Grand Circle Cruise Line Announces Nine New Itineraries for the Corinthian in 2015

BOSTON, Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Corinthian, acquired by Grand Circle Cruise Line earlier this year, will operate nine new itineraries beginning in 2015, announced Grand Circle CEO Michael Dowd today.  The 98-passenger, all-suite, ocean-faring vessel will continue to sail through the waters of Antarctica, but will expand operations with nine new Small Ship Cruise Tour itineraries, which will explore destinations in South America, North Africa, and Europe, including a special transatlantic voyage from the tip of South America to Europe.

"We are delighted to offer several new itineraries that are truly unique to Grand Circle Cruise Line in terms of activities and locales," said Dowd.  "These itineraries will connect travelers with local people, cultures, and customs, while offering an exceptional small ship experience and value aboard the Corinthian.  Most departures have either sold out or are close to it after an initial announcement to our travelers, so I'd advise interested travelers to contact us soon to join the inaugural season of these cruises."

The following briefly describe Grand Circle Cruise Line's nine new Corinthian itineraries:

Classic Cities & Moorish Traditions of Iberia & Morocco
9 days—Small Ship Cruise Tour only—from $3895
Explores Portugal: Lisbon, Portimao; Morocco: Casablanca, Tangier; Gilbrator; and Seville, Spain.
2015 Departures:  March, April, October

Grand Baltic Sea Voyage
13 day–Small Ship Cruise Tour only—from $5795
Explores Denmark: Copenhagen, Ronne; Poland: Gdynia, Gdansk; Sweden: Visby, Stockholm; Riga, Latvia: Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Helsinki, Finland
2015 Departures:  July, August

Maritime Jewels of the British Isles
15 days–Small Ship Cruise Tour only—from $6095
Explores England: London, Poole, Scilly; Wales: Fishguard, Holyhead; Dublin Ireland; Scotland: Iona, Barra, Stornoway, Stromness, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh
2015 Departures: May, June

Spain's Northern Coast & the Bay of Biscay
17 days—Small Ship Cruise Tour only—from $6495
Explores: Portugal: Lisbon, Porto; Spain: Vigo, La Coruna, Santiago De Compostela; France: Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Brest, Mont St. Michel; England: Poole, and London
One departure only: May 4, 2015

Coastal France: Normandy, Brittany & Bordeaux
13 days–Small Ship Cruise Tour only—from $6095
Explores France: Rouen, Honfleur, Normandy Beaches, Mont St. Michel, Nantes, La Rochelle, Bordeaux; Guernsey, UK
One departure only: September 15, 2015

Bordeaux, Basque Country & the Pyrenees
16 days–Small Ship Cruise Tour only—from $6095
Explores France: Bordeaux, St. Emilon, Pauillac; Spain: San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santander, Santillana del Mar & Comillas, Oviedo, La Coruna, Santiago De Compostela; Portugal: Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon, Cascais & Sintra, Obidos
One departure only: September 21, 2015

Voyage to Three Continents
37 days–Small Ship Cruise Tour only—from $9995
Explores Argentina: Buenos Aires, Ashuaia, Puerto Madryn, Mar Del Plata; Uruguay: Montevideo; Brazil: San Paulo, Rio De Janeiro, Salvador, Recife; Cape Verde Islands: Fogo, San Vicente; Spain: Santa Cruz de Tenerife; Morocco: Casablanca; Portugal: Portimao, Lisbon
Two departures only: February 15 andNovember 4, 2015

Trans-Atlantic Odyssey: South America, Africa & Europe
23 days–Small Ship Cruise Tour only—from $6595
Explores Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife; Cape Verdes Islands: Fogo, Sao Vicente; Spain: Santa Cruz de Tenerife; Morocco: Casablanca; Portugal: Portimao, Lisbon
Two departures only: March 1 andNovember 4, 2015

South American Discovery: Argentina to Brazil
17 days–Small Ship Cruise Tour only—from $4595
Explores Argentina: Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, Puerto Madryn, Mar del Plata; Uruguay: Montevideo; Brazil: San Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro
Two departures only: February 15 and November 24, 2015

What's Included:
All accommodations; all meals onboard ship; services of a resident Grand Circle Program Director (assigned to no more than 25 travelers); guided tours; Grand Circle's exclusive Discovery Series events that connect travelers with local people and cultures; all port charges and gratuities for local guides and motor coach drivers; and more.  Grand Circle Cruise Line will make all air arrangements upon request.  In addition, Grand Circle Cruise Line offers a Best Price Guarantee that will match any other comparable Small Ship or River Cruise from another cruise company as well as a Good Buy Plan through which travelers may achieve additional savings.  

The Corinthian is an ice-strengthened vessel with the latest navigational, communications, and safety equipment. The ship is 290 feet long and carries 98 passengers in 49 outside-facing suites—each at least 225 square feet in area. All suites feature individual climate control, mini-refrigerator, safe, telephone, TV, DVD/CD player, a sitting area, and a private bathroom. An elevator serves all passenger decks. The ship's well-appointed common areas include a restaurant, two lounges—including one with panoramic windows—and a library with Internet access.

Grand Circle Cruise Line chartered the Corinthian last year for its Antarctica Small Ship Cruise Tour, receiving rave reviews from Grand Circle travelers.  Grand Circle acquired the ship in March of 2014 for an undisclosed price from Travel Dynamics International, a leading operator of high-caliber educational programs aboard small cruise ships. Grand Circle Cruise Line will assume operational control when the ship returns to Antarctica in the fall of 2014. 

Established in 1998 with a single river cruise ship, Grand Circle Cruise Line's fleet now includes dozens of small ships and river ships, including three, 4-star plus 50-passenger ships that operate in the Mediterranean (Athena, Artemis and Arethusa), 15 privately-owned river ships, the 98-passenger Corinthian, and two exclusive charters.  More than 79,000 travelers have sailed with Grand Circle Cruise Line in the past two years, including more than 19,000 solo travelers. Grand Circle Cruise Line anticipates 40,000 travelers in 2014, including more than 12,000 solo travelers attracted by Grand Circle's comprehensive solo -friendly policies and programs.

Grand Circle's fleet of ships has received myriad awards for excellence by readers of Conde Nast Traveler.  Most recently, Grand Circle's three, 50-passenger small ships were rated the #1 (Artemis), #2 (Arethusa) and #5 (Athena) best small ships in the world for 2014, and all of Grand Circle's privately-owned river ships were rated among the best river ships in the world.

For more information, please visit Grand Circle Cruise Line or call 1-800-221-2610.

About Grand Circle Cruise Line
Established in 1998, Grand Circle Cruise Line offers 15 river cruises and cruise tours throughout Europe and Russia, and more than a dozen small ship cruise tours to Burma, Antarctica, South America, Panama, Europe, the Dalmatian Coast, Greece and the Greek Islands, the Aegean, Adriatic and beyond. The cruise line is a division of Grand Circle Corporation, which also is comprised of Overseas Adventure Travel (est. 1978) and Grand Circle Travel (est. 1958).  Grand Circle has 42 offices worldwide with approximately 2,500 associates, guides, and crew serving 110,000+ travelers per year.  Since 1992, the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation has donated or pledged more than $97M to more than 300 humanitarian, cultural, and educational organizations, including 100 schools, in 50 countries.

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SOURCE Grand Circle Cruise Line