Canadian Maritimes ---June 29, 2013 Trip

Starting a forum for anyone going on this trip with us

Comments

  • Just noted there were 54 views of this topic---if any of you have signed up for this tour, Great---we signed up last week, Dave and Linda from SC--looking forward to the trip--actually found a direct flight to Halifax from Atlanta--will go there June 28, and fly up a day early on June 29, staying at the Prince George Hotel---our First Tauck Tour, have heard so many good things----
  • Just want to repost this for any new people signing up for this tour leavine June 30, 2013
  • One more time---anybody out there going on the June 30 Canadian Maritimes Tour? Mt wife and I are flying direct to Halifax from Atlanta, very glad to get a non stopper--will be in a day early
  • Wonderful trip that we did 4 years ago.
    Try mckelvies for dinner.best fish. We went twice.in restored firehouse.
    We went day ahead and loved walking around Halifax.maritime museum
    Was interesting with Titanic memorabilia.
  • Thanks, Twig--- my big objective is lobster every time I can get it --- did you do Keltic Lodge, if so , great place??? How were bus rides?? Number of people on tour?? Temps?
  • Actually we did the Nova Scotia /prince Edward island trip so
    only familiar with Halifax via that trip. We had about 40 people
    We were group of 8 who all met on tauck trips and do a reunion
    Trip annually. Weather in late July was lovely. Some rain in Halifax
    But perfect in PEI. Great lobster and yummy mussels.
  • Scoopdave, we enjoyed our trip to PEI and Nova Scotia, including Cape Breton. The beautiful drive of the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton was a favorite part of the trip. The Keltic Lodge is nice with beautiful surroundings. Remember, it is a lodge so the rooms are simple (at least our was a few years ago). We opted to eat in the bar (appetizers and such as I recall) where two very talented young ladies played Celtic music. It was quite enjoyable and relaxing.
    Other places we found interesting were the quaint town of Lunenburg on the southern coast and Charlottetown on PEI.
    My husband bought a painting in one of the art shops there---of course had to ship it home. You will enjoy this wonderful trip.
  • Thanks to Twig and Must Travel --- this our first Tauck tour, may do Italian Lakes and Venice/ Rome/ Florence OR AUS/NZ next year, we are so impressed with pre and post tour comments, all seem to reinforce why we selected this upscale tour company
  • scoopdave wrote:
    Thanks, Twig--- my big objective is lobster every time I can get it --- did you do Keltic Lodge, if so , great place??? How were bus rides?? Number of people on tour?? Temps?
    Hi scoopdave,

    I did this trip a couple of years ago. It is indeed a stunning part of the world. I have a few pointers for you.

    The road in and out of Cape Breton Island is quite bendy and the road surface uneven. If you suffer from motion sickness on occasion and you have the misfortune to find the seat rotation takes you to rear of the bus, you may very well need some travel medication. The day trip around Cape Breton is also on a bendy road, but the road surface is much smoother. It might sound like a small point of difference but trust me, a sensitive gut knows the difference! My seat rotation was towards the rear of the bus. Going in to Cape Breton Island, I thought I'd die. The regular rotation took me further back for the trip out and I then wished I could die. Just rarely do people in authority get pleasure from other people's discomfort. This was one of those very rare times. So have some medication handy and you will have the power! :)

    In their printed brochures, Tauck have a disclaimer regarding the accommodation at Keltic Lodge. It's the same sort of note they include for the accommodation in Glacier National Park. These lodges are only open for a short time each year and the staff does not have the same level of expertise you'd expect at say, a Fairmont property. These types of hotels are mostly fun, good different. Sometimes they're funny peculiar different. This is the case with Keltic Lodge. It is in a stunning location, but, it's just ... um, different. For anyone familiar with the iconic BBC series of the 70s, think Fawlty Towers. I'm thinking along the lines of quaint, endearing with definite shades of the episode, "Waldorf Salad." The drinks list was great! Made most things seem more [i good different[/i]! ;))

    I would definitely advise you to eat as much lobster, as many mussels and as much seafood overall as you can stuff in during the entire trip! :)) You are bound to have a fabulous time.

