Q:  Tell me more about travel insurance. How does it differ from Holland America's Trip Cancellation Plans?

 

A:  You've already seen a discussion of Holland America's Trip Cancellation Plans on my main cruise web page.  Basically, the difference between the two is that a trip cancellation plan lets you cancel for any reason, but you get back only 80% or 90% of the paid fare (depending on the plan). With conventional travel insurance, you get 100% of the face value of the policy, but you must prove a covered reason, such as illness. The best deal and coverage we could find for travel insurance is underwritten by M. H. Ross Insurance Co., which is issued through www.tripinsurance.com.  The rates are dependent upon not only the trip costs but also the age of the insured, so younger travelers may save.  Assume the trip cost for a passenger is $2,002 and the passenger's age at the time of booking is 67. The cost of insurance for this person is $189 for the basic plan and $224 for the enhanced plan. See full details of the plans at  https://www.tripinsurance.com//insurance/QuickQuote.aspx/   For a copy of the Ross insurance policy (a.k.a. "certificate"), see this PDF document.

 

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Tips from Frommer's on our individual ports of call:
[We depart from New York City at 5 pm on Wednesday 16 September 2009.]

Newport (Thursday, 17 September.  In Port from 7 am to 4 pm, using ship's tender):  In Newport, we suggest walking along the Newport Cliff Walk.   It is free and the water is on one side and the Mansions are on the other. Consider packing a lunch, there are beaches on both ends of the walk. You will also have access to trolleys while in Newport, which you can hop off and on around town.

Boston (Friday, 18 Sept. from 9 am to 6 pm):  Boston is very walkable. The Boston historic area is compact.  The Freedom Trail is very acccessible and quite a bit of fun.   It starts at the Boston Common Tourist Office  and goes through the older part of town and over to the Charleston Naval Yard where you can visit the USS Constitution.   It is quite a bit of walking but you can break it up with lunch in the North End at a small Italian restaurant.  

In Boston, there is a lot to do in the waterfront area.  Many shops, pubs, etc.  You probably wouldn't want to miss Faneuil Hall marketplace, and there is also the New England Aquarium close by.  The famous Durgin Park restaurant, adjacent to Faneuil Hall (aka: Quincy Market) serves old-fashioned New England fare. You will see the Boston "Duck Tours" all over town, and they seem quite popular. 

Bar Harbor (Saturday, 19 Sept, from 8 am to 4 pm, using tender): "I loved Bar Harbor, I can't wait to go back. When we were there, we biked and hiked.  Acadia National Park  has some great biking trails and we also did some hiking there as well. I remember having a lobster dinner overlooking the water and watching the kayakers. When we cruise, we usually find the hiking and biking excursions. It's a great way to see the area."

For independent tours in Bar Harbor, consider www.lululobsterboat.com ($27 for seniors).   This is a 2-hour trip on a lobster boat and you also see some seals. The captain recommends the earlier (10 am) tour as you see more.
Also in Bar Harbor - Oli's trolley- a one hour tour (three 15-minute stops) of the area:  "For the first time visitor to Great Desert Island, this tour is an excellent way to be introduced to Acadia National Park.  HAL charges $34 and you ride on a big bus. Oli’s trolley is $29 and there were only 26 of us on the trolley."

Halifax (Sunday, 20 Sept, from 8 am to 5 pm):   Halifax is a very walkable city so you really won't need a packaged tour unless you want to get away from the city.  The harbor boardwalk is a great way to stroll from the ship to many shops and especially to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.  If you have any interest in the Titanic, they have a wonderful exhibit at the museum that is well worth taking in.  As for the rest of the city, they have a free loop bus that you can just get on and get off when you want.  The bus is called "Fred" (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown) and there are banners at all the places the bus stops so you can find it and get back on.  The bus only has about a dozen seats however as many as 30 people may be riding at any time.

If you are a Titanic history buff, then you may wish to visit the Fairview Cemetery in Halifax. About 150 victims of the disaster are buried there (some still unidentified, and others only recently identified via DNA evidence). It's a very moving area of the cemetery.  Ask any cab driver at the pier to take you there. They all know where it is.

Sydney (Monday, 21 Sept, from 8 am to 5 pm):  The Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia is a wonder of Canada and  is rated one of the 10 most scenic drives in the world by Conde Naste magazine.  Natural beauty surrounds you with the crashing waves of the Atlantic ocean on one side and the majestic mountains on the other.  It travels through picturesque towns and villages and then gives way to the rugged wilderness.  At times the winding road seems to be perilously close to the cliff edge with jagged rocks and the ocean churning far below.  The smell of the salt air and feeling the spray of the ocean on your face is invigorating; the roar of the ocean is a sound like no other.  There are all kinds of wild life and if you're lucky you'll spot moose as you travel through the Highlands National Park or see whales splashing about in the ocean .  Gorgeous scenery, breathtaking twists and turns - Mother Nature outdid herself when it came to the Cabot Trail. "In Sydney, we are taking the Holland America's tour of the Cabot Trail - it is 8 hours and we decided not to hire a car and drive and possibly miss the boat!"  A Google map showing the route of the tour from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Black Brook, NS, can be viewed here.  A competitive tour (for only $85/person vice HAL's $139), picking up and dropping off at Baddeck, can be found here.

Charlottetown (Tuesday, 22 Sept from 8 am to 5 pm):   "In Charlottetown we will be walking around the city, which is the provincial capital. "  Other possibilities:  shopping, a lobster luncheon at Dalvay-by-the-Sea or a tour of the picturesque farm that inspired Anne of Green Gables. Sample shore excursions: Biking on the Confederation Trail; A Day in Dalvay-by-the-Sea; Island Drive & Anne of Green Gables.

Saguenay (Thursday 24 Sept from 8 am to 5 pm):   You may perchance see some Beluga whales in the Saguenay Fjord on the way to Saguenay.  The cruise up the St. Lawrence between the mouth of the St. Lawrence and Quebec City is one of the most beautiful in the world.  You should be able to see whales from the ship (if it is daylight).

Quebec City (arrive Friday 25 Sept at 8 am; stay overnight):  "I cannot say enough praise about this special city.  It is a little piece of Old Europe in North America.  Make sure to have dinner at our favorite bistro there Café St. Malo on Rue St. Paul. There are also countless interesting day trips from Quebec City. This year we drove to the Charlevoix region to Baie St Paul, a haven for artists and right on the Saint Lawrence River. "  You shouldn't have a problem with the language.  Don't miss wandering the cobble stone streets of Quebec as there is so much history! If you get a chance get out of the city to the Shrine of Ste. Anne de Beaupre..the site of a huge shrine to Ste. Anne and a place of pilgrimage for world travellers. Quite an amazing sight.
 
Despite a weak U.S. dollar, Quebec still offers good value for your money and is peaceful and beautiful.  Despite common misperceptions, language is not a problem and a very small vocabulary of even a few courtesies will go a long way in this beautiful province. Furthermore, food is of exceptional quality and in restaurants you can dine like royalty reasonably by ordering the Table d'hote or Tourist menu.

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