34 th Annual NYC Holiday Tour Christmas Lights of New York City Mon. Nov. 27 Sun. Dec. 3, 2017 7-Day Premium Tour With the #1 Tour Company in New Brunswick Welcome aboard our 34 th annual escorted tour to New York City for the Holidays! This trip is guaranteed to be a magical experience, and sure to put you in the holiday spirit! This year we are excited to include a ticket to a HOT Broadway musical, as well as four nights at the upscale Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan! As always, our New York City Holiday Tours include a ticket to Radio City Music Hall s Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes, as well as world-class shopping in time for the gift giving season! Please read the information carefully, particularly the details surrounding Customs & Immigration. Feel free to call if you have any questions. Your tour manager looks forward to meeting you and delivering a well-managed and enjoyable escape where all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself! -Sincerely, Greg Collins, President & CEO. Mon. Nov. 27 th Day #1 Portland Maine, Courtyard by Marriott, South Portland Your Christmas Lights of New York City Tour begins this morning! Meet your coach or shuttle at the designated ***pick-up location assigned to you. ***Tour pick-up locations and times are not definite until at least two weeks before departure. The following is a list of tentative locations. Tentative PICK-UP LOCATIONS: Prince Edward Island Clients: Charlottetown, Charlottetown Mall- Nova Scotia Clients: Halifax, Sobeys Lacewood Drive- Dartmouth Crossing, Hampton Inn - Halifax Airport, Quality Inn- Truro Heights, Circle K Big Stop- New Brunswick: Aulac, Irving Big Stop- Saint John, Rt. 1 Irving- Lincoln, Circle K Big Stop- Woodstock, Murrays Irving Beardsley- St. Stephen, Duty Free- IMPORTANT Pick-up details are TENTATIVE and not be finalized until 2-weeks before departure. Seat rotation policy will be followed 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. Stops for passenger pick-up/drop off will be brief (10 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, see table above). All our tours are pre registered with Customs & Immigration so expect 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 read the important information section for additional detail (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 have scheduled a 20 min. rest stop in Bangor. 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! Tues. Nov. 28 th - Day # 2 Portland - New York City, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel (B) Enjoy your complimentary continental breakfast before our 8:00 a.m. departure. Your tour manager will check out but please be sure to cover any charges for incidentals (e.g. movie rental, room service) as these are your expense. 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 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. Your tour manager will check you in, hand out room keys and have your bags delivered to your room. Please note: baggage handling may take up to 45 minutes, but you do not need to be in your hotel room for luggage delivery. This evening take time to enjoy dinner (on own) and explore Midtown Manhattan, including Times Square just steps from your front door! Wed. Nov. 29 th Day #3 New York City, Sheraton Times Square Hotel Enjoy Breakfast New York City style today (your expense). We recommend a couple of inexpensive café s near our hotel, Café 53 or Pret a Manger, both within 2 min walk and very inexpensive. Meet your guide at 8:30 a.m. for our 3.5-hr professionally-guided sightseeing tour. Tour highlights include, a short walking tour of Central Park, world-famous 5 th Avenue, the Financial District, St. Patrick s Cathedral and the American Express Financial Center where you can enjoy lunch on own. Next stop our reservation at *One World Trade Observation, which opened in May 2015 to mark the site of the 9/11 attacks. At 1,776 feet high, WTC is now the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Your 1.5 hour visit will include a 60 second ride in one of five Skypods (state-of-the-art high speed elevators) up to the observation deck where you will also find a bar, restaurant and some shops. We expect to be back to the hotel late this afternoon, leaving you with plenty of time to explore more of this world-class destination and have dinner (on your own) before meeting back at the hotel lobby for 7:00 p.m. Tonight we will attend a HOT musical on Broadway! Enjoy your complimentary transfer to the show as your Tour Manager hands out your tickets (included). Please meet your Tour Manager 30 minutes following the show for transport back to the hotel. 2
The official tree lighting ceremony is held from 7-9 tonight so feel free to stroll down to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Centre lit and decorated with over 30,000 Christmas Lights! (on own). Enjoy the rest of the evening on your own. Thur. Nov. 30 th Day #4 New York City, Sheraton Times Square Hotel (D) Breakfast is on your own again today. Today you are free to explore more of New York City from the amazing location of your Times Square hotel, where you can come and go with ease. Perhaps today is the day to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Natural History, do some shopping at Century 21 or explore more of Central Park? Make sure you are back at the hotel and ready to meet in the lobby at 4:45pm for our 5:00pm shuttle to tonight s restaurant. Join us this evening for a night of unforgettable dining and entertainment starting with a delicious gourmet buffet dinner at The View lounge on the 48 th floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel. During dinner the lounge will do a full 360 rotation, so no matter where you are seated you will have dazzling views of all of New York City! This evening s highlight is our ticket to Radio City Music Hall s Christmas Spectacular, featuring the Rockettes (included). This 1.5-hour performance is a must see and is sure to put you in that holiday spirit! Take a short transfer aboard our motorcoach following our delicious meal to the Radio City Music Hall. Doors open at 7:30 pm and at 8:00 pm it is ShowTime! 