Expired Group Deals

BEWARE - Toronto Harbour Cruises (aka Toronto Cruise Lines) Review

  • Last Updated:
  • Jun 18th, 2015 9:44 pm
Newbie
May 13, 2012
1 posts
MISSISSAUGA
Stella Borealis :: I am really sad that I took this cruise... The ship is old and everything around is cheap and "ancient". If you decide to go, please don't go... It spoiled my Sunday and my experience is unpleasant.
Newbie
Jun 13, 2012
2 posts
SCARBOROUGH
myapple wrote: Complaint about the Aurora Borealis. I did a search and could not find a previous review/discussion on this company (Toronto Harbour Cruises), so I'll start one here.

Basically, my friends and I signed up for a harbour cruise deal that was advertised on RFD a few weeks ago as the deal of the day. "$35 for a supposed $80 value". We went on the cruise this past weekend and here are my observations:

Food

They advertise it as a buffet, but it was not a buffet. They will serve you portion-controlled food on a flimsy paper plate. The dinner consisted of a piece of bbq chicken in tomato sauce, penne in tomato sauce, and caesar salad. No extra helpings. Also, they did not offer any beverages with the meal, not even water. We had to go to the bar and pay $3 for TINY cup of coke (it was around 100ml). To give you an idea of how small it is, this was similar to the cups supermarkets use when they let people sample new drinks in the aisles. The desserts were very small pieces of cake...the cheap kind you can get for around $5-10 at loblaws and they just cut it up into a hundred little pieces.

The Boat
We were on a boat named the Aurora Borealis. It was a rusty piece of junk. In order to get to the bathroom, you had to walk past the engine room where concentrated toxic diesel fumes would come at you. When you finally got to the bathroom, there were fruit flies everywhere. You can tell they tried to paint over all the rust. The interior carpet was filthy. The tables were cheap plastic ones and the chairs were old and very uncomfortable. We passed by several other boats during our 3 hour tour they all seemed much nicer. I was embarrassed to be on our boat. Everything about the Aurora Borealis screamed "ghetto".

The Price
I feel sorry for the people that actually paid the full price of $80+HST/tip, but even at the $35 + $10 rate we paid, it was not good value. In the RFD deal of the day advertisement, it did not say anything about extra for HST and gratuities. So you pay $35 for the group deal, and then when you try to book, they extort you for another $10. This was misleading as it implied the total price was only $35, not $45. Also, parking is not included and they completely overbook so the small boat feels even smaller with way too many people onboard.

On a positive note, we had good weather and got to see the skyline. Some of the staff were nice, some were not. Overall, I would NOT recommend this cruise to anybody. Stay far away.


RFD DEAL URL:

http://dealoftheday.redflagdeals.com/de ... ses-august

Company URL:
http://www.torontoharbourcruises.com/

*******************
NOV 1/2011 UPDATE:
"Toronto Harbour Cruises" is currently operating under the name "Toronto Christmas Cruises"

Instead of www.torontoharbourcruises.com their new site is www.torontochristmascruises.com
Instead of the "Aurora Borealis", the boat is now called the "Stella Borealis"
Instead of $35 for $80 value, it is now $39 for $85 value
Phone numbers are the same: 416-260-5555

Basically, it's the same bad deal with the same crappy boat.

Do yourself a favor and avoid this travelzoo deal (+ similar ones offered on other deal sites):
http://www.travelzoo.com/ca/local-deals ... Other/7502

*******************
FEB 24/2012 UPDATE:
These shady operators have got another name now. http://www.torontochristmasparty.ca

