Grand Circle Travel Reviews

Great experience. Wonder trip leaders and local guides. Itinerary was interesting and well planned.

As with every adventure I have taken with Grand Circle Travel and OAT the experience was beyond expectations. I have just returned from the Spain & Portugal in Depth trip and I am still thinking about some of the adventures, the spectacular scenery and historical sites of places like Ronda, Sevilla, Granada, Lisbon and Sintra…just to mention a few places. I love history and this trip was, as always with GCT and OAT, a wonderful educational adventure. Our guide Bibiana was wonderful, handling every situation with professionalism and consideration for our mix of travelers. Our bus driver was amazing…taking us places that I could not imagine being able to travel. Once again GCT exceeded exoectations!

I have traveled with this company many times. I have never been disappointed. They meet and exceed my expectations. I love the places we go, the people we meet and the adventures we have. I already have another trip scheduled.

This (Romance of the Rhine & Moselle) was our 6th river cruise (5 with Grand Circle). Just when you think it couldn't get any better....it does! Can't say enough good things about Grand Circle river cruises and honestly can't imagine anyone doing as good as Grand Circle does. We took a river cruise immediately after covid with another line. Brand new boat...lots of formality, glitz & glitter. Still didn't measure up. Not even close! My wife & I both agreed..."only Grand Circle from now on". A Grand Circle river cruise.....as good as it gets! Outstanding in every regard!

Grand Circle is a wonderful cruise line. We love that we have a program director assigned to us who is very knowledgeable & caring. We learned so much & love that they share their personal stories. The staff was extremely helpful. The food was delicious. We met some very interesting people.

Just got off the Adagio cruising on the Danube. I have been on a lot of cruises and about 5 river cruises. I can honestly say that Grand Circle is the best. The staff was always present, including the Captain (not so much on other river cruises). The food was wonderful, I love the cabins, plenty of space for your things, nice bathrooms, and the lounge. This was my husband's 1st GC as he loved Viking. As soon as he got on and saw the cabin and the ship and the crew, he was sold, he loved it. I would not travel any other cruise line doing river cruises than Grand Circle. Forgot to mention amazing tour directors, ours on the Adagio was Lukas **, who was absolutely wonderful! Can't wait until November to do our Christmas cruise on the Aria.

We were a group of four and we were fortunate enough to get to take what I call the Tulip Cruise! The main purpose of our trip was to see the tulips in bloom, and we were not disappointed. Even though the weather was a little cooler than expected, the tulips were almost in full bloom. The crew on the ship went out of their way to make the trip memorable for us. The food was great! The four program directors were with us constantly answering questions and making suggestions to improve our trip. Did I mention the price was also great!

The overall experience was outstanding. The educational aspect was great along with the program director and the local guides. The accommodations were nice and all staff went above and beyond. I would recommend GC.

I was on the Christmas Market tour from Nuremberg to Vienna from December 8-December 15, 2025. In general everything was great.. The staff was really kind, the food was wonderful and our guide Sjaak ** was exceptional. I enjoyed the crazy shirts that Sjaak wore everyday. He was attentive and accessible in every possible way. All the guides were really good on this trip and seemed to work really well together. The staff in general was wonderful and no matter who I talked to were really helpful. Our room steward Dagaberto was stealthy, but very observant. I was sick one morning, and when I finally decided to leave for a late lunch, he left me a box of Kleenex on my table which saved me trips to the bathroom to get some.

Just returned from Christmas Markets on the Rhine and it was my fourth time for this trip. It is my favorite as I have also been on the Danube, Elbe and Rhone for Christmas. I LOVE these cruises. They stop at the most beautiful Christmas Markets, they have the most comfortable accommodations and they always have a MARVELOUS staff and crew on every ship I have been on. I always meet wonderful travelers every trip. I LOVE Grand Circle Christmas Market cruises.

Where do I begin? We were a group of six family members on the Christmas Markets along the Danube cruise. Two of our group were on their third GCCL river cruise, and the four newbies had been captivated by their descriptions of their outstanding experiences on their first two trips. We were not disappointed by our own experiences!

This was my first trip with Grand Circle Cruise Line and hope it won't be my last. The staff an program directors were all friendly and fun. They seemed to truly enjoy their jobs. Food was wonderful and beautifully presented. Tours were filled with historical and cultural information. The only negative item is the mattress was hard but other travelers said to ask for the crew for a duvet under the sheet to help.

We experienced Christmas Markets Along the Danube returning just a week ago. It was a delightful adventure! Some of the highlights included a choral concert by a boys choir, a visit from St. Nicholas and Krampus, being entertained by a local children’s choir, and a visit to the abbey in Melk. The cruise began slowly with too much time spent in Regensburg. We would have gladly traded time in Regensburg with more time in Melk. Melk was delightful, but our time there was far too short!

Our relationship with GCT began in 2005 with a 14 day cruise on the Rhine. We just completed our tenth trip several days ago. While we have taken trips on other cruise ships, they were not the river cruise variety. Our loyalty to GCT is steadfast. Assuming our health allows, there will be future river trips with Grand Circle. What they consistently get right: (1)The food is consistently excellent. (2)The friendliness of the staff is consistently excellent in all departments. (3) The value for the money spent is beyond compare. We have compared other cruise lines and listened to their passengers. Grand Circle delivers the most for the dollar spent.

