Kensington Tours adds North America cruises and tours

Published on Oct 8, 2025, 5:27 pm CDT

5 min read

Kensington Tours has expanded its North American portfolio, unveiling new private-guided itineraries across Eastern Canada and the U.S. Northeast that blend city culture with coastal cruising. The collection spans Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Newfoundland, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New England's harbor towns. The company also broadened its VIP shore-excursion program to more than 265 ports worldwide, giving travelers additional pre- and post-cruise options close to home.

Key points

Why it matters: More private guided choices in Eastern Canada and the Northeast, plus expanded VIP shore excursions.
Travel impact: Tailor-made tours pair with ocean and expedition sailings for flexible city-to-coast trips.
What's next: Increased advisor demand suggests more North America product is likely.
New tours showcase Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, and Newfoundland.
Shore excursions now exceed 265 ports, adding stops across New England and Quebec.

Snapshot

The refreshed lineup includes a 10-day Family Road Trip to Eastern Canada with cycling on Ottawa's riverside trails, a self-drive through Quebec for wildlife and food stops, a private tour of Old Montreal, and hikes near Quebec City. A seven-day Montreal and Quebec City Discovery similarly combines guided cycling and rafting in Ottawa with Quebec tastings and city walks. A Toronto World Cup Experience layers VIP stadium seating and private transfers with a Distillery District Prohibition walk, a helicopter flight over Lake Ontario and the CN Tower, and top-table dining, with extensions to Boston, New York, and Los Angeles. History travelers can opt for America's 250th Anniversary Tour, a 10-day program linking Boston's Freedom Trail, Lexington and Concord, New York's Ellis Island, and Washington, D.C.'s monuments and Arlington National Cemetery.

Background

Kensington's cruise division has been scaling up since late 2023, when its private, customizable shore-excursion program debuted in 165 ports. By March 2025, that network had grown to 250 ports, reflecting advisor demand for bespoke experiences that go beyond standard coach tours. The latest milestone pushes coverage beyond 265 ports, with new options in Portland, Rockland, and Bar Harbor in Maine; Boston and Newport; New York City; Norfolk, Virginia; and Quebec and Montreal. Select itineraries pair land touring with small-ship and expedition partners, including an 8-night Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland expedition aboard National Geographic Explorer, featuring Gros Morne National Park and L'Anse aux Meadows. Company leaders say travelers are responding to deeper, privately guided access in North America as much as they do in long-haul destinations.

Latest developments

Private guided travel meets expedition cruise in Eastern Canada

Kensington Tours' new "Canada to New England in the Autumn" spans 15 days from Boston, weaving private city touring with an 11-night Celebrity Cruises sailing through lighthouse-studded coasts, Maritime heritage ports, and the cobbled lanes of French Quebec. The Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland Expedition Cruise, priced from $16,887 per person for 13 days, adds an 8-night voyage on National Geographic Explorer with naturalist-led walks in Gros Morne and time at the Norse site of L'Anse aux Meadows. For U.S. heritage, America's 250th Anniversary Tour runs 10 days from $11,488 per person, threading Boston's Freedom Trail and Tea Party Museum with Lexington and Concord battlefields, then New York's Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty before concluding amid Washington, D.C. monuments and museums. Family-focused and city-pairing options in Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City round out the launch, with price points listed at $5,140 and $4,723 per person for 10- and 7-day formats.

Shore excursions exceed 265 ports with new Northeast focus

Kensington's curated, private shore excursions now span more than 265 ports, offering driver-guide experiences tailored to interests like culinary tastings, active adventures, and behind-the-scenes cultural access. The latest adds target Northeastern U.S. and Quebec gateways, including Portland, Rockland, Bar Harbor, Boston, Newport, New York City, Norfolk, Quebec City, and Montreal. Advisors can attach these VIP calls to a range of ocean and expedition departures or run them as standalone day experiences around embarkation and disembarkation. The company frames the growth as a direct response to client and advisor requests for flexible, small-party touring near home, and for extending cruise trips with meaningful land days before or after sailing.

Analysis

This expansion positions Kensington Tours to capture two parallel trends: a sustained preference for private guided travel, and a rebound in small-ship and expedition cruising close to U.S. homeports. By emphasizing modular design, the operator lowers friction for advisors who want to bolt a VIP shore day or a city break onto a booked cruise, or to stitch together a full itinerary with one planning contact. The historical arc of the 250th anniversary program neatly aligns with a spike in heritage travel for 2026, while the Canadian Maritimes product leverages a marquee expedition partner and UNESCO-rich landscapes that photograph well and carry strong family and multigenerational appeal. The price laddering across seven-, ten-, thirteen-, and fifteen-day options invites step-ups without alienating entry-level private clients. The notable shift is geographic: after scaling long-haul, Kensington Tours is deploying the same private-guided DNA across Eastern Canada and the Northeast, where short-haul air access and shoulder-season color drives demand. If execution keeps pace with marketing, advisors should see higher attachment rates for pre- and post-cruise days, plus stronger close-to-home conversions.

Final thoughts

For advisors fielding clients who want small-group privacy without long-haul flights, the new Kensington Tours North America lineup offers a clean fit. The combination of VIP shore days, expedition options, and heritage-rich city pairs is designed to scale from family road trips to milestone anniversaries. Expect demand to cluster around fall foliage sailings and 2026 heritage travel, with private-guided access as the signature differentiator for Kensington Tours North America.