Instead of $39 for $85 value, it's now $39 for $90 value. Wow.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________
A lot of these posts are from 7 years ago...Has anyone tried a cruise this year? I received a few tickets and want to know if The boat has been renovated recently? ANyway Im going to a lunch cruise on the Aurora this sat and will post my opinion.
Newbie
Jun 13, 2012
2 posts
SCARBOROUGH
CherryZ27 wrote: Stella Borealis :: I am really sad that I took this cruise... The ship is old and everything around is cheap and "ancient". If you decide to go, please don't go... It spoiled my Sunday and my experience is unpleasant.
You wrote you were on the Stella Borealis, But the voucher says its on the Aurora Borealis ?!? Same boat or are their two boats? And did you see the Aurora Borealis while you were there?
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jan 11, 2008
7816 posts
1290 upvotes
GTA
416torontogirl wrote: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
A lot of these posts are from 7 years ago...Has anyone tried a cruise this year? I received a few tickets and want to know if The boat has been renovated recently? ANyway Im going to a lunch cruise on the Aurora this sat and will post my opinion.
Where are you seeing posts from 7 years ago? This thread was started less than a year ago in August 2011.
Newbie
Feb 14, 2012
6 posts
WATERLOO
I was on the Stella Borealis earlier this month. I bought the coupon deal from teambuy, $35 ticket, with a surprise gratuity and tax payment on top of that, just as the OP mentioned. My experience was the same as the OP's, and this is a year afterwards. The boat is still crappy. They had many big group tables and forced people to sit in groups of 6 or more, on a small picnic table. Not private, not romantic. There were insufficient seats, a couple couldn't find a seat and asked the coordinator if there was a seat for them. She told them to find a chair on their own, no help whatsoever.

The food tastes like canteen food, no flavour, small portions -not that I would have eaten more of it. Everything was pre-made, poor quality. Not even worth $10 for the meal (romanian lettuce with salad dressing [no bacon bits or croutons], dry chicken breast with sauce poured over, with overcooked mushy tomato penne). If you're going to pay $45 in total for this meal, just spend that money at a proper restaurant and you will be infinitely more satisfied.

I wish I read this thread first before going. Like other posters, I was literally counting down the minutes untill we head back to shore. I got so bored I made video logs on my phone of my extended boredom and disappointment.

If you bought a ticket already, or several tickets, don't waste your day going there. You will only be met with endless disappointments. Forget about the lost money, save your weekend and do something worthwhile.
Deal Addict
Sep 20, 2006
1507 posts
56 upvotes
according to the dealsite tastygo.

• Regularly inspected and industry approved vessel in tip top condition

Ummmm not from what i've been hearing above!
Sr. Member
Nov 22, 2010
759 posts
168 upvotes
Toronto
glassy wrote: i bought tickets to a "toronto harbour tours" in april sometime on groupon for 10$. are they the same as the toronto harbour cruises? this seems to be their website. http://www.harbourtourstoronto.ca/tours.html
they aren't the same. the $10 tour lasts about 1 hr and doesn't have food included.
Newbie
Jul 23, 2012
1 posts
TORONTO
Buyer beware of the Aurora Borealis cruises!

Booked a lunch cruise with Aurora Borealis for July 21 and found out they don't accept kids onboard (only 19 and older). They said it was because they serve alcohol (have a cash bar) but that can not be true as all of the Mariposa Cruises vessels serve alcohol as well and accept children onboard (even infants).

This disclaimer is also not posted on their website at torontocruiselines.com and is not included in their PDF booking confirmation.


I will tell all my friends with children and all my colleagues at work.


They also refused to give us a refund.



Of course we could not go onboard (my 4 year old was crushed when he found out he can't
Sr. Member
User avatar
Sep 10, 2007
529 posts
162 upvotes
Toronto
Oh no! These CHUMPS are at it again??? :facepalm:
pmb

"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."
~ Henry J. Kaiser
Deal Addict
Aug 16, 2005
1876 posts
130 upvotes
Found a few more websites run by the same people advertising the Stella/Aurora Borealis. I guess when 1 company/website starts to get a bad reputation, they'll just create another...and another...

Toronto Tours
http://www.torontotours.biz
http://www.harbourfrontcruises.com

Frosh Week Cruises
http://www.froshweekcruises.com

Late Night Cruises
http://www.latenitecruises.com

416 Cruises
http://www.416cruises.com

Toronto Cruises, Toronto Boat Cruises, Toronto Dinner Cruises
http://www.canamac.com
http://www.torontodinnercruises.com
Deal Addict
Aug 16, 2005
1876 posts
130 upvotes
:lol:

Name: torontoharbourcruises.com
IP Address: 206.214.222.60

Name: torontocruiselines.com
IP Address: 206.214.222.60

Name: torontochristmasparty.ca
IP Address: 206.214.222.60

Name: torontotours.biz
IP Address: 206.214.222.60

Name: froshweekcruises.com
IP Address: 206.214.222.60

Name: latenitecruises.com
IP Address: 206.214.222.60
Newbie
Aug 12, 2013
1 posts
Company: torontocruiselines.com aka torontoharbourcruises.com
Ship: Aurora Borealis
Date: Friday, August 9, 2013
Purchased through: GroupOn

I had used GroupOn to purchase tickets for my parents to use with this company for their anniversary, and they also had to pay the same "surprise gratuity and tax payment on top" that has been posted about.

