Grand Circle Cruise Line Named "World's Best River Cruise Line" in Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards For 4th Year

 Grand Circle Cruise Line,  the leader in small ship and

 river cruising worldwide, has been named the #1 "World's Best River Cruise Line" in Conde Nast

 Traveler's 2015 Readers' Choice Awards. This is the fourth year in a row that Grand Circle Cruise

 Line has taken the top spot and the 11^th year it has been included as a top cruise line. 

 This year, Grand Circle Cruise Linereceived an overall excellence rating of 92.572, the highest 

score of any cruise line in all categories.  Conde Nast Traveler's 2015 Readers' Choice Awards

 were announced on line today and will be featured in the magazine's November issue, on 

newsstands October 28, 2015.

"We are delighted to be named the world's best river cruise line for the fourth year and to be 

among the top cruise lines for so many years," said Grand Circle Cruise Line CEO Michael Dowd. 

 "We design our itineraries to bring travelers off our ships and into homes, markets, schools and

 communities so that travelers can meet locals and experience their way of life firsthand," said Dowd.

  "Our ships are not fancy, but they offer something that clearly appeals: expert, local guides, stellar

 nautical and hospitality crews, and onshore itineraries that engage travelers with local people,

 communities, and cultures. We are honored to be recognized by Conde Nast Traveler and appreciate

 our travelers for sharing their experiences of us."

Established in 1998 with a single river cruise ship, Grand Circle Cruise Line's fleet now includes 20

 river ships and small ships, including 15 privately-owned river ships, three, 4-star plus 50-passenger

 ships that operate in the Mediterranean (Athena, Artemis and Arethusa), the 98-passenger

 Corinthian, the 88-passenger Clio (formerly Tera Moana) and exclusive charters.  For 2016 Grand

 Circle Cruise Line will offer more than 30 cruise and cruise tour itineraries throughout Europe, the 

Mediterranean, Antarctica, Panama, and beyond. 

More than 719,000 travelers have sailed with Grand Circle Cruise Line since its beginnings, 

including 216,000 solo travelers.  This year, 40,000 people will travel with Grand Circle Cruise

 Line, including more than 13,000 solo travelers, who are attracted by Grand Circle's comprehensive

 solo-friendly programs, which include free or reduced Single Supplements, free Single Supplements 

on all pre-and post-trip extension options, a free roommate matching service, a complimentary online

 travel companion program, and best price and lowest price guarantees.

A record number of more than 128,000 travelers participated in Conde Nast Traveler's 28^th annual 

Readers' Choice Awards, which ranks the best hotels, resorts, cities, islands, airlines, and cruise

 lines in the world.   In the river ship category, readers rated their experiences based on the ships' 

activities/facilities, cabins, crew/service, design/layout, food/dining, itineraries/schedule, and

 shore excursions.   

For more information about Grand Circle Cruise Line, please visit Grand Circle Cruise Line or

 view their video about the Grand Circle Cruise Line experience.

About Grand Circle Cruise LineEstablished in 1998, Grand Circle Cruise Line offers 16 River Cruises throughout Europe, as well

 as 14 Small Ship Cruise Tours to destinations like Antarctica, Panama, Europe, the Dalmatian 

Coast, Greece and its islands, the Aegean, the Adriatic, and beyond.  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 more than 40 offices worldwide

 and approximately 3,500 associates, guides, and crew serving more than 110,000 travelers per year.

  In 1992, Grand Circle owners Alan and Harriet Lewis established Grand Circle Foundation, a

 nonprofit organization supporting communities in which Grand Circle works with and travels to,

 including some 300 humanitarian, cultural, and educational endeavors worldwide, including 100

 schools in 50 countries.  Grand Circle Foundation is an entity of the Lewis Family Foundation, 

which has pledged or donated more than $144 million since 1981.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151021/279339

5 Reasons Why A Luxury River Cruise In Europe Might Be Perfect For You

 I recently had the chance to experience a 5 star European river cruise for the first time and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Stepping aboard the ‘Space-Ship’ like boat that was docked in Amsterdam, I was about to glide through Amsterdam’s remarkable network of canals, in river cruising luxury – if you want to explore European destinations at a gentle pace, river cruising is certainly one of the best ways to do this. Imagine yourself sipping sparkling champagne, whilst listening to nothing but the calm, gentle sounds of the river lapping against the bows.

Here are five reasons why a luxury river cruise might perfect for you.

1. Location, location and even more locations…

Rather than staying in one resort for a week or spending all day at sea, your cruise will take you too many different towns, cities and countries, where you can discover new cultures and sample the tradition and cuisines. You will drift through gorgeous towns and villages, visiting beautiful cathedrals, churches and pretty cafes. Docking stations are always close to the city or town, so you will never get lost or have to endure long transfers when experiencing the different places.

2. Smaller ships = more personal attention

Whilst large ocean liners can accommodate thousands of passengers in one voyage, river cruises tend to be a lot smaller and more intimate. With regular social interaction at meal times it’s easier to make friends on-board, and staff can pay more attention to you than they would with more passengers to assist. Various ships, depending on the operator, have a personal butler service. This means you can enjoy room service on the balcony (cocktail in hand) and take full advantage of other luxury services, such as having your clothes freshly laundered each day. Guests can also expect the evening entertainment on-board to be inspired by the culture of the port they have visited that day.

3. Luxurious surroundings

Holiday operators are now investing more money, into expanding their ships and equipping them with deluxe furnishings. Modern river boats contain restaurants, WiFi, spas, open bar, a gym, butler service, balconies and even a swimming pool – all within 50 feet of your door. My recent luxury river cruise contained a fully stocked mini-bar each day, at no additional costs.

4. Gourmet food and service

Not content with a run-of-the-mill buffet? Look no further than a luxury river cruise – you can sit down, relax and order your food without having to lift a finger. Buffet breakfasts are the norm but the evenings, after a long day sailing and exploring the cities, you can tuck in to a multi-course gourmet meal. There are also extensive wine lists, with fine red wines from France and fruity white wines from Italy – The professionally trained waiters will pour you whatever you like, when you like.

To say the food on board a luxury river cruise is ‘quality’ would be an understatement! The chefs prefer to choose home-made dishes from the country they are docking in that day, so you can experience the food culture from country you are in – anything from Hungarian Goulash to Danish cheese platters

5. Relaxation and rejuvenation

A luxury river cruise will have a spacious, cosy lounge area so you can sit back and enjoy a cocktail whilst taking in the magical views of the river banks. You can unwind on your private balcony or mingle with other guests over canapés. River Cruising is all about going at your own pace, and that doesn’t matter if it’s relaxing on the deck taking in the sights, or having a few drinks over dinner with friends.

Over 130,000 British travellers took a River Cruise in 2014 – a six percent increase on the year before, with Europe being the most popular destination. With an abundance of food, wine and luxurious amenities at your fingertips, it isn’t difficult to understand why river cruise holidays have become so popular in recent years.

Contributed by Colin Matthews , Managing Director at Travel Club Elite. A Luxury Travel Blog

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