27 Day ; Land Tour & Transatlantic Cruise – Copenhagen to New York
AUG 20 – SEPT 15 2015: $ 8990 pp + Int Airfare Singles Add $ 2690
With Greg & Gaye of the Finesse Holidays
For further information: http://www.finessebridge.com.au
E: [email protected] Ph: 02 9596 1423 or 0415 816 919
Overview:
The holiday commences in Paris for 4 nights.
Whether you have been to Paris before or not, you
will always find surprises in our favourite city. We
will then fly to the major European cultural centre
of St Petersburg for 4 nights, then flying to
Copenhagen for 2 nights after which our
Transatlantic cruise commences. Our 16 night cruise
on the 4½ * Serenade of the Seas finishes in NY.
If this holiday was not enough for you, you can join
the GG’s for a 22 day USA Highlights tour
including 4 nights in New York, 5 nights New
Orleans, followed by a 7 night Caribbean cruise and
5 nights in Las Vegas.
Included in this Holiday:
All taxes & gratuities on the cruise & hotels
4 nights in Paris (Lunches not dinners supplied)
4 nights in St Petersburg
2 nights in Copenhagen
16 night Transatlantic cruise
Paris–St Peters & St Peters–Copenhagen flights
All Breakfasts 22 Dinners & 4 Lunches
All transfers & numerous tours
All bridge fees & Workshops
Fully escorted tour – with Guides
3: HOTEL ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS for EMERGENCIES:
Greg’s Contact Phone Number +61 0415 816 919 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
PARIS – ROYAL HOTEL SAINT HONORE Aug 20 - 24
221 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris, France
+33 1 42 60 32 79
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ST PETERSBURG – STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM OFFICIAL HOTEL Aug 24- 28
10 Pravda St, St Petersburg, 191119, Russian Federation
Phone: + 78 127779810
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COPENHAGEN - STAY APARTMENT COPENHAGEN Aug 28 – 30
Islands Brygge 79A, 2300 København S, Denmark
+45 72 44 44 34
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAHAMAS CRUISE - ROYAL CARRIBEAN – SERENADE of the SEAS Aug 30 – Sept 15
+ 1 800 754 500
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NEW YORK OPTION PARK LANE HOTEL Sept 15 - 18
36 Central Park South,
New York, NY 10019
+1 212.750.7279
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Complete Inclusions: PARIS to NEW YORK
All tipping & gratuities including the cruise 26 nights accommodation
All lunches in Paris, all dinners elsewhere, all breakfasts English speaking tour guides
5 land tours on the cruise with guides Bateau Mouche luncheon cruise
3 day Parisian Museum & City Passport Workshops & Lesson Material
Paris-St Peters & St Peters-Copenhagen flights All transfers except Flights
Entry & Guide to Czar Peter the Great’s Palace Private Neva River & Canal Cruise
Entry & Guide to the Hermitage Museum in St Peters All bridge fees
Fully escorted tour Abu Dhabi & New York Stopovers See Back Pages.
Not Included: Sydney to Paris & New York to Sydney flights
TRANSATLANTIC TOUR 2015: FINESSE HOLIDAYS
Holiday includes all breakfasts, all lunches in Paris, Dinners elsewhere, & all meals on the cruise.
ABU DHABI - Option
Aug 18 07:00 Arrive Abu Dhabi. Both Sydney and Melbournites have same transfer.
14:30 Bridge Pairs in Apt.
18:45 Meet in foyer for dinner cruise on The Yasmin.
Aug 19 09:30 ½ day traditional Dubai tour.
14:30 Walk-in-Pairs
19:15 Dinner – Meet in foyer for dinner at local restaurant.
Aug 20 05:45 Transfer to Airport
PARIS
Aug 20 14:30 Arrive Paris for your transfer to the hotel.
18:00 Welcome Drinks
19:30 Paris by night with dinner.
Aug 21 09:30 Jardin des Tuileries
12:30 Bateaux Mouche Cruise.
