New York City Escape - Canadian Thanksgiving! 5-Day Tour, October 5 th 9 th, 2017

Transcription

1 New York City Escape - Canadian Thanksgiving! 5-Day Tour, October 5 th 9 th, 2017 Final Itinerary Welcome aboard our annual Canadian Thanksgiving in New York City Tour! Your tour director is excited about the opportunity to make your holiday experience in, The BIG APPLE, something you ll treasure! They look forward to professionally and effectively managing this escape so you can forget the usual travel hassles and just enjoy yourself! Below is a daily itinerary. Please read this information, particularly the Important Information section on the last page of this itinerary, and call if you have any questions. With over 57 years of experience in tourism and group travel, I m confident your tour with us will be fantastic! - Sincerely, Greg Collins, President Collins Tours Thursday, Oct 5 th Day #1 Portland Maine, Courtyard by Marriott Your group travel and NYC experience begins today! Meet your coach or shuttle at the NOVA SCOTIA-Main coach Halifax, Sobeys Lacewood Dr.-6:15 a.m. Dartmouth Crossing, Hampton Inn -6:45 a.m. Quality Inn, Halifax Airport 7:05 a.m. Truro Heights, Irving Big Stop 7:45 a.m. IMPORTANT These pick up times are now set. Any changes must be cleared with the main office at least 48-hrs before departure NEW BRUNSWICK Moncton, Magnetic Hill McDonalds- 9:35 a.m. 25 min rest stop Lincoln, Irving Big Stop (shuttle to St. Stephen Duty free meet main coach) - 11:30 a.m. Saint John Route 1 Irving Big Stop 11:20 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. 1 hour lunch stop and pick up designated meeting point assigned to you. All pick up locations are now final, please see list of pick up and drop offs below. Seat rotation will be followed during this tour. Details surrounding this policy are outlined on our company website and will be explained once everyone is on the coach. All stops for passenger pick-up/drop off will be brief (10-15 min.) so 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 break at Saint John Route 1 Irving at 11:20 a.m. 12:30 p.m. (your expense). All our tours are pre registered with Customs & Immigration so expect minimal delays at border crossings. Your tour manager will represent you during our 12:30 p.m. EST appointment at the St. Stephen border but you re responsible for having *proper identification and ensuring you can legally Putting the Service Back in Travel 303 Westmorland Road Saint John, NB E2J 2G2 Ph: getaway@collinstours.ca Page 1 of 5

2 enter the U.S. Please read the section on prescription medication when crossing border (last page). Once we enter Maine, be sure to adjust those watches from Atlantic Standard to Eastern Time (one-hour back). Enjoy a brief stop (20 min. please) for coffee and snacks at Dysarts in Bangor before our late afternoon arrival at 5:30 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott, Portland Maine. For those who are interested in being dropped off at the Maine Mall before check in, we will make a short stop and drop off at the Mall first, and then return at 8:00 p.m. for your transfer back to the hotel. While shopping and enjoying dinner (on own) your luggage will be sent to your room. For those going to the hotel, we will continue there after our short drop off and your tour manger will check you in, have your bag sent to your room, and hand out your key cards, all part of our signature group tour check in service, offered on all our motorcoach tours! Just one of the many perks of group travel. Dinner is on your own this evening (price not included). For those going to the Maine Mall you have many choices in the eatery or at different restaurants located outside of the Mall in the parking lot area. Our hotel also has a Bistro pub located inside and can offer dinner (limited menu) and alcohol and non alcoholic beverages for convenience. Please note, staff may be limited in the evenings and we ask for patience if this option is being used. Shoppers - The coach will pick you up at 8:00 p.m. (location TBA) and transfer you back to the hotel. Friday, Oct. 6 th Day #2 Portland - New York City, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel! (B) This morning, enjoy breakfast (included) before checking out of your room in time for our 8:00 a.m. departure. Please have your bags ready for pick up outside your room at 7:00 a.m. Your tour manager handles group check out unless you have incidental charges that are not included in your package price (ex: room service, movie rental) Today s drive takes us from Maine and on into New Hampshire before stopping for lunch at Connecticut s fabulous Blue Colony Diner (12:30-1:30 pm; your expense). Once back on board the coach, we don t have too far to go before we enter New York State, estimating a 4:30 p.m. arrival in The Big Apple! Our hotel for the next two nights is the iconic Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, located at 52nd St. & 7 th Ave., the heart of Midtown Manhattan! Recently with a 40 million dollar renovation, your hotel features sophisticated rooms, a top of the line fitness center, a beautiful bar/café, and much more! Collins Tours signature check-in provided again today. Feel free to sample New York s world-famous cuisine before your amazing night on Broadway (dinner not included). Tonight is your opportunity to experience a Broadway Musical, depending the time you purchased your tour, the show you will be seeing tonight is either HELLO DOLLY starring 2