My parents arrived about twenty to thirty minutes early in order to choose a good table to sit at, and five minutes before the ship was to leave the dock, my parents (as well as three other passengers) were asked to vacate their seats by an employee named Jamie. When asked why they had to move Jamie told them that a group of twenty people had reserved those tables and that my parents and the other three passengers had to move, however, Jamie also then stated that my parents and the other passengers had to move because "there is no reserved seating," thereby contradicting himself.

He was very rude to my parents and to the three other passengers, in telling them to leave the tables they had come early to seat themselves at. In the end, when asked what he would do for them, considering that he had said there was no reserved seating and yet these people somehow were allowed to reserve tables, he relegated them them to the stuffy enclosed section and when asked to be accommodated in the open-air section, he kicked them all off the boat.

Please note, there was no notification on the tables that those tables were reserved at all, and once more, Jamie had told them that there was no reserved seating.

Calls have been made to Toronto Cruise Lines, and there has been no answer, only voice mail, and upon last check that voice mailbox was full.

GroupOn at least has refunded the money, however I will be contacting them as well as any other deal site that I've seen advertising for Toronto Cruise Lines and lodging complaints.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
May 5, 2007
5834 posts
1677 upvotes
416
Wow cant believe this pos company is still in operation.
Newbie
Feb 2, 2008
46 posts
114 upvotes
Niagara-upon-the-Lak…
I saw this deal a while back - glad I didn't jump on it!

For anyone who might've been screwed by these guys, I present you with an open directory listing on their site, and PHP files that have been renamed (by them!) so you can view their contents :) Looks like there are names in the comments/names of the boats they use/other things that might help track these guys down.
http://www.torontodinnercruises.com/los ... firmation/

They also appear to run (among other sites):
http://www.newyearsevetoronto.com/
http://www.torontobookings.com/ (Homepage is blank, here's a booking page)

On the "Toronto Bookings" site, they list their head office as:
89 Whitehall Road, 2nd floor, Toronto, ON M4W 2C8
A quick Google search shows a lot of sites listing this place as the "contact location". Sketchy.

EDIT Here is a list of the various boats they offer, in case you see one pop up through another company:
Aurora Borealis
Empress of Canada
Enterprise 2000
Escape T.O.
Jubilee Queen
Klancy II
Mariposa Belle
Matthew Flinders
Miss Toronto
Northern Spirit
Obsession III
Pioneer Princess
Pioneer Queen
Sea Voyager
Stella Borealis
Empress of Canada
Yankee Lady III
Yankee Lady IV
EDIT 2: "omar" is all over their domain WHOIS and even found in their server path sites - this is "omar":
https://www.facebook.com/omar.aboya

The company behind the "toronto harbor cruises" websites is "1368039 Ontario Inc."

Some advice from Omar re: group-buy sites:
While it might be tempting to use group buying sites to stir up a one-day influx of customers, don’t do it, says Omar Aboya, proprietor at Toronto Harbour Cruises, a regular user of daily deals sites.

“Don’t do it to increase your cash flow, because I’ve seen it ruin businesses,” he says. “Do it only to save money on advertising.”
http://www.itbusiness.ca/news/group-buy ... fail/17202

EDIT 3: I <3 noob developers:
http://www.416cruises.com/toronto-cruis ... ir22-02-11

EDIT 4: Some more emails, in case you need to get a hold of someone:
Member
May 6, 2011
220 posts
11 upvotes
Scarborough
I went on this cruise on Saturday with my fiance! Such a waste of time and money. I cannot describe how horrible the experience was from the food, poor service, poor interior of boat and just everything was horrible. The food was terrible except for Caesers salad but I mean even a monkey can prepare that. The pasta was overcooked and such a small serving. The chicken omg was disgusting....I couldn't believe that they are still in business. Please avoid going on this cruise.

UPDATE:
After contacting Groupon and letting them know of the terrible experience, they have kindly offered to reimburse my money. Thank you Groupon for the great customer service.
08 Infiniti G35X
Newbie
Jun 17, 2015
1 posts
Toronto, ON
Does anybody have any info on the pioneer princess?
I'm about to book a school cruise there.
It sounds very good, flexible with our preferences.
Please advise ASAP!
Thanks

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