Anne of Green Gables, red cliffs and lobster on Prince Edward Island.
Charlottetown is the gentlest stop on a Canada and New England cruise: the ship docks at the Port Charlottetown pier on the Historic Charlottetown Seaport, and the Victorian streets, Province House and the Victoria Row patios are a 5 minute walk from the terminal. Most first-timers take the 45 minute drive north to Green Gables and the red cliffs and dunes of Cavendish, then come back for a lobster roll and a Cows ice cream on Peake’s Wharf. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Charlottetown from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Charlottetown
Drive to Green Gables and the north shore, do the birthplace of Canada on foot from the pier, or spend the day on the island’s beaches and lobster; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Green Gables and Cavendish
- The 1830s farmhouse that inspired Anne of Green Gables, with the Haunted Wood and Lovers’ Lane trails, 25 miles and about 45 minutes north of the pier
- Ship tours run 3.5 to 4.5 hours at about $80 to $120, usually adding Avonlea Village or a stop at the Cavendish cliffs; about CAD 9 on your own (free June 19 to Sept 7, 2026)
- Taxis and the island rideshare apps will do the run for about CAD 120 to 150 round trip with waiting time; expect a line at the house on multi-ship days
Best for: first-timers, book lovers, families
The birthplace of Canada
- Walk from the terminal past the Founders’ Food Hall to Province House, where the 1864 Charlottetown Conference started the country, and the Confederation Centre of the Arts next door
- Loop Great George Street to St. Dunstan’s Basilica, the painted houses of the old town and the patios of Victoria Row, then back along the Peake’s Wharf boardwalk
- Free apart from lunch; a guided 90 minute walking tour is about CAD 25 and the horse-drawn carriage rides leave from near the pier
Best for: walkers, history buffs, short calls
Beaches, red cliffs and lobster
- Prince Edward Island National Park on the north shore: Brackley and Cavendish beaches, red sandstone cliffs and the dunes at Greenwich, 30 to 45 minutes away
- Pair it with a lobster lunch: New Glasgow Lobster Suppers (about CAD 50 for a full lobster with mussels and chowder) is on the way back, or the lobster roll trucks downtown for about CAD 25
- A 4 to 6 hour ship tour at about $110 to $170, or rent a car at the lot near the Delta hotel a short walk from the pier
Best for: repeat visitors, foodies, long calls
Charlottetown cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Charlottetown from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Charlottetown
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Charlottetown
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there; Charlottetown is usually on the longer 9 to 12 night Canada and New England itineraries and on the St. Lawrence one-ways.
Things to do in Charlottetown
The historic district is at the top of the pier; everything with red cliffs or Anne in it is a 30 to 45 minute drive north.
Which lines call at Charlottetown?
The port expected six first-time calls and three overnights in 2026, including a Sapphire Princess overnight in September; these are the lines you will see at the pier.
When to go
Charlottetown’s season runs May to late October; summers are warm enough to swim off the north shore, fall color peaks in early October when the ships bunch up, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence keeps the island cooler than the mainland.
Charlottetown questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in Charlottetown and how far is it to downtown?
Ships dock at the Port Charlottetown pier on the Historic Charlottetown Seaport at the foot of the old town, with the terminal, a visitor information desk and craft stalls a few steps from the gangway and the Founders’ Food Hall across the street. Peake’s Wharf is a 5 minute walk, Province House and Victoria Row about 10. The pier takes one big ship; when a second large ship is in on the same day it anchors in the harbor and tenders to the same terminal, which adds 20 to 30 minutes each way.
How do I get around Charlottetown from the pier?
On foot for the historic district, it is flat and compact. Taxis wait at the pier on ship days and the island has its own rideshare apps (Kari and URide); the T3 transit bus runs to Cavendish in peak season but is too slow for a cruise day. For Green Gables and the north shore it is a ship tour, a taxi with waiting time (about CAD 120 to 150 round trip) or a rental car from the lot near the Delta hotel, which fills on ship days so reserve ahead.
What currency do I need, and does my phone work?
Canadian dollars, about CAD 1.35 to 1.40 to the US dollar; cards and tap work everywhere and many shops near the pier take US cash at a rough rate. English is the language. Prince Edward Island is on Atlantic Time, one hour ahead of New York, so check whether your ship stays on ship time. Most US carriers charge for Canada roaming unless your plan includes it; the Founders’ Food Hall has free Wi-Fi.
Is Charlottetown safe?
Yes. Canada is at the State Department’s lowest advisory level and Charlottetown is a small, friendly provincial capital. The only real cautions are the crumbling red cliffs on the north shore, which you should admire from the beach rather than the edge, and the tour-bus timing on a 45 minute drive if you go on your own.
What is the best excursion, and should I book through the ship?
Green Gables is the reason most people come, and on a call of 8 hours or less we book it through the ship: the drive is 45 minutes each way, the house has lines on multi-ship days and the cruise line guarantees your return. Downtown needs no tour. If you have been to Green Gables, do the beaches and a lobster supper instead.
Do I need a passport?
On a closed-loop cruise that starts and ends in the same US port (New York, Boston, Baltimore or Norfolk), US citizens can sail with a government photo ID plus an original birth certificate, but we strongly recommend a passport, and Canada can refuse entry to travelers with certain criminal records. One-way cruises that start or end in Quebec City or Montreal require a passport.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a Charlottetown cruise specialist
We know which sailings overnight on Prince Edward Island and which weeks the island is at its best, so call us to check availability and book your Canada and New England cruise. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.