I shared a most enjoyable conversation with a lady who called the office last week to inquire about joining our province wide ‘Newfoundland & Labrador Immersion’ tour. She was really excited about visiting Newfoundland and had heard so many wonderful things about McCarthy’s Party that she dearly wanted to spend as much time as possible with our company. Unfortunately, she suffers from a back condition and despite the comfort of our new coaches, the many frequent stops we make along the way, the opportunity to stretch out in any of the spare seats she could take entirely for herself (we only carry about 36 passengers on a 55 passenger coach), and the relatively short spans of driving – she is simply not capable of committing to a 12-day motor coach tour of our province.
Obviously we field a lot of different phone inquiries throughout the year and we try our very best to accommodate every request. This is a rather exotic destination after all – and we want our guests to be completely comfortable with their decision to travel with us, their comfort, and any special needs or requests that will help make their trip truly memorable.
In order to accommodate her, and any guests who find themselves in a similar situation – we suggested she fly into Newfoundland’s capitol city of St. John’s and enjoy the many local, 3 hour excursions we offer on a daily basis. She marvelled over the colourful titles we’ve chosen to describe each of these trips; “Lucky Rocks”, “Colony of Avalon” “City of Legends”, “Cabo Esperança – Cape Spear” and “Around the Bay”. We arranged a private guide to provide an in-depth analysis of the flower and fauna on a custom designed “Wildflower Weekend”. And provided information on all the many wonderful sites and attractions located very near her hotel in the city’s downtown core – including the Rooms, Geo Center, Newfoundland & Labrador Arts Council, Quidi Vidi Brewery and the Newfoundland Chocolate Company.
But what she really wanted to see was Gros Morne National Park; particularly the inland fjord at Western Brook Pond. For this I reminded her that we reserve a number of seats on our 12 day packages which we divide to create two separate tour packages – a 7-Day trip that includes all the West Coast of Newfoundland and the south east coast of Labrador – as well as an 8 -Day trip that introduces our guests to the island portion of the province.
She thought that this would be wonderful until I reminded her that we don’t visit Western Brook Pond on our tours and instead choose a voyage with the boys on Bonne Bay.
“What? But how is this possible? Everyone must see Western Brook Pond. Why don’t you include this?” She proclaimed in the cutest European accent.
“Well,” I said “We would love for everyone to visit the “Gorge” but our tour itinerary is designed for all levels of ability. Most of our guests are very fit but there is no way everyone can make the 45-minute hike just to get on the boat. Plus, we want to make the very most out of your time here in Newfoundland and this boat tour takes several hours out of your day. And if I had to pick from the two, I would take the Bonne Bay triphands down for as far as I’m concerned, their crew make this one of the best boat tours in the entire world.”
“Really? I trust you and your company but how is this possible? The fjord’s look so magnificent.” Again with the accent!
“They are, of course. And the views are truly awe inspiring – so long as the weather cooperates or you have the flexibility in your schedule to wait for the next fine day. On the other hand, the Bonne Bay Boat is a sure winner every time we travel. First of all, the views are equally spectacular with its unique window onto Gros Morne Mountain and the Tableland Mountains. The boat brings you within an arms length of some of the world’s most magnificent geological structures and the crew are especially knowledgeable in this field; providing expert interpretation of the stone structures. Additionally, this is a saltwater Bay that is renowned for its herring fishery and when the fish are running, many whales, porpoises and seals visit these waters to feed and frolic. The boat’s crew are all natives to Bonne Bay so they share wonderful stories about the community and its living history. They are also retired school teachers who not only exhibit a thirst for knowledge – they are also members of the comedy / musical troupe, ‘Anchors Aweigh’. They each play an instrument and all throughout the tour, they will regale you with their stories, bend you with their humour and stir each of your emotions with their repertoire of songs. It truly is an outrageous experience.”
“Yaa”, she said, “This makes perfect sense. I understand now why they say it is so important to travel with locals.”
“Indeed”, I replied. “You want to experience Morne – not less!”
