Grand Circle Travel to introduce a new river ship for 2007

**Ally** · 09-14-2006, 06:34 AM

Spring sellouts prompt brisk sales of remaining dates from just $2995 for 16 days, including roundtrip airfare from New York, Newark, and Boston

BOSTON, MA With more than 4000 travelers already reserved for its 2007 Russian Waterways CruiseTour, Grand Circle Travel (GCT), the leader in international travel and discovery for mature Americans, is adding another ship to its fleet in order to accommodate demand. "We only opened sales of our 2007 Russian Waterways program in May, and with nine months still to go, we've already booked more than 75% of the passengers originally projected for the entire year," says Mark Frevert, GCT's Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Architect. "At this rate, we now anticipate that we'll bring more than 8300 travelers to this part of the world in 2007."

While the interest in Russia among GCT's senior clientele reflects a steady trend, Frevert feels the recent spike has been fueled by confidence in Grand Circle's cruise operations. The company was ranked #5 in the Travel + Leisure "World's Best" awards poll (Small Ship Cruise Line category); and was cited as one of the world's top five small ship cruise lines in the 2006 Conde Nast Traveler Gold List awards. Having established its leadership in Europe, in spring of 2005, Grand Circle launched its first Russian vessel, the M/S Tikhi Don, after refurbishing it to the tune of $8 million. The new ship, the M/S Rossia, will undergo a $11 million refurbishment in advance of hits spring 2007 debut.

While Frevert acknowledges that Grand Circle's Russia programs received a boost after the company was honored in the awards polls, he is emphatic that "You can't underestimate the word-of-mouth factor surrounding our launch of the Tikhi Don. Our early travelers were relieved that they could finally see Russia at a dependable level of comfort. And they were all too happy to spread the word among their traveling friends. The dining service, which features classic European cuisine, gets particularly positive reviews."

The new vessel, the M/S Rossia, will mirror the M/S Tikhi Don, which, compared to the typical, spare Russian cruisers plying the Volga, is spacious and modern. The 216-passenger ship is 361 feet in length, and will have all outside cabins with picture windows and standard European-style bathrooms. Cabins range in size from 130-150 square feet and also have permanent (versus fold-down) beds, and a satellite TV.

The M/S Rossia will debut in the spring of 2007 on GCT's "Tatars, Cossacks & the Golden Ring" CruiseTour sailing the Don and Volga rivers from Rostov-on-Don to Moscow. Itinerary details and pricing for this single departure trip will be announced in September, 2006. Afterwards, the Rossia will join its sister ship, the Tikhi Don, in serving GCT travelers aboard the company's "Russian Waterways" CruiseTour.

GCT's 16-day "Russian Waterways" CruiseTour is priced from only $2995 and 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 Frevert. "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 our clients hours of travel time."

One of the unique activities is a meeting with Russian veterans of WWII. Frevert adds, "It's always an emotional encounter." 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.

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 Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington (Dulles), DC (from $3195); Atlanta, Miami, Minneapolis, Orlando, and Tampa (from $3245); and Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle (from $3345).

For more information and free copies of a Grand Circle catalog, including "Russian Waterways," please call 1-800-248-3737. Or visit the GCT website at www.gct.com/pr.

Press Release Source: Grand Circle Travel