19:30 Bridge at our Hotel with the locals.
Aug 22 09:30 Museum Tours including Louvre, Rodan Museum etc including lunch.
Aug 23 09:00 Museum Tours Notre Damn & D’Orsay etc including lunch.
15:30 Bridge at the local Bridge Club
Aug 24 Flight to St Peterburg
ST PETERSBURG
Aug 24 16:00 Arrive St Petersburg. Transfer to hotel.
19:15 Dinner nearby restaurant.
Aug 25 10:00 Summer Palace - Hermitage Museum
19:15 Dinner at the hotel.
Aug 26 10:00 Zsar Peter the Great’s Palace & Gardens.
18:45 Dinner. Followed by bridge
Aug 27 09:00 Neva River & its Canals.
15:00 Optional tour of Catherine the Great’s Palace. (Cost involved)
YourTime Dinner at hotel.
Aug 28 Transfer to Airport. Flight to Copenhagen.
COPENHAGEN
Aug 28 15:00 Arrive Copenhagen & Transfer to our hotel.
18:30 Welcome to Copenhagen. Drinks in hosts Apt.
19:00 Dining in Greg & Gayes Apt. Gaye will do dinner here.
Aug 29 09:30 Day Tour.
19:00 Dinner.
20:15 Bridge – Atlantic Pairs 3
Aug 30 11:15 Private city tour before transfer to Pier for 16 night TransAtlantic Cruise.
CRUISE:
Check with Gaye for Tour Meeting Point. 5 Ship tours are included, 4 of which are private.
Aug 30 15:00 Arrive on board our ship.
Aug 31 10:15 Meeting point for Oslo Tour 15:30 Atlantic Pairs 4
Sept 01 10:15 Meeting point for Kristiansand Tour 15:30 Atlantic Pairs 5
Sept 02 09:45 Tutorial 1 ; Atlantic Pairs 6 15:00 Atlantic Pairs 7
Sept 03 09:00 Klaksvik. No tour organized Free Day. 16:00 Walk In Pairs
Sept 04 09:00 Tutorial 1 ; Atlantic Pairs 8
Sept 05 09:30 Reykjavik (Private Golden Circle Tour).
Sept 06 09:30 Free Morning in Reykjavik. 13:30 Tutorial 2 ; Atlantic Pairs 9
Sept 07 09:00 Akureyri (Private Tour.
Sept 08 09:45 Tutorial 3 ; Atlantic Pairs 10 15:00 Atlantic Pairs 11
Sept 09 09:45 Tutorial 4 ; Atlantic Teams 1 15:00 Atlantic Pairs 12
Sept 10 09:45 Atlantic Pairs 13
Sept 11 09:45 Tutorial 5 ; Atlantic Teams 2 15:00 Atlantic Pairs 14
Sept 12 09:45 Tutorial 6 ; Atlantic Pairs 15 15:00 Walk In Pairs
Sept 13 09:30 Halifax Tour including the Titanic Museum, Seaforth Farmers Markets &
Halifax Public Gardens.
Sept 14 09:00 Tutorial 7 ; Atlantic Teams 3 15:00 Atlantic Pairs 16
Sept 15 ~09:00 Transfer from ship to Manhatten Hotel – Park Lane
NEW YORK OPTION:
Sept 15 16:00 Guided walking tour of Central Park
Sept 16 09:00 Guided walking tour of the city 15:30 Bridge with friends
Sept 17 09:00 Guided walking tour of the city
PARIS – ROYAL HOTEL SAINT HONORE AUG 20 - 24.
This hotel is very close to the Louvre and 150 meters from the metro and nearby the Bateau Mouche
Champs-Elysees Arc de Triomphe Eifel Tower
The Champs-Elysees is known as the world most beautiful avenue. It may well be, especially
at night, as you can see with the picture, The Champs Elysees stretch from Place de la
Concorde to Arc de Triomphe. It is 1910m long and 70m wide.
