Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Help I’ve forgotten where you pick up at the cruise dock!?
A: As soon as allowed. You will exit your ship and go through a security check point which is inside the cruise ship pavilion. Proceed to the exit directly ahead that takes you out of the pavilion. Immediately, outside the Pavilion, you will see buses parked to your left and Taxis parked to your right. Cross the street between them and enter the parking area that is directly in front of you, there you will see your tour guide with a sign with your name on it. For clients not arriving by cruise ship, please alert us to your desired pick up location I.E. private residence or hotel accommodations and we will be there at the predetermined pick up time. (at the red dot on the map below)
Q: Do you have designated pick up locations in Halifax?
A: No but rather we come directly to you, let us know your residence, accommodator or a pick-up location of your choosing and we’ll come to you at a pre-arranged start time.
Q: Do you conduct the tour if there is inclimate weather?
A: We conduct our tours rain or shine and for majority of our services there is alternate activities we can plan around bad weather. For requests in the winter time please keep in mind that Nova Scotia and Maritime winters can be severe depending on
Q: What types of vehicles do you use?
A: We prefer a more practical mix of Luxury with either SUV’s Or Minivans. We prefer these vehicle types as typically they are lower to the ground but have a typically high seat height making for ease to get in and out of the vehicle. There is such a thing as being too close to your family or group. Load up the same and suitcases in a sedan and you'll discover why. A Minivan or SUV gives your family or group plenty of space and room to spread out and in our department for the sites you may not wish to exit the vehicle for this gives us plenty of window real estate for clear views so nothing is ever missed. Our vehicles are leather appointed and all have independent climate controls and lots of cubby’s and cup holders for all of your carry-on belongings, and no worries of accidentally catching one’s foot in the door jam, our vans are all equipped with automatic doors and hatches.
Q: What brands and models are these vehicles?
A: We utilize Dodge or Chrysler Town and Country, Grand Caravan, Caravan RT / GT models as for our vans as they are offer leather interiors, rear climate controls for you the client to manipulate as needed and are easy to enter and exit. For SUV’s We utilize GMC Yukon Denali or Limited and Chrysler Aspen products as they offer seven passenger arrangements and have similar appointments to our vans.
Q:Why do you not post pricing for Multi-Day Tours ?
A: We get this question often, below are three main reasons why we do not post prices on the website.
Reason 1: These are not public tours.
All tours are private, customized and pre-arranged.
Reason 2: We do have a standard starting itinerary but do not have a standard tour.
Our tours are not standard tours in length or itinerary. We do not offer “cookie cutter“ excursions. Every excursion we modify to suit the needs and requirements of each individual client.
Reason 3: Our Prices are based on five factors
- Time to complete the excursion
- Number of persons that will touring
- Entry fees to attractions or destination.
- Customization of the tour
- Special considerations
Since most of these factors are initially unknown, we post no pricing.
Q: What currency is your pricing in?
A: We quote in USD as 95% of our clientele are U.S. based and we do this as a default to satisfy our customer base and make booking easy.
Q: Do you offer Hop-on, Hop-off services.
A: At the present time no we do not, all of our tours are pre-arranged and booked with you. We often get requests to assist in groupings however the majority of these requests are much too late to coordinate or one portion of the group wishes to do activities the other does not, that being said for our cruise ship-based clientele we have had better luck in recommending individuals visit a third-party site called Cruise Critic for our Cruise Ship Clients. On their forum or message boards you can find a section called "Roll Call" where other parties are looking to do the same. Please visit the following link to do so; https://www.cruisecritic.com/rollcalls/.
Q: What if I do not wish to pay the full amount before the date of touring.
A: That’s not a problem, contact us rather than booking online (this is a default as some tours are highly customized and cannot be priced like our other services) and we’ll quote you accordingly and ask for a portion of the fee in the form of a deposit.
Q: Why do you take deposits?
A: At a minimum we request deposit as we are booking one of our knowledgeable driver/guides for you and your party the day of and will be happily waiting for you when your ship enters port or will meet you at your disclosed location. Unfortunately, in the past we have set time aside for the Driver/Guide and in turn have been meet with “No shows” whereas the Driver/Guide could have been booked elsewhere if those parties had alerted us sooner.
Q : What is the major Airport for Nova Scotia ?
A: Halifax Stanfield International Airport - Flights to major Canadian cities, Boston, New York as well as to the United Kingdom. For more information please visit the Halifax International Airport Authority website.
Q: What should I know about Customs when coming to Nova Scotia or the Maritimes ?
A: Visitors will have to go through Canadian Customs upon arriving at their first Port or Air port. Here are a few of the most important things to note. Guests must have a valid passport if they are visiting Canada from any country, including the United States.
Visitors coming from certain countries will require a visitor visa. It must be obtained at a visa office outside Canada. To know if someone requires a visa to enter Canada, contact the nearest Canadian Diplomatic Mission. For additional information, click here.
We hope visitors have a truly wonderful vacation in our country. As they enter, an immigration officer will need to be satisfied that:
- Visitors intend to return to their home country and will not try to stay in Canada;
- They are in good health (some visitors may be asked to undergo a medical examination at their own expense);
- They do not have a criminal record or are a security risk;
- They have sufficient funds to cover travel costs and support themselves in Canada.
If any of these criteria are not met, a person may be denied admission to Canada.
Q: What about touring and traveling with children ?
A: As some of us have little ones of our own we always welcome children on our trips and if we know ahead of time we can cater and shape the itinerary accordingly. For safe travel we can provide booster seats to children over 18 kg, children in Nova Scotia can move from a car seat to a booster seat. All children must remain in appropriate booster seat until they are at least 9 years old OR at least 4 feet 9 inches in height. For children requiring rear facing or "bucket" seats these should be brought with you and most airlines advise as such.
Further with questions on customs and immigration policies: If someone is traveling with a child that is not legally their own, they will need a letter of permission from the child's parent or legal guardian. If they are sharing custody of the child, it is best to have copies of legal documents regarding custody rights.
Q: Cannabis is now legal in Canada right ? , Is there anything I should know as a traveler/tourist ?
A: Recreational cannabis is legal in Canada. For information about Nova Scotia’s cannabis laws, please visit novascotia.ca/cannabis.
Cannabis laws are different in each province and territory in Canada. This includes legal age, where cannabis can be sold and consumed, and possession limits.
When travelling in Canada, it is your responsibility to understand and follow local laws. Check out provincial and territorial websites for more details.
Travellers are permitted to transport up to 30 grams of cannabis in their carry-on or checked baggage within Canada. It will continue to remain illegal to take cannabis across Canada’s national borders, whether you are entering or leaving Canada. This remains a serious criminal offence subject to arrest and prosecution.The Government of Canada has important information you will need to know before travelling.