3 Bette Midler or COME FROM AWAY! Please meet the coach at 7:00 p.m. for your complimentary transfer to the theatres for our 8:00 p.m. shows. The coach will be at a designated place to meet you 30 minutes after the show ends for our complimentary transfer back to the hotel. For those who wish to walk back to your hotel (only a 10 min walk) please let your tour guide know before you depart for the show! Enjoy your Broadway Performance! Those not attending the show are free to explore the city that never sleeps (on own). Saturday, Oct. 7 th Day #3 New York City, Sheraton New York Times Square Get set for another fabulous day, beginning at 8:30 a.m. with our 4-hr professionally guided tour of New York City courtesy of Judy Krause! Experience magical Central Park, St. Patrick s Cathedral, Rockefeller Centre, a drive through financial district, Wall Street, St. Paul s Chapel, and Battery Park for a photo opportunity of the Statue of Liberty (weather permitting). You will then visit the new One World Trade Center, complete with a ticket to the observation deck where you can see forever! Other famous landmarks include Wall Street, Rockefeller Plaza, St. Paul s Cathedral, Battery Park, and Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Lunch today from 12:30 1:30 p.m. is on your own at Brookfield Place which is a fully renovated 2 level market near One World Observatory. After lunch we will make our way to One World Trade for 1:45 p.m. and enjoy the view of Forever! You will have an hour to enjoy the view before meeting the coach at 3:00 p.m. for your return to the hotel. We will return to the hotel late this afternoon at approximately 3:45 p.m. leaving you plenty of time to take a much earned rest or head out for more world-class shopping and dining! Dinner this evening is on your own you are then free to experience more of New York City your way! Sunday, Oct. 8 th Day #4 New York-Augusta, Hampton Inn & Suites Wake up in New York City! Enjoy breakfast this morning (on your own). Be sure to cover any personal expenses (e.g. Internet charges, movie rentals) at check out this morning. Enjoy a late morning check out! Please have your luggage ready for pick up at 9:30 a.m. and it will be stored on the bus so you can shop and enjoy the area around the hotel at your leisure all morning. Check out of your room today by 11:45 a.m. Meet the coach at the hotel by 12:30 p.m. Time to bid farewell to NYC and begin planning your next visit! Our first stop this afternoon will be a rest stop for 25 min in Southbury CT, and then we will continue to Tewksbury MA and have dinner (your expense) at the Cracker Barrel restaurant. From there we will travel to Augusta, Maine s Hampton Inn & Suites our home for the night with an estimated arrival time at 9:00 p.m. Again, your tour manager will check you in and have your somewhat larger bag sent to your room. Monday, Oct. 9 th Day #5 HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA! (B) Wake up and enjoy a hot buffet breakfast (included) before our 8:00 a.m. departure. Please have your bags ready outside your room at 7:00 a.m. Our first scheduled stop will be a 20 min. coffee break at Dysarts in Bangor, followed by an hour lunch stop at the Baileyville Irving in Maine from 11:10 a.m. 12:10 p.m. (your expense). Next stop is the Duty Free shop where you will have 20 min. to find those last minute value purchases. Duty free allowance for this trip is $800 per person (important details section). 3

4 Our group is then set to check in with Canadian Customs & Immigration at 1:45 p.m. AST time for our scheduled crossing. Please have your passports ready along with your customs and immigration forms completed while your tour manager represents the group Back on Atlantic Standard Time, we begin to bid farewell to our fellow travelers, dropping all clients back at their original pick-up points: NEW BRUNSWICK Lincoln, Irving Big Stop Shuttle from St. Stephen Border p.m. 2:15 p.m. arrive in Lincoln at 3:45 p.m. Saint John Route 1 Big Stop 3:40 p.m. 20 min rest stop Moncton, Magnetic Hill McDonalds - p.m. 5:15 p.m. and 30 min dinner break if needed. NOVA SCOTIA Truro Heights, Irving Big Stop 7:15 p.m. Quality Inn, Halifax Airport 8:00 p.m. Dartmouth Crossing, Hampton Inn 8:20 p.m. Halifax, Sobeys Lacewood Dr.- 8:45 p.m. Don t forget to check your seat for all of your belongings before leaving us. Thank you for traveling with Collins Tours! IMPORTANT Information Tour itineraries are ONLY a guideline (estimates) and may need to be modified by your tour manager and are subject to change due to various unforeseen factors, such as weather, traffic, mechanical issues, emergencies, and other Acts of God. Collins Tours & Consulting Ltd. 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. Hotels: Courtyard by Marriott, 100 Southborough Dr., South Portland ME Ph: Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, 811 7th Avenue 53rd St. New York City NY, Ph: Hampton Inn by Hilton, 388 Western Ave., Augusta ME Ph: Seat rotation policies are in effect for this tour and will be explained by your tour manager. Please check our website for more details on this policy. To be fair to all, any medical exceptions must be accompanied by a singed notice from your physician. Customs & Immigration: Everyone entering the U.S. must have a Valid Passport. U.S. Customs has the right to refuse entry to anyone with a past record. Please check with border agents to confirm your status if you are concerned about entry in the USA. Collins Tours is not responsible for any matters relating to your refusal at the border, and will not provide compensation, reimbursements or refunds for denied entry into the USA. All passengers who may be affected by a past record or criminal offence will be responsible for their own transportation back to original pick up locations. All prescription medication needs to be clearly labeled in order for Customs and Immigration to clear it. Duty Free Rules allow each person to claim $800 if they have been out of the country for at least 48 hours. To simplify your shopping experiences, purchase American currency in advance, as many US banks will not exchange your money without a US bank account. Debit cards must be VISA or MasterCard flagged in order to be accepted at US stores. 4

5 Bring along your favorite CD s and DVD s as our motor coach has capabilities for both. Please remove all personal belongings when departing the bus. We re not responsible for items left behind REMEMBER: your tour manager handles: hotel check in/check out procedures, overall group management (e.g. timely transitions, itinerary planning), and group representation at Concerts and Customs and Immigration. We work hard to ensure that everyone enjoys his or her experience to the fullest. Gratuities for your Tour Manager and driver are not included in your tour price. Tour director tipping guidelines are $5-$7.00 per person per day and $3-$4.00per person per day for the bus driver and $2.00 pp per day for any professional city tour guides. 5