The Arc de Triomphe Paris, the most monumental of all triumphal arches, was built between
1806 and 1836. Even though there were many modifications from the original plans, reflecting
political changes and power struggles, the Arch still retains the essence of the original concept
which was a powerful, unified ensemble.
The Arc de Triomphe stands at the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as the "Place
de l'Étoile". It’s located at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. The arches whole decorative
style is entirely of the tradition of sculpture from the first half of the nineteenth century.
The triumphal arch is in honor of those who fought for France, in particular, those who fought
during the Napoleonic Wars. Engraved on the inside and at the top of the arch are all of the names
of the generals and wars fought.
Eiffel Tower: On May 15, 1889, the Eiffel Tower opened its door to the public, a few days
after the inauguration of the Universal Exposition, and was the uncontested attraction of the
event. 120 years later, the Mayor of Paris and the operating company, Société d’Exploitation de
la Tour Eiffel, organized a series of events to celebrate the Tower’s anniversary in 2009:
Included in this segment of our tour:
2) You will receive a 3 day Paris City & Museum Passport to use from Aug 21-23: This pass
gives you access to more than 60 museums in Paris and the Paris region including: the
Louvre Museum, the Versailles Estate, the Panthéon, the Towers of Notre-Dame, the Arc
de Triomphe, the Tomb of Napoléon I and many more. It also gives you free travel on the
Metro, Bus, Tram & RER systems. Your hosts will choose a couple to do each day where
you can tour with them or you can simply do your own.
The following is a guide to what we will do in Paris.
Day 1 : Aug 21
Get around Paris in total freedom by bus or metro thanks to your 3-day Paris Visite travel pass
and make the most of your 2-day Paris Museum Pass to visit top attractions in the French capital
(Louvre Museum, Towers of Notre Dame, Conciergerie, St Chapelle, etc.). The Bateau Mouche
Luncheon cruise is included on this day.
Day 2 : Aug 22
On your second day, you can visit more museums and monuments such as the Orsay Museum,
the Orangerie Museum and even the George Pompidou Centre using your 2-day Paris Museum
Pass.
Take a cruise on the Seine and discover all the magic of the Seine riverbanks lined with the most
prestigious monuments.
Day 3 : Aug 23
Finally, make the most of this last day with a sightseeing excursion on a Cars Rouges open-top
double - decker bus.
3) Game of bridge at the local Paris Bridge Club AUG 24 Flight to St Petersburg
Rossiya Airlines
Flight
Paris (CDG)
St Petersburg (LED)
12:40 am – 24 Aug, Thu
16:55 am – 24 Aug, Thu
Flight Duration : 3hr 15min Non-Stop Total Trip Time: 3hr 15m
1) Lunch on the Bateau Mouche including your
wine. View the city from the River Seine. Aug 21.
ST PETERSBURG – THE STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM 5* AUG 24 - 28.
Included in this segment of the tour:
1) Hermitage Museum (Housed in the Winter Palace). Aug 25
The State Hermitage is a museum of art
and culture in Saint Petersburg. One of
the largest and oldest museums in the
world, it was founded in 1764 by
Catherine the Great and has been open to
the public since 1852
This exclusive 5-star hotel is set in the 1830s mansion in the
centre of Saint Petersburg and represents the atmosphere of
the original Hermitage Museum. Spa and wellness centre and
free Wi-Fi is featured here.
The luxurious rooms and suites of The State Hermitage
Museum Official Hotel Saint Petersburg offer elegant
furnishings, designed by Italian woodwork masters from
Florence. Every room includes a flat-screen TV, a minibar
and a private bathroom decorated with Italian and Greek
marble and fitted with bathrobes.
Michelangelo Boutique Restaurant offers traditional Italian
dishes and exquisite desserts. The quiet Lobby Bar welcomes
guests to the tradition of Russian pastime of tea drinking. The
elegant Catherine the Great Restaurant serves Russian cuisine
based on the menu of the historic Winter Palace.
