Grand Circle Cruise Line is ranked among Top 5 River Cruise Lines in Travel + Leisure's 2015 World's Best Awards Readers' Survey

BOSTON, July 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Dowd, CEO, Grand Circle Cruise Line, announced that Travel + Leisure readers have rated the fleet as one of the top 5 "World's Best River Cruise Lines" (#4) in the magazine's 2015 World's Best Awards survey today.  This is the eighth year that Grand Circle Cruise Line has made the prestigious listing and the fourth year in a row that it has achieved the Top 5 ranking.  

"We are honored to be named among Travel + Leisure's world's best river cruise lines and thank our travelers for taking the time to share their experiences with us," said Dowd.  "Our travelers are extremely curious about other cultures and ways of life, and our itineraries take them into local homes, markets, and community settings where they can engage with residents and experience daily life.  We are extremely proud of our resident Program Directors, who so openly share their knowledge and perspectives of their countries, and we greatly appreciate our incredible nautical and hospitality crew, who so warmly welcome and care for our travelers."

Grand Circle Cruise Line River Cruises and Small Ship Cruise Tours are known for their expert, resident Program Directors, who accompany travelers throughout their entire itinerary, unlike other cruises lines with cruise directors and guides who change at each port; culturally-rich itineraries that provide travelers with an authentic—and not touristic, experience; and for excellent value—with per diems that are typically $50-$500 less than other cruise lines' and free or low cost single supplements for solo travelers who now represent 30 percent of all travelers.

Grand Circle Cruise Line offers 15 River Cruise vacations throughout Europe, as well as more than a dozen Small Ship Cruise Tours to Antarctica, Panama, the Dalmatian Coast, the Baltics, British Isles, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Greece and the Greek Islands, the Aegean, Adriatic and beyond.  The fleet is comprised of 15 river cruise ships; three four-star-plus 50 passenger ocean vessels (M/V Artemis, Athena, and Arethusa); the 98-passenger M/V Corinthian, acquired in March 2014; the 88-passenger Tere Moana, acquired in June 2015; and exclusive charters.  Last year, Conde Nast Traveler readers rated Grand Circle Cruise Line the #1 "World's Best River Cruise Line" and named all of its river ships and 50-passenger ships among the top 100 cruise ships in the world, including the #1 and #2  best small ship ratings for the Artemis and Arethusa, respectively.

Travel + Leisure's 2015 cruise line rankings are based on readers' ratings of cruise ships on the following characteristics: cabins, restaurants/food, service, itineraries/destinations, excursions/activities, and value.  Complete survey results of the 20th annual Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards are featured on Travel + Leisure.com and in the magazine's August 2015 issue.  For more information about Grand Circle Cruise Line, please visit www.gct.com or view a Grand Circle Cruise Line video.

About Grand Circle Cruise Line

Established in 1998, Grand Circle Cruise Line is a division of Grand Circle Corporation, which is also comprised of Overseas Adventure Travel (est. 1978) and Grand Circle Travel (est. 1958).  Grand Circle has 42 offices worldwide with approximately 2,500 associates, Program Directors (guides), and crew serving more than 112,000 travelers per year.  In 1992, Grand Circle owners Alan and Harriet Lewis established the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation to support communities in which the organization works and travels, including more than 100 schools, in 50 countries.  The Foundation is an entity of the Lewis Family Foundation, which has pledged or donated more than $130 million to educational, humanitarian, cultural, and environmental organizations since 1981.    

SOURCE Grand Circle Cruise Line