8-Day American Thanksgiving Escape to New York City & Boston

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1 8-Day American Thanksgiving Escape to New York City & Boston Sun. Nov. 19 Sun. Nov. 26, th Annual NYC Holiday Tour Welcome aboard our 34 th annual escorted tour to New York City and Boston for the Holidays! This trip is guaranteed to be a magical experience, sure to put you in the holiday spirit! Outlined below is the daily tentative itinerary for this adventure. Once again, we will stay at the upscale Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, and The Colonnade, a boutique hotel in downtown Boston! We will also visit One World Trade Center and observation deck! See a HOT broadway musical (show TBA), experience Radio City Music Hall s famous Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes, and enjoy an educational sightseeing tour featuring St. Patrick s Cathedral, Rockefeller Plaza, Central Park, and much more! Thanksgiving week in NYC is extra special, with access to Black-Friday deals and a chance to attend the world-famous Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade. New this year, you will have an entire day free in New York where you can visit some of the world s most famous museums, visit Chinatown, see another Broadway show, tour the Statue of Liberty or simply explore the city your way. Your stay in Boston includes a second professionally-guided city tour, a chance to see the famous Christmas tree donated from Nova Scotia, and time at Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market! Your tour manager looks forward to meeting you and delivering a wellmanaged and enjoyable escape where all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself! -Sincerely, Greg Collins, President & CEO 8-Day Premium Tour Sun. Nov. 19 th Day #1 -Portland Maine, Courtyard by Marriott Your holiday getaway begins today! Meet your coach or shuttle at the designated meeting point assigned to you. Final pick-up locations will be assigned at least 2 weeks before you depart. Seat rotation will be in effect during this tour. Details surrounding this policy are outlined on our company website and will be reviewed by your tour manager once all clients are on board. All stops for passenger pick-up/drop off will be brief (10-15 min.) and we ask that you remain on the coach unless the stop is a scheduled coffee break or lunch. Your tour manager will clarify this for you during the tour. For your convenience, today s drive includes several coffee breaks, an hour lunch (your expense). All our tours are pre-registered with Customs & Immigration, meaning minimal delays at border crossings. Your tour manager will represent you during our appointment at the border but you re responsible for having *proper identification and ensuring you can legally enter the U.S. Please

2 read the section on prescription medication when crossing border (more about this in the important details section on the last page of this itinerary). Once we enter Maine, be sure to adjust those watches from Atlantic Standard to Eastern Time (one-hour back). We expect to arrive at Portland s Maine Mall at about 5:45 p.m. Take time to shop and enjoy dinner (on own, your expense) before your 8:00 p.m. pick up (location TBA). Meet your tour manager and board the coach for your quick transfer to your home for the night, the Courtyard by Marriott South Portland. Your tour manager has already checked the group in and had your bag sent to your room, all part of our Collins Tours signature check in service! The rest of the evening will be free for you to enjoy on your own. Perhaps take a complimentary shuttle from the hotel to the Christmas Tree Shop, just across the street, and get a head start on your Christmas shopping? Mon. Nov. 20 th Day #2 Portland - New York City, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel (B) Enjoy a continental breakfast (included) before our 8:00 a.m. departure. Your tour manager will check the group out. Please be sure to cover the cost of any incidentals (e.g. room service, movie rentals) as you are responsible for these personal charges. This morning s drive will have us passing through New Hampshire and Massachusetts followed by an hour lunch stop at Connecticut s Blue Colony Diner (your expense). Next stop, the Big Apple! We estimate a 4:30 p.m. arrival at the magnificent all-new Sheraton New York Times Square hotel located at 53 rd Street & 7 th Ave., the heart of Midtown Manhattan and the top hotel in NYC being offered from Atlantic Canada! Take your first bite out of The Big Apple. Dinner is on your own tonight (your expense). Plenty of dining options surround you, such as Rosie O Grady s Irish Pub, Applebee s, the Olive Garden in Times Square, Ray s Pizza or TGI Friday s. The rest of the evening is open for you to explore New York! Consider adding another Broadway show or exploring the many shops around Times Square, all within a few blocks of your hotel! Tues. Nov. 21 st Day #3 - New York City, Sheraton Take time to enjoy breakfast New York City style today (your expense). Perhaps venture down a few blocks to Tim Horton s Times Square, located at th Avenue & 50 th Street, or try one of the many cafés nearby. Meet your tour director in the lobby at 8:30 a.m. so they can escort you to the bus and begin the tour promptly at 8:30 a.m. Get set for an exciting 3.5-hr guided sightseeing tour, with our local professional tour guide, featuring a short walking tour of Central Park, St. Patrick s Cathedral, the Financial District and Battery Park for a photo opportunity of the Statue of Liberty (weather permitting). Today s lunch break will be at the American Express Financial Center (on own, price not included). 81 Golden Grove Road Saint John, NB E2H 1W F:

3 Next stop *One World Trade Center, opened in Nov to mark the site of the Twin Towers tragedy. At 1,776 feet high, WTC is now the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Your visit will include a 60 second ride in one of five Skypods (state-of-the-art high speed elevators) up to the observation deck 1,250 feet up. From here you can see forever! The observation area also houses a bar, restaurant and some shops. At approx. 3:30 p.m., we will arrive back at the hotel, leaving you plenty of time to explore more of this world-class destination your way! Consider a stroll to Rockefeller Center to see the famous skating rink, or hit those early Black Friday sales. This evening for those who are interested ask us about an optional Broadway Show (TBA, cost additional). Take in another one of Broadways top 10 performances of the year, while NYC take in as much as you can! Wed. Nov. 22 nd Day #4 - New York City, Sheraton (D) Enjoy a leisurely morning and free day in New York. Breakfast (or brunch) is on your own today. Take the day to visit world-famous museums, bargain-hunt in Chinatown, dine in Little Italy or do some Holiday shopping at Macy s Department Store. Tonight we experience Manhattan in style! Meet your tour manager at 4:45 p.m. for our shuttle to a very memorable restaurant for tonight s group dinner (included). Enjoy a delicious gourmet buffet at the outstanding revolving lounge The View, located on the 48 th floor of the Marriott Marquis hotel, offering amazing views of Times Square and the entire city! The restaurant will do a full 360 rotation during your meal. It s a once-in-a-lifetime experience you will never forget! Following our fantastic meal, we will board our motorcoach for a quick transfer to tonight s main event, an evening on Broadway enjoying a top musical (Show TBA). (Tickets included). Following the show, meet your Tour Manager at a designated location and board the motorcoach for your transfer back to the hotel. Expect a 10:30 p.m. arrival back at the hotel. Please let your tour manager know BEFORE the show if you plan to stay out on the town and make your own way back to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure. Thurs. Nov. 23 rd Day #5 American Thanksgiving - New York City, Sheraton Today is all about getting in the Holiday spirit! Start this special day with a great breakfast at a location of your choice (on your own, price not included). The hustle and bustle of the holiday season officially begins today with the running of the 91 st annual Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade, something you can enjoy just a block from the hotel. Your Tour Manager will give you tips on the best viewing opportunities. Each year 2.5 million people line the streets of NYC to watch the balloons, floats, celebrities, and bands in this spectacular holiday celebration! 81 Golden Grove Road Saint John, NB E2H 1W F:

4 This afternoon, you are free to explore more of New York s famous museums, galleries and attractions on your own. Don t forget about all those early Black Friday sales that are now all the rage in the U.S. Make sure you have dinner (on your own, not included) before tonight s main event. Meet your Tour Manager in the hotel lobby at 6:00 p.m., and board the bus for our shuttle to tonight s incredible evening at the Radio City Music Hall. Tickets are included for the 8:00 p.m. performance of the Christmas spectacular, starring the Rockettes! This 1.5-hour production is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. Meet your Tour Manager 20 minutes after the show at our designated meeting point (TBA)for a motorcoach shuttle back to our hotel. Expect a 10:00 p.m. arrival back at the hotel. Soak up the lights in Times Square one last time on your last night in the Big Apple. Fri. Nov. 24 th - Day #6 - Boston, Colonnade Hotel Don t forget to cover any incidentals (e.g. room service, movie rentals) before our 8:30 a.m. sharp departure. Enjoy a mid-morning coffee break as we make our way to Boston. It is then on to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market for a great lunch and fabulous shopping (meal your expense). Enjoy the next 1.5 hours on own enjoying the market areas with the Christmas decorations set out amongst the grand buildings that make up the different markets. Meet your tour manager back at the coach at 4:00 p.m. (location TBA) for a short drive to Boston Common. We will stop for 30- minutes to see the famous Halifax tree, Boston s official Christmas tree. This tree is an annual gift from the city of Halifax in honour of Boston s assistance to them during the Halifax Explosion of Time to check in at the Colonnade, Boston s Boutique hotel located in the heart of the city, directly across the street from the shops and eateries at Copley Square Plaza and the Prudential Center! Relax while your tour manager checks the group in, with bag handling service (one bag per person) included again. You are then free to shop till you drop. Dinner is on your own this evening with plenty of options in the surrounding area. Perhaps the Cheesecake Factory located across the street from our hotel, or the 5 Napkins Burger restaurants are just what you ordered. Sat. Nov. 25 th Day #7 - Augusta, Hampton Inn (B,D) Enjoy your delicious hot breakfast buffet this morning at the Colonnade Hotel (included). Be sure to eat and check out of your room before boarding the coach in time for our 8:45 a.m. SHARP departure. Today s highlight is our professionally-guided tour of Boston, from 8:45 11:45 a.m. Tour highlights include Old Boston, the Public Library, Boston Commons, State Building, City hall and much more! 81 Golden Grove Road Saint John, NB E2H 1W F:

5 We will end the tour at the TD Garden for a washroom and coffee break before traveling to Freeport. We will stop in Kennebunk area for lunch (on own) at approximately 1:00 p.m. After lunch, board the coach and for our short trip to Freeport Maine for 2 hours of fabulous outlet shopping. At 5:00 p.m. we depart Freeport for our short drive to Augusta, estimating a 6:00 p.m. arrival at Route 99 Restaurant. Time to gather for our farewell dinner, including a complimentary glass of wine or beer included. Reflect on the festive sights and experiences we have shared and start planning your next getaway! Following dinner, your Tour Manager will hand out your room keys en-route to the hotel, where your bags will already be waiting for you in your hotel room. Enjoy the pool, do some last-minute shopping, or relax for the rest of the evening. Sun. Nov. 26 th - Day #8 - Home (B) After a tasty hot buffet breakfast (included) we board the bus for our 7:45 a.m. departure. Our first stop will be a 20 min. coffee break in Bangor, followed by an hour lunch stop at a restaurant (meal your expense) convenient to our route (TBA). We then head to the Duty free shop (25 min) for any last minute purchases. Don t forget duty free allowance for this trip is $800 per person! Be sure to have your valid passport ready for our Canadian Customs & Immigration inspection. We will announce drop off locations and APPROXIMATE arrival times at least two weeks before your tour departs. All passengers will be returned to their pick-up locations. Please be sure to check your seat for all valuables and carefully check any parcels and suitcases before leaving. We are not responsible for articles left behind. IMPORTANT INFORMATION Tour itineraries are ONLY a guideline (estimate) and may need to be modified by your tour manager. Times are subject to change due to various unforeseen factors, such as weather, traffic, mechanical issues, emergencies, and other Acts of God. Collins Tours is not responsible or liable, in any way, for delays caused by unforeseen events. No refunds or reimbursements will be offered in the event of any such occurrences. Seat rotation policy is in effect for this tour. Your tour manager will explain this once on board. There are no exceptions to seat rotation without written notice from a physician. **United States Customs and Immigration requires everyone entering the country to have a valid passport. U.S. Customs has the right to refuse entry to anyone with a past record. Please verify any concerns about border status with U.S. customs before departing Canada. Collins Tours & Consulting Ltd is not responsible for any decisions by U.S. Customs and Immigration officials. Passengers refused entry will be responsible for their own transportation arrangements and are not entitled to refunds. Prescription Medication: All prescription medication needs to be clearly labeled and on board coach with client (not inside suitcase) in order for Customs & Immigration to clear it. Duty Free Rules allow you to claim $800 per pers. when out of the country for at least 48 hours. To simplify your shopping experiences, please purchase American currency in advance. Not all stores accept Canadian at par. Debit cards must be VISA or MasterCard flagged. Bring along your favorite music CD s and DVD s. Our Motor Coach has capabilities for both! 81 Golden Grove Road Saint John, NB E2H 1W F:

6 When departing, please remove all personal belongings from your seat, as well as any luggage or parcels stored under the bus. Collins Tours is not responsible for items left behind. Contact information while on tour is as follows: Courtyard Portland Airport, 100 Southborough Drive, Ph (207) ; Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, 811 7th Ave. & 53rd St., Ph: (212) ; Boston Colonnade Hotel Ph: Hampton Inn Augusta 388 Western Ave, Ph: (207) REMEMBER: Your Collins Tours manager handles your bags, hotel check-in /check out, overall group management (e.g. timely transitions, itinerary development), and represents the group during Customs and Immigrations All this to ensure that you enjoy your experience to the fullest! Gratuities for your Tour Manager/ driver are NOT included in your tour price Here are our guidelines on Tipping Etiquette: Private tour guides for city tours -$2 per pers. per day CTC Tour managers: From $3.50-$6 per pers. per day Bus driver- $3 per pers. per day Thank you for traveling with Collins Tours! We look forward to serving you with ALL your future travel plans Get Away Get Inspired! 81 Golden Grove Road Saint John, NB E2H 1W F: