Overseas Adventure Travel to offer private, small group departures for as few as four travelers beginning in 2015

BOSTON, July 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), the leader in small groups on the road less traveled, is offering private departures for as few as four travelers beginning in 2015, announced Chairman Alan E. Lewis today.  Travelers will now be able to experience OAT's renowned cultural, small group itineraries with only their favorite traveling companions in tow, including multi-generations of families or intimate groups of friends.

"OAT itineraries connect American travelers with local people and cultures around the world, creating life enhancing experiences and fostering strong camaraderie among group members," said Lewis.  "Our private departure program allows small groups of family or friends to share these life enhancing experiences, such as spending a day with the Maasai in Tanzania, visiting students, families and community leaders in rural India, or exploring the Galapagos with an expert guide by small ship—all in an exclusive group of loved ones."  

Beginning with 2015 departures, travelers can create a private departure on any of OAT's 44 land or small ship adventures simply by choosing a scheduled departure date and filling it with four or more travelers.  Incremental costs for private departures begin at $300 per person for groups of 7-9 travelers and from $600 per person for groups of 4-6 over the regular trip's price.  (OAT's standard group size is 10-16 travelers by land and 10-24 for small ship adventures). 

While OAT adventures are geared and paced for Americans aged 50 and older, on private departures, travelers will be able to tailor the itinerary's pacing to accommodate the group and may also request unique experiences to celebrate special occasions, like anniversaries, graduations or reunions, or that appeal to the interests of the group.   

Private departures will include all elements that make up every OAT trip: exclusive services of an expert, resident OAT Trip Leader who is fluent in English and the native language; most meals, including all meals during the cruise portion of our Small Ship Adventures; accommodations, often at distinctive lodgings; daily small group activities and unique cultural activities; all internal transportation; and most gratuities.   As with all OAT adventures, travelers may ask OAT to make their air arrangements or choose to make their own—and they may take advantage of OAT's wide range of air and trip customization options through which travelers may opt to layover, combine trips, stay in the destination for a few days before or after a trip, or choose other options that best suit their interests and needs.  

In the past two years, more than 80,000 older Americans have traveled overseas with OAT, all in small groups of 10-16 by land or 10-24 by small ship.  For more information about booking a Private Departure, please call 1-800-955-1925 or click on www.oattravel.com.

ABOUT OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Established in 1978, Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) is part of Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation's family of travel companies, which includes Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel.  OAT offers Americans aged 50 and older 44 small group land and small ship adventures throughout Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and the South Pacific.  Since 1992, the organization's charitable arm, Grand Circle Foundation, has donated or pledged more than $97 million to some 300 humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations worldwide, including 100 schools,  in 50 countries, prompting Travel + Leisure to award OAT a 2013 Global Vision Award for Leadership in philanthropy.

Video - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/MilskyPrivateDepartures.mp4

SOURCE Overseas Adventure Travel