Staff Stories: The Canadian adventure of a lifetime

^{Written by Sally Staunton, Senior Concierge Cruise Consultant} 

Upon arrival in Toronto, we checked into the hotel and met with our tour director, Daniel. Here, we had the chance to ask any questions about our upcoming tour or the city itself. With the afternoon and evening to be spent at our leisure, we had time to venture out and explore the bustling city. 

Our day began with a city sightseeing tour, during which we passed famous landmarks such as City Hall, Union Station, and the CN Tower. We then continued to Niagara Falls for an included sightseeing cruise to view the magnificent falls up close. After donning our waterproof ponchos, we boarded the boat, and after a short journey, we had reached the thundering falls. Thankfully, we were blessed with a beautiful, sunny day, which was a bonus as we got absolutely soaked by the falls. Despite this, visiting Niagara Falls was a truly incredible experience and one that I’ll never forget. We opted for the optional excursion, which took us to the top of the Skylon Tower for a delicious buffet lunch with stunning views over the falls. Later that afternoon, we returned to the hotel and had the evening free to enjoy dinner at our leisure. 

On day three, we travelled from Toronto to Ottawa. As we journeyed towards the small and pretty city of Kingston, which is nestled on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, we made a quick pit stop for some lunch. We stopped at Rockport, where we boarded a boat for a cruise through the stunning Thousand Islands National Park. Many of the islands have summer houses, which range from tiny wooden structures to opulent mansions. Later that afternoon, we arrived in Ottawa, where we were free to enjoy our own time in the evening. We decided to venture out for dinner at a local restaurant and had a brilliant evening! 

This morning, we enjoyed a sightseeing tour of Ottawa, the vibrant capital city. On our tour, we saw the Parliament buildings and the Royal Canadian Mint, and admired the breathtaking views of the city across the Ottawa River. We were given the afternoon and evening to spend at our leisure. We decided to spend our time doing a little more exploring. We visited the stunning Notre Dame Cathedral and the ‘Maman’ spider sculpture before wandering through the shops in the bustling Byward Market. 

Today, we travelled to the French-Canadian province of Quebec. The journey was spent marvelling at the gorgeous fall colours and brushing up on our French! After checking into our hotel, we joined the optional excursion to the Erabilere Le Chemin du Roy ‘Sugar Shack’. Set in the beautiful maple tree woodland, we learnt about the fascinating traditional method of maple syrup extraction, which was very interesting! After, we enjoyed a wonderful ‘all-you-can-eat’ home-cooked dinner, accompanied by fantastic live music and dancing. To finish, we stopped by the small shop in the rustic ‘shack’, which offered a great opportunity to buy locally produced maple syrup and Canadian gifts. This was a truly brilliant evening, and I would highly recommend this excursion! It was such a fun and unique experience. 

This morning, we visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the walled city of Quebec. Here, we strolled through the picturesque, narrow streets and soaked up the lively atmosphere as we were given insight into the city's history. We then set out on a scenic drive above the city, where we could take in views of the river and the mountains. Later this afternoon, we joined an optional short tour of the Château Frontenac, a Fairmont Hotel that towers over the city. The hotel is stunning and boasts the reputation of being one of the most photographed hotels in the world! Here, we learnt about the events and famous people that have been a part of this hotel’s fascinating history. Next, we had some free time to enjoy lunch—we opted for a local dish, poutine, which is chips covered in gravy and cheese. It’s definitely one to try! After a bite to eat, we set out for some shopping and wandered through the pretty streets of the old walled city. In the evening, we chose to join an optional excursion that featured a short stop at the Montmorency Falls, which is remarkably over 100 feet taller than Niagara, then on to Orleans Island for a local-cuisine dinner at a former mill. It was another truly lovely evening. 

Today, we departed Quebec and headed to Montreal. Upon arrival, we had a short city tour, which allowed us to take in the main sights of this modern city. The rest of the day and evening, we had some free time to browse through the shops and explore on foot.

Even though it was our last day (sadly), we still managed to squeeze in a walk from our hotel to the top of Mount Royal. As we made our way to the top, we took the time to admire the beautiful fall colours—it felt like we had stepped directly into a postcard. When we reached the top of Mount Royal, we were treated to the most magnificent views of the city. It was certainly worth the walk and 200+ stair climb!

Our guide, Daniel, was superb. He was exceptionally knowledgeable, fun and full of interesting stories. We loved learning about the history of each destination we visited, and he definitely kept us informed and entertained during our travels. The coach was very comfortable, with Wi-Fi, USB ports, and a toilet, plus our driver, Steve, was excellent!

The benefit of a tour with Cosmos is that they give the best of both worlds with a combination of guided touring and free time to explore at your own pace. This was my first visit to Canada, and I already cannot wait to go back!