2) Czar Peter the Great’s Palace & Gardens. Aug 26
3: Private tour of the Neva River & its canals:
AUG 28 Flight to Copenhagen
Estonian Air
Flight
St Peters (LED)
Copenhagen (CPH)
16:40 am – 28 Aug, Thu
18:50 am – 28 Aug, Thu
Flight Duration : 2 hr 5 min Non-Stop Total Trip Time: 2 hr 05m
The Grand Palace at Peterhof was designed to be
the centerpiece of Peter the Great's "Russian
Versaille". Around 1720, the Tsar gave up on
attempts to establish his court at Strelna, mainly
because the boggy ground proved entirely
unsuitable for the canals and fountains that he
envisioned. Moving his attentions further east to
Peterhof, the Tsar began to draw up his own
plans for the grounds and palace. Work had
already begun on a modest palace, designed by
Jean-Baptiste Le Blond, in 1714, and that
building was completed in 1721.
Meanwhile, fired by Peter's untiring enthusiasm,
a massive amount of work had been completed
around the palace, including the landscaping of
the Lower Park, the digging of the Sea Canal,
and the building of Monplaisir, Marly Palace,
and most of the Hermitage. The original Higher
Palace was somewhat inadequate for its
surrounding splendours, and Peter instructed Le
Blond and his pupil, Johann Braunstein, to
expand the building.
Your guide will join you on this
scenic tour of St. Petersburg’s many
canals. You will see many of the
major sites of St. Petersburg from a
completely different perspective while
enjoying commentary from our guide.
This is not a public tour with the
usual pre-recorded commentary. Your
personal guide takes you back to the
days when Peter the Great began work
on this marvelous city!
COPENHAGEN – STAY APARTMENT COPENHAGEN AUG 28 - 30.
1) Tour: Castle Tours – Hamlet Castle: Aug 29
1) Private City Tour: Aug 30 09:30 – 11:30
There are hop on & hop off buses and boats and even though its summer you could be
waiting in the cold for some time so we are going to organize a Private City Tour departing
at 09:30 from our hotel and arriving at our ship at 12:30.
STAY Copenhagen places us with a 10-minute drive from Kastrup Airport. It’s a 15-minute walk
to Islands Brygge Metro Station and to Havneparken, one of Copenhagen’s most popular
harbourfront spots, which includes an arts center, a swimming pool, and restaurants. There are 3
restaurants, a bakery, and an organic supermarket on site. Guests can work out in the fitness
center, then head to the rooftop to take in the city skyline, harbor, and lush fields. Conference and
meeting rooms are also available. The award-winning apartments, smartly decorated using HAY
furniture, come with cable TV and an equipped kitchen, plus separate lounge and sleeping spaces.
Guests can connect with free WiFi while taking in the city views from the balcony.
Guests also have a laundry in their 70 m2 Apt, a good spot to clean cloths before the cruise.
We will head north through magnificent Danish
countryside and coastline towards Elsinore and
Kronborg Castle. Chosen as the setting for
Shakespeare's Hamlet, a UNESCO world heritage list.
After lunch (own expense), our tour continues
towards Fredensborg, where the Queen's summer
residence of Fredensborg Palace is attractively located
in the middle of a lovely park, bordering the idyllic
Esrum Lake.