30 minutes following the show, meet your Tour Manager at a designated area to board the motorcoach back to the hotel. Expect a 10:00pm arrival. If you choose to explore the city from Radio City Music Hall on your own, please advise your Tour Manager beforehand. The rest of the evening is on your own. Fri. Dec. 1 st - Day #5 New York City, Sheraton Times Square Hotel Today is your free day in New York City! Wake up at your leisure and explore the city on your own today. Perhaps take in a matinee Broadway show, travel down to the Statue of Liberty, or roam the Central Park zoo? Of course you can always ask your Tour Manager or Hotel Concierge for advice & recommendations as well. After dinner or perhaps before your dinner make sure you are back in the hotel lobby by 6:45pm for our highlight of the day, an evening Christmas Lights Illumination Tour of Brooklyn! Spend 2 hours as we travel over the Brooklyn Bridge to the less-visited but just as spectacular borough of Brooklyn with a local, professional guide. Enjoy several photo opportunity stops as we are dazzled by the beautiful and impressive Christmas displays. The tour will end back at the hotel at approximately 9:00pm and the rest of the evening is yours to do as you please on your final night in Manhattan. 3
Sat. Dec. 2 nd - Day #6 New York City Hampton Inn, Augusta ME (D) Take time to enjoy breakfast (your expense) before we depart. Don t forget to cover any personal expenses (e.g. Room service). At 8:00 a.m., bid farewell to, The Big Apple as we make our way east. Our drive today includes a short coffee break, followed by an hour lunch at the Sturbridge Cracker Barrel (price not included). We expect to arrive at the Hampton Inn Augusta, at approximately 5:30 p.m. After some time to freshen up, we will gather for our farewell dinner, starting at 6:30 p.m. (price included, location TBA). Time to share stories of our exciting visit to New York City and start planning your next group getaway. Shoppers we will do a drop-off for anyone interested at Kohl s Department Store following dinner, however you will have to take a taxi back to the hotel on your own. If you choose not to shop, you will be brought back to the hotel and have the rest of the evening at your leisure. Sun. Dec. 3 rd - Day #7 Augusta Home (B) Enjoy a delightful complimentary hot buffet breakfast before our 8:00 a.m. departure. Our lunch break today will be an hour stop at a location convenient to our driving route (meal your expense). We ll then make our way back to the border for a 30 min. stop at the Duty Free Store, followed by our appointment at Canadian Customs & Immigration. Once again, be sure to have your valid passport ready. NOTE: Your duty free allowance for this trip is $800 per person. The coach will drop you back at your original pick-up points. Arrival times are dependent on border traffic and are not exact. Estimated arrival times will be confirmed 2 weeks before tour. New Brunswick: St. Stephen, Duty Free- Woodstock, Murrays Irving Beardsley Lincoln, Circle K Big Stop- Saint John, Rt. 1 Irving Moncton, Magnetic Hill McDonalds- Aulac, Irving Big Stop- Prince Edward Island Clients: Charlottetown, Charlottetown Mall- Nova Scotia Clients: Truro Heights, Circle K Big Stop- Halifax Airport, Quality Inn- Dartmouth Crossing, Hampton Inn- Halifax, Sobeys Lacewood Drive- Important Information *Tour itineraries are a guideline and may need to be adjusted by CTC or your tour manager. All times on tour itineraries are only estimates, as various unforeseen factors, such as weather, traffic, mechanical issues, emergencies, and other Acts of God, can influence tour timing. 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. **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 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 from us. 4
Seat rotation policy: Your tour manager will explain this once on board. There are no exceptions to seat rotation without written notice from a physician. Prescription Medication: All prescription medication needs to be clearly labeled and on board coach with client (not inside suitcase) in order for Customs and Immigration to clear it. Duty Free Rules: You can claim $800 per person for travel outside the country 48 hours or more. To simplify your shopping experiences, please purchase American currency in advance. Also, debit cards must be VISA or MasterCard flagged. Bring along your favorite music CD s and DVD s to enjoy during the drive. 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. Hotel contact information: 1. Portland Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, 100 Southborough Drive, South Portland,, Maine, Ph: 1-207-253-5005 2. Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, 811 7th Ave.53rd St., Ph: 212-581-1000 3. Hampton Inn Augusta, 388 Western Ave, Augusta, Maine, Ph: 1-207-622-4077 REMEMBER: Your Collins Tours and Consulting tour manager handles 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 you enjoy your experience to the fullest! Gratuities for Tour Manager & Driver are NOT included. Our guidelines on Tipping Etiquette are as follows: CTC Tour manager-$3 to 6 per person daily. Driver- $3- $4:00 per person daily. Private city guides: $2-$4:00 per person daily. 5