I have only used OAT and GCCL. The small ship experience is more casual and less hurried. I have found that the staff and crew are top notch. The accommodations on the small ships as opposed to river cruising is more desirable because of the stationary versus fold up bed. Otherwise the rooms are comfortable. As I mentioned the cabin crew, front desk and bar are very good. The food service crew on my last trip seemed to lose steam the closer we got to the end of the voyage. Having a knowledgeable and personable shore director and local guide is the key. They have the ability to provide a more immersive experience and provide the answers you are looking for.

The Romance of Rhine & Mosel River Cruise was fantastic! Johannes, our Program Director, was very knowledgeable, funny, enthusiastic, and patient. He gave onboard discussions about Germany’s elections, social system, the European perspective on a variety of subjects and shared cultural experiences with us. Johannes offered extra optional tours like a train trip to Bern and a fun visit to the Tingley museum – we appreciated Johannes’s timely insights, educational & historical information, and surprise experiences such as warm chestnuts, local cookies and cheeses . He also provided in-depth information on what we were going to see, things to look for and things to do on our own time.

We were on the Seine Cruise - Normandy to Paris last April. Fantastic experience and trip. The program Director was excellent and we were very pleased with staff, food and city tour guides. We just signed up for another trip in 2025.

This is my 3rd GCT cruise and I’ve been consistently impressed. The itinerary and services were excellent. The home hosting sets you apart from other cruises. We all appreciate your highly qualified tour directors, tour guides, and resource speakers. The cruises just keep getting better. We just arrived and we’re already planning our next one.

We had a wonderful time on our Blue Danube from Prague to Budapest. The guides were professional, caring, and knowledgeable. The city walks and tours informative and fun. The optional tours well organized and educational. The ship talks and entertainment educational and enjoyable. The ship was clean, well maintained and the staff and crew were attentive and friendly.

My husband and I recently returned from a Grand Circle trip--cruising the Rhone. Soon after we arrived in Paris, we met our superb guide, Louise **. Louise was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and funny; moreover, she diligently made sure that every detail on the trip was perfect for everyone. I cannot imagine a better guide. Simply put, she embodies the French expressions "joie de vivre" and "esprit de corps." Furthermore, our ship, the MS River Chanson, was extraordinary. The entire crew -- from Captain Ludovic ** to all the waiters (especially Dan & Kruno) to the bartender (Niko) to the cabin attendants (especially Akos, Dora, Krisztina, and Alex) -- was hard-working and extremely personable! The food was exceptional, and the cabin was comfortable and spacious. In short, I recommend Grand Circle Cruise Line without reservation. Merci beaucoup to you all!

I just finished the river cruise with Grand Circle from Budapest to Romania, it was a wonderful trip! The staff are super nice, the food was excellent, the itinerary for the whole trip was well prepared. I really don't expect any better than that! Grand Circle is great!

Taking A River Boat Cruise is wonderful. You get to meet many of your fellow passengers from around the US. It’s a more intimate cruise than a large cruise ship as there are only 150 passengers compared to thousands.

This was my second trip with Grand Circle, and once again, it was simply amazing! I started with the pre-trip to Ayers Rock (Uluru) — a truly breathtaking experience that’s hard to put into words. From there, we explored the wonders of Australia, from the iconic Sydney Opera House to the Great Barrier Reef, both incredible bucket-list highlights.

My husband and I recently completed a wonderfully entertaining and educational journey from Paris to Southern France. We traveled using a high speed train, comfortable riverboat and completed the journey on a comfortable motor bus. It was our 13th trip with this company and once again we were very impressed with the knowledgeable, patient and helpful staff, the well-organized stops/visits, the local experiences and the reasonable price. We have never been disappointed with this company.

Our tour of Australia and New Zealand was fabulous and informative. Our tour director, Paul **, was very knowledgeable of the area and ensured that we saw all the most important sites. The food and accommodations were very good. I loved snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef and cruising Milford Sound.

This was our first river cruise and I don't think any part of it could be improved. If we have the opportunity to travel again, Grand Circle will definitely be our choice. Our Program Director made the trip educational, interesting and entertaining.

Had a wonderful time on Spain and Portugal in Depth! Had never been to either country, and this trip was perfect for seeing many major cities between the two countries. Would definitely recommend to others!

My wife and I returned from the Canadian Maritime & Nova Scotia trip on Monday 10/13/25. We had an absolutely wonderful trip and saw some amazing new sights. We traveled with my sister and brother in-law, which made the trip that much more enjoyable. We met a lot of new "friends" and enjoyed everyone's company. Our Program Director {Margo **} was the best. She made sure everyone was getting to see what they wanted to, and we even saw a few special; things. We would highly recommend her as well as our bus driver {Mike}. They both went above and beyond during the entire trip. Trip was great, meals were great, entertainment was wonderful and sightseeing terrific.

This was my first time on Grand Circle. It was a wonderful experience. The staff went above and beyond to make our time unbelievable. The local guides made the experience that much better. The food on the ship was beyond compare. I highly recommend Grand Circle.

Everything was excellent. Will do another one after I save $$$! Food was top notch. The staff courteous and friendly. Bed was comfortable. Excursions were educational. I learned a lot. I love traveling