COPENHAGEN to NEW YORK CRUISE AUG 30 – SEPT 15
SERENADE OF THE SEAS 4½ *
Day Ports of Call Arrival Departure
Sunday Aug 30 Copenhagen, Denmark - 16:30
Monday Aug 31 Oslo, Norway 10:00 19:00
Tuesday Sept 01 Kristiansand, Norway 10:00 18:00
Wednesday Sept 02 At Sea
Thursday Sept 03 Klaskvik, Faroe Islands 08:00 17:00
Friday Sept 04 At Sea
Saturday Sept 05 Reykjavik, Iceland 08:00
Sunday Sept 06 Reykjavik, Iceland 13:00
Monday Sept 07 Akureyri, Iceland 10:00 20:00
Tuesday Sept 08 At Sea
Wednesday Sept 09 At Sea
Thursday Sept 10 At Sea
Friday Sept 11 At Sea
Saturday Sept 12 At Sea
Sunday Sept 13 Halifax, Nova Scotia 08:00 17:00
Monday Sept 14 At Sea
Tuesday Sept 15 Cape Liberty, New Jersey 06:00
Those marked in BLUE are the tours supplied by your hosts on the cruise:
Copenhagen: Aug 30
Language: Danish Currency: Danish Krone (DKK)
Oslo: Aug 31
Language: Norwegian Currency: Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Kristiansand: Sept 01
Language: Norwegian Currency: Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Klaksvik: Sept 04
Language: Icelandic Currency: Iceland Krona (ISK)
We will visit Akershus Fortress and a city stroll –
Guided Tour - and then take a ferry from Pier 3
by the city hall to visit the Culteral Museum (
Historical Viking Ship ). You will have spare
time to do some more strolling. The ship is only
a short step from the city itself.
We will leave from the port to start our shore excursion in
Kristiansand. The excursion will develop in the old town,
with its characteristic narrow and angular streets called
"Quadraturen." We will continue the shore excursion by bus
for a panoramic tour admiring the scenery, the small town
of Vennesla, Lake Venneslafjord, Grovane Station, Otra
river to endin Røyknes before going back to the port. The
tour will also include a visit to Ravnedalen Naturpark.
Copenhagen is a lively city in Denmark with storybook
charm. Tourists will want to view the Little Mermaid
statue, inspired by the fairy tale; visit Tivoli Gardens,
the world-famous amusement park; and witness the
changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace, the
residence of the members of Europe's oldest royal
dynasty. The best excursions feature these major
attractions, as well as the Kronborg Castle in nearby
Elsinore, the setting of Shakespeare's "Hamlet."
The first settlement at Klaksvík dates back to Viking times,
but it was not before the 20th century that the district
merged to form a large, modern Faroese town that became
the cultural and commercial centre for the Northern Isles
and the Faroe Islands as a whole. Klaksvik is located
between two inlets lying back to back.
There is no Land tour included here but there are a few
to choose from whilst on the ship.
Reykjavik: Sept 06-07
Language: Icelandic Currency: Iceland Krona (ISK)
Akureyri: Sept 08
Language: Icelandic Currency: Iceland Krona (ISK)
Halifax: Sept 13
Language: English Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD)
New York: Sept 15
Language: English Currency: US dollar (US$)
With an excellent natural harbor in the Eyja fjords,
Akureyri is the capital and chief port of northern
Iceland and the center of its successful farming
cooperatives. Our private tour of Lake Myvatn will
include highlights of Waterfall Goðafoss,
Skútustaðagígar, Dimmuborgir, Hverir, Mt.
Námafjall
Reykjavik is the gateway to a jagged land of fire and
ice. Our private tour will include highlights such as
Þingvellir National Park, Geysir hot spring area and
Gullfoss Waterfall
Our Private tour will include Displays at the
Maritime Museum include models of vessels and a
Titanic exhibit. Our tour will also include Halfax
public Gardens and Seaforth Farmers Markets.
Brooklyn lies south of Manhattan in New York, just
across the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge, and prides
itself on offering something for everyone. Visit Coney
Island, home to one of the world’s best wooden roller
coasters. Have a picnic or enjoy a concert in Prospect
Park, Brooklyn’s most popular public park. Explore
thousands of plants and flowers at Brooklyn Botanic
Garden or meet over 8,000 marine animals at the New
York Aquarium.
