Grand Circle Cruises

49 Reviews
Bizet
  • Grand Circle Cruises Tips, Activities, and Overview

  • Who goes on Grand Circle cruise ships?

  • Do I have to dress up on a Grand Circle cruise?

Loading...

We found you 2 cruises

Loading...
Loading...
Cruise Critic Favorite
River Chanson
Celebrity Xploration

7 Night
Galapagos Southern Loop Cruise

6 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Reviews
Cruise Critic Favorite
River Chanson
Celebrity Xploration

7 Night
Galapagos Northern Loop Cruise

6 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Reviews

Grand Circle Cruises Tips, Activities, and Overview

Who goes on Grand Circle cruise ships?

As with all Grand Circle cruises, the passengers onboard will all be at least 50 years old. Virtually all are from the United States, with a handful of Canadians, and they are generally well traveled. At least half of them are repeat passengers with Grand Circle. Passengers tend to be retired or semi-retired, active and college-educated, with strong business and professional backgrounds.

Do I have to dress up on a Grand Circle cruise?

Not really. There is no dress code, and passengers tend to dress casually for shore excursions. They might put on something a little smarter for dinner, but it isn't a must.

Is everything free on Grand Circle cruises?

Almost everything is included. Fares cover all meals; an open bar of house beer, house wine and soft drinks; most excursions; and Wi-Fi. Tips are not included.

What are Grand Circle’s most popular activities?

The focus of any Grand Circle cruise is the chance to experience other cultures, histories, traditions and people. In addition to standard walking tours and coach rides to places of interest, the line's Exclusive Discovery Series events take passengers into the heart of the destination's culture, providing a glimpse of people's day-to-day lives through home-hosted meals, for example.

Onboard, the ships offer local musicians on select nights; they always draw an audience.

Why go with Grand Circle?

  • Emphasis on other cultures, histories, traditions and people.
  • Itineraries include Europe, China, Russia.
  • Local and regional specialties included in menus.
  • Cruise with a well-traveled, over-50 bunch.

Best for: Mature, culturally-curious North American travelers looking for an inclusive river cruise

Not for: Families, budget cruisers and anyone under 50 years of age

Grand Circle Cruise Line Cruiser Reviews

Incredible food, experiences--kept us busy!

While some companies require that you dine at a scheduled time (first seating or second seating), Grand Circle's ships are smaller, so all of us could dine together during mealtimes.The first night was the captain's welcome dinner and the last night was the captain's farewell dinner (both featured extra courses), but even the other 5 nights we had more than enough food--we could ask for half portions, which was great for me!Read More
User Avatar
WillIEverUseThisAgain

oneFirst Time Cruiser

Age 60s

The Seine: Paris to Normandy River Cruise Tour

We had excellent experience with it & really enjoyed, so we like to go on this cruise to see the northern part of France, mainly the history rich region of Normandy including the D-Day beaches in WII.We did the France river cruise going south from Lyon to Nice years ago.Read More
User Avatar
Sanhe888

few6-10 Cruises

Age 70s

Our First River Cruise

We met people over and over on the ship with 3, 10, 20 and 31 trips with this cruise line and their counterpart Overseas Adventure Travel.We had wanted to go on a larger, better-known cruise line.Read More
User Avatar
mjwallis

couple2-5 Cruises

Age 80s

Checking out the GCCL

Cons - Leaving out of Newark NJ (the worst of all airports we have encountered) I should have read the Tour Booklet earlier to see how we were getting to France, but being on a cruise at the time, I kind of skipped over that, and by this late time (June 30th) we could not get it changed without spending a ton of money.This river cruise (The Seine - Normandy to Paris on the M/S Bizet) came up in a marketing email from GCCL.Read More
User Avatar
jdhar

many10+ Cruises

Age 70s

Related Cruises

Grand Circle River Harmony

Grand Circle River Harmony

10 Reviews
Grand Circle River Melody

Grand Circle River Melody

2 Reviews
Grand Circle River Rhapsody

Grand Circle River Rhapsody

8 Reviews
Grand Circle River Allegro

Grand Circle River Allegro

Grand Circle River Adagio

Grand Circle River Adagio

8 Reviews
River Chanson

River Chanson

6 Reviews
Bizet

Bizet

9 Reviews
River Aria

River Aria

5 Reviews
River Concerto

River Concerto

1 Review
River Chanson

River Chanson

3 Reviews
Provence

Provence

2 Reviews

Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners who list cruise pricing on Cruise Critic are required to provide prices for cruise only or cruise packages, per person, double occupancy, and are based on specific cabin types and sailing dates, and may not be available for all cabin types/sailings. Taxes, fees and port expenses not included. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only. Fuel supplement may apply. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. In addition, average cruise prices are updated nightly.

Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions.

Cruise Critic is not responsible for content on external web sites.

Lowest pricing is based on our 3rd party pricing supplier and valid as of March 28th, 2024.


Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.