Grand Circle Travel / Grand Circle Cruise LineReviews of gct.com

Knowledgeable, attentive, enthusiastic program directors/guides! We know we didn't want a passive, look at the pretty scenery vacation. We were looking for an opportunity to be engaged mentally, emotionally and definitely physically. 5-stars to Grand Circle to hitting the bulls-eye! Jacopo in Rome brought a unique and special perspective with engaging history and up to date issues of our time in Rome. Lillo took over seamlessly bringing his A-game of understanding and delivering everyone's expectations in our travels to Sorrento (Amalfi coast) up to Montecatini (Tuscany). His expertise was sheer joy in sharing Italy's treasures and secrets with his "new friends". He helped us have a better understanding and appreciation for all that divides us and brings us together. Both of these leaders are exceptional. Not to be forgotten is Stefonia. A uniquely beautiful lady that spoke truth, compassion and love about Italy - it's great accomplishments, failures, history and challenges. She gave us the information to come to our own conclusions. Not once did she assume and took the time to answer the same questions more than once! We really enjoyed the "local" guides, artisans of olives, lemons, cheese, leather, glass that engaged us along the way. Aside from the tour leaders, the people of Italy touched our hearts. There are so many different threads to the tapestry of this country. The flavors, landscapes, and values of the Italian people paint a rich and vibrant society - never forgetting history, living for today and great plans for tomorrow.

My husband and I returned from a land tour of England, Scotland and Wales with Jeremy Mannas, who had to fill in for the tour guide who had to bow out. It was our first Grand Circle Tour and we joined a group of 38 travelers, many of whom had traveled before with Grand Circle and loved it. Our tour covered all the places on our bucket list and more so we were very pleased with visiting so any interesting places. Jeremy enhanced our travels with his vast knowledge delivered with humor and personal antidotes. I cannot imagine traveling with anyone else. He helped us create many lasting memories and we so enjoyed getting to know him.Traveling by bus was made ore enjoyable with Jeremy giving us tasty treats and humorous stories. We’d never experienced having a dinner hosted by a family in Wales. What a wonderful way to get to know a country better and having a delicious home cooked meal too! Attending the rehearsal of the Walsh Men’s Choir was such a treat and attending Evensong as well. Experiences such as those wouldn’t be available without Jeremy’s assistance. Moving in and out of the many hotels was a seamless process, albeit at times an exhausting one! How else could we cover so many places without it? In our last hotel in Edinburgh I misplaced one side of an earring and couldn’t find it. I even asked the hotel maid to look as well, without any success. Jeremy offered to look in our room after we departed for the airport. He found it! Add this to one of Jeremy’s many talents! I will be forever grateful. Thank you Grand Circle for offering such a great adventure and for providing such a wonderful guide as Jeremy.

I recently returned from my sixth trip with Grand Circle Travel, the Canadian Maritimes trip with the Québec City pre-trip and Newfoundland post-trip extensions. There is a reason I keep traveling with Grand Circle: once again, this was a wonderful experience. The itinerary offered a terrific mixture of history, scenery, local culture, and hands-on experiences. Highlights included Québec City, the Cabot Trail, the Fortress of Louisbourg, Hopewell Rocks, Come From Away in Charlottetown, several wonderful boat trips, and going out in a small fishing boat in Petty Harbour to catch cod by handline. I came home feeling that I had really experienced the Maritimes rather than simply traveled through them. Our Program Director, Mark Zheng, was outstanding—one of the best I have had on my six Grand Circle/OAT trips. He was organized, knowledgeable, thoughtful, and made a genuine effort to get to know each traveler and help us have the experiences we were looking for. My one significant criticism was the breakfasts. They became very repetitive, and both the variety and quality were often below the standard of the rest of the trip. I would strongly encourage Grand Circle to revisit its breakfast arrangements. Overall, though, this was absolutely a five-star trip. I am very glad I went, and after six trips with Grand Circle, I look forward to traveling with them again.

Our trip to Australia and New Zealand could be the best trip ever. Our tour guide, Wayne Robertson, was fantastic. We watched him go above and beyond what anyone would expect from a tour guide. When we arrived in Australia two days early, Wayne met us at the Cairns airport with a driver to get us to our hotel, something we would not expected. His incredible knowledge of culture, history, geography and plant life at every stop along our journey greatly enhanced our appreciation of what we were experiencing (yes Wayne I was listening). Despite all the travel, I felt like I got a nice feel for the people and culture of these two wonderful countries. My wife and I both agreed that we saw enough to make us want to come back for more.

We had an amazing 17 days touring the Canadian Rockies, Vancouver and Victoria. From breathtaking Banff and Lake Louise to walking on a glacier, visiting a winery and sampling ice wine, learning about the indigenous peoples, seeing a cherry farm and dairy farm (sampling great ice cream), horseback riding, river rafting including passing by two gigantic Elk, strolling through the beautiful Butchart Garden and whale watching with 3 Orca and 30 Humpback Whales swimming near us, everyday was amazing!

My recent trip "Spain and Portugal in Depth" was all I expected and more. It was very well organized and led by an experienced and extremely knowledgeable trip leader. The accommodations were good and the itinerary was perfect. In addition to Barcelona and Madrid, we visited all the culturally and historically significant sites in Southern Spain. It was truly a learning experience, and some of the sites we visited were magnificent and awe-inspiring. We learned so much of the history and culture of Spain, and also its way of life, which was reinforced by the home-hosted lunch, always a great experience that brings you close to the local people. The only negative comment I would have is that perhaps the title of the trip is a bit misleading. It certainly was Spain in Depth, but not Portugal, where we spent only a couple of days.

I’ve traveled with this company 4 times and am looking forward to my next trip in April. I’ve taken 2 “small ships” trips and 2 river cruises. All were terrific in every way. Small numbers are important to me and Grand Circle fits the bill. While not luxurious, all accommodations are just fine- well appointed and comfortable. The food is terrific and most importantly, the guides and staff are excellent.