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • Thanks, jdurkin--- my wife IS prone to motion sickness, so she will medicate and sit forward--- had heard something similar on Keltic Lodge, but I "get it", as long as it's not the hotel in The Shining---my friend stayed there, and played golf there, said it was spectacular---
  • edited April 2013
    I had to look that up! :)) No, not haunted as far as I know! Just spectacular scenery and an establishment that's run in a very funny peculiar style. The experience could have been more endearing without the bleach splatters on my trousers that I had inexplicably left out to dry in the bathroom. (What a stupid thing to do!) The room maid denied all knowledge of ever having been in my room at all, so on second thought, perhaps Keltic Lodge is haunted...... do do, do do... And we had 3 whole nights there and as any confirmed traveller away from home on a 2 month stint knows, you don't miss a 3 day window to catch up on miscellaneous laundry ... hence the drying trousers!

    But it is a stunning setting.

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • Jan---how 'bout the group---how many people? Usual average age about 65-72? That's what we found on our Viking River cruise last year---I assume it is one bus full of people, perhaps 38-40?

    Meals I'd guess are all superb--one poster said something about appetizers for dinner in the bar in lieu of full dining room dinner, just a personal choice, may have been overeating and just wanted to just nosh---

    Finally, we are thinking of Italian Lakes, Rome, Florence and Venice with Tauck next year---or, if I can somehow convince my wife, the AUS/ NZ 20 day tour, but that one is very expensive, probably $28,000 if we go Business Class--
  • Hello again Scoopdave,
    My husband and I did not take a tour to Nova Scotia----we rented a car and had a fabulous time. I'm certain we missed lots of wonderful sights and history as Tauck tours and tour directors are all wonderful. We've taken 6 or 7 Tauck tours in Europe and they've been great. There have usually been 34 to 40 people on each of those tours (one bus), ages 50's to 80. One of our most enjoyable tours, our first tour, was Classic Italy. This one covers so many areas and is great! Very popular tour. Ireland and Great Britain were very nice as well as Southern France and Warsaw to Prague tours. Enjoy!
  • Hi scoopdave,

    1) Re the group ... I've had everything from 6 years old (not a Bridges, but with Grandma) to 80+++ ... In my experience over 16 trips, the vast majority of my fellow travellers are US citizens and many of those are recent retirees who have not previously travelled widely. Having said that, every generalisation is necessarily wrong!!

    2)Re meals. On this trip, as on pretty well all Tauck trips that are not, what I'd call adventures, included dinners are an a la carte affair. Included lunches are often casual ... sometimes a buffet and sometimes table d'hote or from a limited menu. If people chose to eat in the bar on this trip ... at Keltic Lodge I think it was ... it was just that. Their choice. I seem to recall that all meals at Keltic Lodge were included meals.

    3)Naturally, I'll put in a plug for Australia & New Zealand! If you take yourself over to the Aust & NZ thread, you will find a recent discussion about airfares & airlines to Australia. There were some great tips from US travellers taking this Australian trip, particularly regarding the American Express Platinum Card Travel Service and the airfare specials they offer. You might well find some very competitive deals. Take a look ... we'd love you to visit ... and the alternative swim would be really hard work!

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • Jan, thanks--- have a Platinum card, on board with that-- we have been pleasantly surprised with Delta Economy Plus, using that for flight to Halifax--- to AUS/NZ, Platinum gets me 2 for 1 Biz
  • Hi scoopdave,

    Take a look at the Air New Zealand option. They have a Premium Economy class, too. I seem to remember some very positive comments on the A & NZ forum from recent US travellers. Start saving now! Seriously, we're a whole continent! You have to have us on your bucket list!!

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • Re posting this thread to see if anyone out there is on this trip--about 60 days to go, can't wait--
  • edited May 2013
    Didn't get any responses to previous requests for any other folks doing this Tour June 29----according to Tauck's website, the trip is now sold out-- figuring the bus can hold maybe 80 people, I'd make a wild guess there will be 50-60 of us

    So, anyone out there going? We are Dave and Linda C from Aiken, SC-- never been to Maritimes. Our first Tauck tour, last year did a Viking River cruise on FREYA from Budapest to Amsterdam-- next year looking at Tauck's Italian Lakes and Cities tour. Or maybe Ireland
  • Hi Scoopdave - I am going on the June 29 tour to Maritimes - really looking forward to it! This will be my 2nd Tauck tour. I did Ireland last year - loved it - absolutely beautiful. I think once you've been on a Tauck tour it is hard to go on any other!

