore Old Montréal.

Lodging: Delta Centre Ville Hotel Montreal

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: A guided walking exploration in Old Montréal highlights the major sites of the city. See Place d'Armes, with its fascinating historical remains and walk along the cobblestone streets of Old Montréal and into the Bonsecours Market, inaugurated in 1847, a wonderful example of the neo-classical style of the time. Visit the Notre Dame Basilica whose neo-Gothic twin towers have been an Old Montréal landmark since 1829. Continue on to the Old Sulpician Seminary, the oldest standing building in Montréal and one of the finest examples of institutional architecture dating from the French Regime.

Lunch: Lunch on your own to enjoy the culinary experience of Montréal.

Afternoon: Free afternoon to take in the city with its museums, galleries and entertainment

Dinner: Farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Lodging: Delta Centre Ville Hotel Montreal

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel is between 7:00 to 9:00 am.

Morning: Independent departures after breakfast. Check-out is 12:00 noon.

Meals Included: Breakfast