Grand Circle Cruise Line is ranked among Top 5 River Cruise Lines in Travel + Leisure's 2014 World's Best Awards Readers' Survey

BOSTON, July 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Alan E. Lewis, Chairman,  Grand Circle Cruise Line, today 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 2014 World's Best Awards survey.  This is the seventh year that Grand Circle Cruise Line has made the prestigious listing and the third year in a row it has made 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 Lewis.  "Grand Circle Cruise Line is in the business of helping to change people's lives, and we strive to do so with culturally-rich itineraries that take travelers off our ships and into homes, neighborhoods, and communities where locals, and not tourists, gather.  We are also extremely proud of our Program Directors (guides) and nautical and hospitality crew, who bring a region to life for our travelers and make them feel so cared for and welcome."

Grand Circle Cruise Line was established in 1998 with a single river cruise ship.  Today, the fleet is comprised of 15 privately-owned river ships, including the recently acquired 90-passenger M/S River Chanson (formerly the River Cloud II); three, four-star plus 50 passenger ships that operate in the Mediterranean; several exclusive charters; and the 98-passenger, all suite M/V Corinthian, acquired in March of 2014, which will continue operatingin Antarctica and also, on three new European itineraries and several limited-departure cruises beginning in 2015.

Travel + Leisure's 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 19th annual Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards are featured on travelandleisure.com and in the magazine's August 2014 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 offers more than a dozen River Cruises and Cruise Tours along Europe's Rhine, Main, Danube, Seine, Elbe, Mosel Rivers and beyond; a Russia River Cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg; and several Small Ship Cruise Tours in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, Burma, the Panama Canal, and Antarctica.  The cruise line is geared towards Americans aged 50 and older with more than 40,000 travelers a year.   Grand Circle Cruise Line is part of Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation, the leader in international travel, adventure, and discovery for mature Americans.

SOURCE Grand Circle Cruise Line