UPGRADES:
The upgraded amount is for the entire stay for that leg of the holiday. Our Paris
hotel has been altered to Royal Hotel Saint Honore
PARIS - ROYAL HOTEL ST HONORE
Size Double Single
Double Room 17 m2 - 0
Superior Room 20 m2 0 250
Deluxe Room 25 m2 160 550
ST PETERSBURG - THE STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM OFFICIAL HOTEL
Size Double Single
Double Room 25 m2 - 0
Deluxe Room 31 m2 0 140
Suite 44 m2 160 460
COPENHAGEN - STAY APARTMENT COPENHAGEN
Size Double Single
Studio Apartment 70 m2 0 0
Loft Apartment 90 m2 0 0
TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE - ROYAL CARRIBEAN - SERENADE OF THE SEAS
Size Double (approx ) Single ( approx )
Inside Cabin 15 m2 0 0
Large Oceanview 17 m2 300 525
Deluxe Balcony 22 m2 + Bal 725 1350
Superior Balcony 25 m2 + Bal 850 1550
BRIDGE WORKSHOPS & TUTORIALS:
Topics to be covered: Gaye will give Improver Lessons. Greg will give the more
Advanced ones.
Please contact us for any material you wish to discuss.
Some of the topics that will be covered include Bergen Raises, Jacoby, View to your
opening lead, Declarer play, The Real Losing Trick Count.
ABU DHABI STOPOVER: Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa Aug 18-20
Majestically set on the waterfront, Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara is a natural haven
on the cusp of urban life. Forming part of an integrated hotel, marina, retail and residential
destination, its unique location offers guests an exceptional Abu Dhabi experience. The exotic
beauty of the region’s precious mangroves provides the perfect backdrop for the rich cultural
traditions embodied in the hotel’s impressive architecture. Discover luxury accommodation
definitive of urban Emirati life, yet filled with natural charm at Eastern Mangroves by Anantara.
Day 1 Aug 18 07:00 Arrive Abu Dhabi Airport and transfer to hotel in coach.
14:00 Bridge Session 1.
18:00 Wind down drinks.
19:00 Meet in Foyer for Dinner cruise on the Yasma
Day 2 Aug 19 09:15 City tour – 3½ hours.
14:15 Bridge Tutorial.
14:45 Bridge Session 2.
19:15 Dinner at nearby Restaurant
Day 3 Aug 20 06:15 Transfer to Airport.
2 Days Stopover: $ 500 pp with $ 165 SS What’s Included: 2 nights accommodation. 54m2 All breakfasts and dinners. All transfers with the group. A 2 session Bridge Pairs event. 1 Bridge tutorial.
NEW YORK – PARK LANE HOTEL - September 15 - 18
Note: All flights from Sydney arrive in New York late in the day and it would be a terrible
waste of accommodation. Those people doing the Transatlantic tour will arrive at our hotel at
11:30.
Tours Included:
Sept 15 Late Afternoon Walking tour through Central Park which is adjacent to our
hotel.
Sept 16 & 17 You will have the option to do a 3 hour walking tour of the city. Any museums
etc that you would like to see should be done in the afternoon or you can simply
drop off the walking tour.
Shows Our guide will take you to the correct stall in Times Square to get any
discount shows.
Optional: If you don’t want to do a Broadway show you could do a “Evening Lights & Skyline
Tour”. They offer a three hour private Evening Lights & Skyline Tour. We travel by mini-van not only
to see the beautifully lit sights around the city, but to Brooklyn and New Jersey to see the stunningly lit
bridges and Manhattan skyline from across the water. The night time view from Hamilton Park in
Weehawken, New Jersey is considered the most beautiful of all nighttime views of New York. The
area is not accessible by tour buses or public transportation. A three hour Evening Lights & Skyline
Tour costs $285 for 6 guests ($ 48 pp approx). It is a great and memorable way to spend an evening in
New York!
A Central Park Hotel, is a luxury hotel with panoramic views of legendary Central Park and
the iconic New York City skyline. Spacious, elegant Guest Rooms and Guest Suites offer
picture windows and superb views along with exquisite bath products, fine linens and other
amenities. Guests at this Central Park Hotel enjoy classical ambience and service coupled
with new-world comfort and convenience for an unparalleled experience in the world's most
extraordinary city. The décor at Park Lane Hotel reflects grand European style, from the
majestic ballroom to the intimate lobby.