Grand Circle Travel opened the 2007 version of its Russian Waterways River CruiseTour

**Ally** · 06-14-2006, 09:24 AM

Grand Circle Travel (GCT), recently opened the 2007 version of its popular Russian Waterways River CruiseTour for booking - along with $200 per couple discounts for new reservations made by July 1, 2006.

With 1,000 travelers already reserved for the new season, the trip is expected to sell out quickly.

The newly enhanced 16-day itinerary is built around a seven-night cruise along the Volga, Neva, and Svir rivers - bracketed by hotel stays in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In between, travelers cruise to the historic "Golden Ring" cities of Yaroslavl and Uglich; enjoy a Home-Hosted visit with a Russian family in Svir Stroi; admire the natural beauty of Lake Onega; explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Khizi Island (famed for its medieval wooden stave churches); and more. The cruise portion of the trip takes place aboard the M/S Tikhi Don, Grand Circle's own Russian river ship, which was refurbished in 2005.

The starting price of $2695 reflects a $100 per person discount (for reservations made by July 1, 2006).

At just $169 per day, the vacations includes roundtrip air transportation aboard regularly scheduled flights from Boston, New York, or Newark to Moscow, returning from St. Petersburg; accommodations for 7 nights aboard a private Grand Circle river ship in an outside cabin, and for 4 nights in Moscow at the Holiday Inn Moscow Suschevsky Val and 3 nights in St. Petersburg at the Hotel Ambassador; 31 meals; all shore excursions (including ten sightseeing tours to the Moscow City & Subway, Moscow's Central Museum of Armed Forces, The Kremlin & the Armory Museum, Uglich, Yaroslavl, Lake Onega, Kizhi Island, Peter & Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg, and the Hermitage); exclusive Discovery Series events (such as a meeting with Russian WWII veterans, a home hosted lunch, handicrafts demonstrations, and a vodka tasting); the exclusive services of up to 6 resident Grand Circle Program Directors; Captains Welcome and Farewell cocktail; receptions and dinners; private motorcoach land travel; airport meet and greet service; and more.

A new feature for 2007 is the inclusion of hotel stays before and after the cruise portion of your trip - in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

"Having accommodations right at the heart of each city is a huge plus in Russia," says Mark Frevert, Grand Circle's Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Architect. "The fact is, the infrastructure in Russia is not what you'd find elsewhere in Europe. Traffic is often a problem, so rather than have our guests be docked in outlying areas, we are using centrally located hotels that offer immediate access to the attractions. It saves us hours of travel time."

Grand Circle is not only the leading U.S. provider of international adventure, value, and discovery for Americans over 50 - it is the only US travel company to have local offices in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, or to own its own ship here.

"Russia has changed so dramatically and rapidly over the years, we knew early on that having our own team behind the scenes would be an incredible advantage," says Frevert.
"Our offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg are staffed by 12 experienced local Russian travel pros. Thanks to their know how, we can stay on top of everything - from the best restaurants to unique activities - and still negotiate the lowest rates."

**Ally** · 06-14-2006, 09:25 AM

One of the unique activities is a meeting with Russian veterans of WWII. Frevert adds "It's always an emotional encounter, and it really complements what travelers learn when they meet local families at Svir Stroi, an area that was very hard hit during the war."

Travelers also rub shoulders with the locals at a food market in medieval Yaroslavl, and can join an optional tour to the Star City complex, the formerly secret enclave where Russia's cosmonauts were trained.

Frevert is candid about the challenges of operating in former Soviet Union.

"I came here in 2004 with our owner, Alan Lewis, because we had grown disenchanted with the ships available to us for private charter here. They simply did not meet our quality standards, so we enlisted the government to help us find one we could buy. "

While travel services in Russia are generally not yet on a par with those of western Europe, Grand Circle travelers appreciate that GCT's direct control of the ship enables them to deliver a level of comfort, service, and convenience that is higher than local standards.

"The dining service, which features classic European cuisine, gets particularly positive reviews", notes Frevert.

The company purchased the M/S Tikhi Don in 2005, and began a $5 million refurbishment.
Compared to the typical, spare Russian cruisers plying the Volga, the Tikhi Don is spacious and more modern. The 220-passenger ship is 361 feet in length, with larger, all outside cabins with picture windows and standard European-style bathrooms.
Cabins also have permanent (versus fold-down) beds, and a satellite TV. Grand Circle also hired a new, English-speaking crew, and re-trained them in American-style service.

Travelers can add three more countries to their journey by reserving an optional pre- and/or post-cruise extension (depending on which direction their itinerary sails) Three nights in Kiev, Ukraine are offered from only $$445; and five nights in the Baltic capitals of Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki, Finland are priced from $645.

In addition to the three main gateways (New York, Boston, and Newark), travelers can fly from about 130 other US cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington DC (from $2895); Atlanta, Miami, Minneapolis, Orlando, and Tampa (from $2945); and Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle (from $3045).

(Source: Grand Circle Travel)