Port guide: Boston, US

5 hours ago 2

This article is part of Traveller’s ultimate guide to cruise ports.

This American city has a unique combination of historical sights and lively contemporary neighbourhoods, and is designed to be appreciated on foot.

Who goes there

Some 160 ships from more than 20 cruise lines call at Boston between March and November, some home porting there. Azamara, Cunard, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania, Ponant, Royal Caribbean and Seabourn are among the selection. Ships sail to Bermuda, Iceland and Greenland, but most of all to New England and Canada, especially around the autumn foliage season between late September and November.

Sail on in

Boston hunkers in a big bay dotted with many islands – some sporting lighthouses – that are part of a national park, making for an interesting sail in. The cruise terminal is right across the water from the international airport, so you get great views of aircraft taking off and landing.

Berth rites

Boston is home to one of the oldest Chinatowns in the US.

Flynn Cruiseport Boston is in Seaport District only 10 minutes’ drive from Boston Logan International Airport. The terminal has seating areas and free Wi-Fi but no luggage storage. You’ll find several nearby hotels and dining options. You can walk into the city centre in 20 minutes or otherwise take a cruise line shuttle, taxi, subway or bus.

Going ashore

The seafaring capital of Massachusetts is one of America’s most attractive cities, notable for excellent museums, great shopping and dining, and a vibrant cultural scene. Follow the Freedom Trail for an insight into the key role Boston played in American independence. Neighbourhoods worth exploring include North End, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Chinatown, the Literary Cultural District and Cambridge, home to Harvard University. If you have young kids in tow, the Boston Children’s Museum and very interactive Museum of Science are both excellent. Art-loving adults will prefer the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or Museum of Fine Arts, the best among the city’s many interesting museums.

Don’t miss

Boston is one of the world’s great sports cities, so you should check if an event is on during your time in port and enjoy an all-American sports experience – and pop-culture one too, complete with cheerleaders, razzmatazz and hotdogs. Major League baseball, basketball, American football, soccer, lacrosse, ice hockey and marathons are among the options. The city is home to top teams in their field such as the Red Sox (at Fenway Park stadium), Boston Celtics (TD Garden) and New England Patriots (Gillette Stadium).

Get active

Boston is easily one of car-obsessed America’s most walkable cities. You can run or walk the five-kilometre Freedom Trail, which is marked by a red line, or follow the Esplanade along the Charles River – there’s fitness equipment along the way. Boston has many dedicated cycle lanes, some of which run long distances. Various Boston parks – particularly wonderful in autumn – have a schedule of free daily exercises such as Zumba and yoga.

Best bites

Lots of company headquarters, universities and big hospitals mean plenty of well-paid people, and Boston is packed with excellent restaurants. Seafood and oysters are the traditional specialties, but meat lovers won’t be short of steakhouses. Try Mooncusser Fish House for seafood, Comfort Kitchen for soul food and Krasi for Greek food. For contemporary American cuisine tuck in at Field & Vine or Pammy’s. Faneuil Hall Marketplace will bag you a picnic. Cocktail bar Equal Measure has been voted one of the best bars in North America.

Further afield

Notorious witch-trial town Salem (which also has a rich maritime history) and Plymouth Rock where the Mayflower pilgrims arrived (which has a replica of the ship) are among options. History buffs will want to take an American Revolution tour inland to Concord and Lexington, site of two significant independence battlefields.

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