Couple's Rocky Mountaineer 'trip of a lifetime' goes off the rails due to wildfires

An Ontario couple says their costly dream vacation in the Rockies has been marred, because their tour company deliberately downplayed what effect the wildfires would have on the tour. 

Mike Ramsay, a high school teacher from Barrie, Ont., and his wife, recently finished a tour on the Rocky Mountaineer, a luxury rail service which weaves through the interior of British Columbia and into Canada's flagship national parks in the Canadian Rockies. 

But due to B.C.'s particularly bad wildfire season, the Ramsays ended up spending a portion of their $25,000 trip driving down the highway on a bus. 

Ramsay says the couple spent two years saving for their vacation and spared no expense.

They chose the 13-day Grand Rail Circle tour and the top-of-the-line Gold Leaf Deluxe package.

For the two of them, along with airfare to Vancouver from Toronto and $1,800 cancellation insurance, the trip cost almost $25,000. 

"We're not rich people," said Mike. "This is a big chunk of our savings."

Ramsay says he and his wife were eager to see the Rockies by train but grew concerned after wildfires spread across the province. 

"I contacted Rocky Mountaineer by phone [in early July] asking if our trip was still a go," he said." They said, 'oh yes.'"

Although the first half of their trip was spectacular, Ramsay says they were informed last minute they would not be travelling by rail between the Quesnel to Jasper corridor due to the wildfires.

Instead, they would be travelling on the highway by motor coach.

"They're replacing what was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime ... [with] a highway bus."

No chance to make changes

He says if the tour company had let them know earlier their trip would be altered, they would have chosen to make some changes to their trip or use their cancellation insurance.

"We weren't able to take advantage of our cancellation insurance, because they made a very last minute decision to cancel the rail route," Ramsay said.

The Ramsays, who repeatedly expressed they were not trying to overshadow the real victims displaced or affected by the wildfires, say they are entitled to some compensation for their less-than-stellar detour.

"To stiff people on this trip banking on the fact that (a) most of them are senior citizens and are less likely to protest, and (b) so many of them are going to be flying thousands of miles away they're not going to bother getting a refund, rubs me the wrong way," Mike said. 

Rocky Mountaineer responds 

On Tuesday evening, a form letter from the company was slipped under the door of the Ramsay's hotel room.

In it, the company acknowledged "the disruption in the service" and promised "a gesture of goodwill in the form of compensation."

The letter did not describe the amount of compensation but directed guests to contact the company a week after their tour ended for more details. 

A statement to CBC News from Gord Miller, the vice president of rail operations and asset development, said the company was monitoring the wildfire situation as closely as possible for future guests.

"Unfortunately, due to the wildfires in the Cariboo area, the railway en route to Quesnel, the site of an overnight stop on our Rainforest to Gold Rush route, has been closed. This has impacted specific train departures, forcing our team to make alternative arrangements involving a combination of travelling by motor coach and by train where the railway is open. Our team of hosts has accompanied the guests to ensure their safety and comfort throughout the journey," he said. 

He added his thoughts were with all the British Columbians affected by the wildfires and those involved in the emergency operations.

He did not respond to further questions about compensation or notice.