Considering Grand Circle?

[WonderMan3]

Just a little bit of POSITIVE news about GCT for those who may be wary, just to provide some balance. The rankings for Conde Nast Traveler's Reader's Choice Awards are out and in the Small Ships category this is what the top 10 looked like....

 

Small ships

 

1. SeaDream Yacht Club 92.6

2. Grand Circle Cruise Line 91.9

3. Regent Seven Seas 91.7

4. Seabourn 90.3

5. Silversea 89.8

6. Windstar 83.2

7. Peter Deilmann 82.5

8. Lindblad Expeditions 82.0

9. Celebrity 81.3

10. Viking River Cruises 80.8

[Carhut]

Thanks for all the postitive comments about GCT. I've done 3 river cruises with them and have no complaints. In fact, the trips were awesome and I look forward to another with them. For awhile there was so much bashing of GCT, I was hesitant to even mention that I travel with them.

[Carhut]

Thanks for all the postitive comments about GCT. I've done 3 river cruises with them and have no complaints. In fact, the trips were awesome and I look forward to another with them. For awhile there was so much bashing of GCT, I was hesitant to even mention that I travel with them.

[Nelsipete]

Did you enjoy Paris?

 

Did I enjoy Paris?

 

Is the Pope Catholic?

 

Yes, yes, yes! We stayed in a budget two-star hotel, 4ème étage, and would you believe the elevator went out on the third day.

 

But the folks running it were ever so nice, it was clean, the breakfasts more than adequate.

 

The flight was bearable (but oh so long and those seats are oh so close together).

 

We saw the regular tourist sites, walked around and rode the metro until our feet and legs were sore, went to Chartres to see the cathedral there.

 

Best of all for me was seeing the family I lived with 43 years ago when I was a student in Paris. They are now 80, and I knew I had to go this year or next...or it would be too late. How wonderful they were to share part of their life with a young American girl. That year made an impact on me that has lasted my entire life.

[ezel]

We have taken 2 river trips with GCT (Nile river, and Vienna to Budapest) and land trip to Thailand and Cambodia. They have all been terrific. The guides are the best and the great people we have met on these trips made the experience very memorable. We are going on the Rhone River trip (Lyon to Avignon) with GCT over Christmas this year and can hardly wait. If anyone has done this trip my wife and I would love some feedback... Thanks. ed.

[joek]

We took the GCT "Cruising Burgundy & Provence to the Cote d’Azur" on the MS Provence in April 07, 3 days in Paris, 7 days sailing from Chalon-sur-Soane to Arles, 1 day Nice. It was great, only 46 passengers so we got to know many very well.

 

Service was excellent, cabins are 200 SF, food good to fine. Lyon is quite large, but pier is within walking distance of many attractions. Avignon and Arles are very nice, again everything is in walking distance. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful.

[joek]

I had posted a review of the Provence trip. It's in Rivers/Page 8/GCT Burgandy & Provence May 15/May3, 2006

[ezel]

Esther/Joe; Thanks for the info on the GCT river cruise thru Provence. How did that Moscow/St Pete cruise work out for you? We did St.Petes on a Scandanavian cruise and thought it was awesome. Used Red October as our guide. ed

[joek]

We enjoyed the cruise except for everyone on the boat getting bad colds. The only drawback was the 1.5 - 2 hour commute in the morning and afternoon between the river ports and downtown attractions, in both St. Petersburg and Moscow. We had visited St. Pete on a Baltic cruise some years ago and were depressed by the squalor and poverty.

 

I have to say things have turned around, friendly energetic young people, buildings have been upgraded, the number of cars causing traffic jams, in both cities...astounding. We really enjoyed touring there.

 

I would avoid itinereries where the boats are used as hotels in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

[paper7]

We've been considering a Rhine/Danube River Cruise and had narrowed to either Viking or Grand Circle (recommended by a friend). I have now heard that Vantage is awesome (but I heard this thru a 3rd party I can't converse with). Does anyone have any information on Vantage. Thanks.

Gerri

[letsgo39]

Check out Avalon and Amadeaus too. They both have gotten really excellent reviews on these boards and the wine is included with dinner!!!!

[relevart]

Choose the itinerary you want at the price you want to pay and I think you would be happy on any of the lines mentioned. I have only been on Viking and GCT and they were both fine, I am sure the others are too. Bad things and good things can happen on any line. Enjoy your trip don't overthink it, it's a vacation and you are supposed to relax!

[npphotog]

Reply for Paper 7 - Re: Vantage Travel question.

We did the Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise with Vantage last year and were really impressed with the tour. So much so that we are going with Vantage again next May 8 on their China/Yangtze tour. As I said in the beginning of this post about Grand Circle - some folks are never satisified. We had thought of going with Grand Circle before we booked with Vantage but found that they had eliminated the stop in Rudesheim and made that as a optional dinner stop. We wanted to spend at least 8 to 10 hours there. They also had made some of the included stops optional. We went with Vantage and were quite pleased. Some people have different tastes and ideas but I would not consider Grand Circle because of adding optionals when they were included before and also problems with the Better Business Bureau. To each his own. Willard

[Old Salty Dog]

Reply to Paper7 re Vantage Travel:

 

We have traveled with Vantage on their Budapest to Amsterdam cruise, as well as three of their Ocean cruises and they all were great. In fact we are booked on the Sept. 17 river cruise on the Rhine & Moselle with them. (all 2007 departures fully booked) We have also traveled with Grand Circle about 6 times, mostly land trips, and they have also been fine.

 

Why did we choose Vantage for the Rhine, Moselle? Vantage includes almost everything - no options to add, and they have day trips to locations like Stuttgart and Luxemburg, etc. that GCT didn't have. I really don't think you can go wrong with either company.

[drachenin]

Thank you for the tip on GCT. We were not going to book thru them, but I learned aabout all the pitfalls in dealing with touring companies. I think I need to get a law degree first.

[CincyAL]

Anyone know any details concerning a truly NEW ship for Russia. Saw mention in Conte Nast. Everything doing the Russia rivers appears to be rebuilt from 1970s.

[ggeras@msn.com]

Husband and I (both on the mellow side of life) will be doing a Moscow/St. Petersburg River Cruise, our first (plus a post trip to Finland) w/GCT's on the Tiki Don 7/12/07. Have read the posted boards of the pros and cons of GCT and have decided that as long as the eyes open and the feet hit the floor life is good and we can cope with whatever negatives come our way.

 

Looking for others who might be doing this cruise or who have insight into dos/don't dos, things to see/do in Moscow/St. Pete and all points in between.

 

Travel this time of year is foreign to us as we are used to spending summers in Maine.

[land lover]

CinicAl, are you talking about the M/S Rossia? It will be launched in a few months but it is still a refurbished ship. We have booked her for June.

 

 

ggeras...I began a roll call on roll calls other cruise lines, we are going in June, but thought it would be nice to have a roll call for all 2007 Russian travelers. Look for the thread GCT Russia 2007.