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: director@finessebridge.com.au 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.