    I am coming from Charlottesville, VA. I'm traveling solo which has its upsides and downsides - the people I met on the Ireland trip were great and made for an enjoyable trip. My next trip I hope to do New Zealand and Australia.

    See you soon!

    Gerri
  • Gerri Carr--I was out of town last week and missed your post--cool that you are coming---Linda and I will take care of you!! We are coming in a day early, we learned last year on a Viking River Cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam to do this after our trip got hosed up---we have been to Charlottesville, we live in Aiken, SC---we can exchange info on Ireland, we are considering that, plus Italian Lakes, and I am considering AUS/ NZ, although Linda is hedging

  • edited July 2013
    Sitting in te Keltic Lidge as I write this on the next to last day of our tour--- most all of the tour has been super, couple of minor "bumps"--- I must comment on the Keltic Lodge in particular--- prior comments were "iconic" , " quirky", and " a bit worn at the edges"

    While it is no Greenbriar, mostly it has been updated-- the rooms at the Inn, where we Tauck guests have stayed, are just fine, are air conditioned--the Purple Thisle dining room has been updated, and is air conditioned, the Highlands Lounge is updated but not air conditioned, one afternoon it was near 90 and unliveable. But it cooled at night, and the Irish singer was terrific

    Food excellent, but liquor in Canada are strict .90 oz pours, very skimpy, better order doubles-- this comment applies to every bar we visited in 5 cities, a decent sized drink will cost you $12-16, New York prices for a worse pour

  • I told you it was a wonderful trip, Scoopdave! And I'm glad to hear Keltic Lodge has moved out of Fawlty Towers mode. To tell you the truth, out of all the times I've been to Canada, I've never noticed the short measures issue. I mostly order wine. Good to know, though, since I'm headed for NY, reluctantly, towards the middle of August. I might be reduced to ordering 7Up by the time I get there!

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • edited July 2013
    The short pour in Canada, combined with a cigarette pack cost of $10-13 is designed to reduce health care cost by discouraging both--- NYC gives a much better pour. But count on $10-18 drink cost, wine by the glass similar -- farewell dinner in a half hour, great tour but ready to go home, 6 hours on the bus today back to Halifax. With some nice breaks--- you on a Tauck tour? If not, get a City Pass, gets you in to your choice of 7 of 9 of the best attractions/ museums
  • scoopdave wrote:
    The short pour in Canada, combined with a cigarette pack cost of $10-13 is designed to reduce health care cost by discouraging both--- NYC gives a much better pour. But count on $10-18 drink cost, wine by the glass similar -- farewell dinner in a half hour, great tour but ready to go home, 6 hours on the bus today back to Halifax. With some nice breaks--- you on a Tauck tour? If not, get a City Pass, gets you in to your choice of 7 of 9 of the best attractions/ museums
    At least the Canadians have worthy intentions!
    Yep, I'm headed for New England, in the widest sense, and ending up in New York. And by the sounds of those prices, it better be an excellent Californian chardonnay and none of that lilly-livered zinfandel! Thanks for the City Pass tip. I will indeed have time on my dime after the Tauck pampering and I plan to visit a couple of museums.

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • Last month on the Grand Canadian Rockies tour, we had a great wine experience (reasonably priced) at Walliser Stube in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Undecided about which wine to drink, our excellent bartender (Lewis) recommended a Cabernet Franc from Vineland Estates Winery. Giving us tastes first, and then a very generous pour, we proceeded to have our waiter bring us the same during dinner at Lago later that evening.
  • edited July 2013
    See my review posted to Canadian Maritimes--- this comment is about Tauck in general as a first timer-- we were pleasantly surprised by all aspects of the tour-- we felt we paid extra for this tour company and they delivered-- any downsides to the trip were documented either in reviews or in the forum, namely, that this itinerary / location does NOT have the typical Tauck 4-5 star hotels found in other places, they simply are not available--- a couple tours, stops along the way need refining, and, like most "groups" , you have your chronic complainers , we had a couple of those, couple of meals were sub par, but they saved the best for last, the last two dinners were outstanding--- by FAR, the best part of the trip was the fellow guests, what a great group of folks-- tour Director Dale a real veteran, had all the right moves, and Graham the bus driver was a pro---will do Tauck again and recommend it to others
  • Glad you enjoyed the trip, scoopdave. It is certainly one of the most gorgeous parts of North America.

    Cheers,

    Jan
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