BOSTON, June 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alan E. Lewis, chairman of Grand Circle Cruise
Line, the leader in small ship cruising worldwide, today announced
that it will begin operating Cuba's Cultural Treasures: A
Coastal Voyage, an 11-night, 89-passenger cruise tour from Miami to Cuba in January 2017. Grand
Circle will be one of the first cruise lines to operate in
Cuba and the only U.S cruise line
to offer a cruise experience with fewer than 100 passengers.
"More than 7,000 Americans have traveled to Cuba with us through
our Grand Circle Foundation since November
2011 and have been moved by Cuba's warm and welcoming
people, rich history, and vibrant culture," said Lewis. "We
are excited to introduce our new small ship itinerary in
Cuba and to offer further
opportunities for Americans and Cubans to forge new
friendships."
Cuba's Cultural Treasures: A Coastal Voyage will begin in
Miami where, following an
overnight and morning tour of Miami's Little Havana, travelers will embark
the 89-passenger M/V Clio. The ship will sail around
Cuba's northern, eastern, and southern coastline for the next seven
days—stopping in port towns and cities that reveal Cuba's complex
history, natural beauty and cultural vibrancy. Along the way,
travelers will experience the Afro-Cuban traditions of Matanzas and
the tranquil small cities of Caibarien and Remedios, discover the
historical legacy of Santiago de
Cuba, and explore the picturesque colonial streets of
Trinidad and the artistic legacy
of Cienfuegos. Travelers will disembark their ship in
Cienfuegos and drive overland to Havana, where they will spend the next three
nights in Cuba's capital city before departing for home. (A
reverse itinerary beginning in Havana and ending in Miami is also available).
Throughout this People-to-People itinerary, travelers will meet
Cubans from all walks of life and experience their myriad passions
and traditions, including music and baseball. They will visit
a casa particular, a restaurant run in a private home,
to savor a lunch of authentic Cuban dishes—and talk with baseball
players during a visit to the oldest, continuously utilized
baseball diamond in the Western Hemisphere. Travelers will
enjoy Cuban music and dance performances and will meet painters,
basket makers, ceramists, writers, and musicians throughout the
country. They also will take part in discussions with local
experts on a variety of topics, including Cuba's economy,
Afro-Cuban religions, the history of the National Ballet, daily
life in Cuba, and more—and they'll
learn how to cook a few local specialties, play the popular game of
dominoes, and dance the traditional casino (Cuban
salsa).
Cuba's Cultural Treasures: A Coastal Voyage begins at
$6795 per person and includes:
Visa for non-Cuban-born participants;
Accommodations: 1 night at a hotel in Miami; 7 nights aboard Grand Circle's M/V
Clio, and 3 nights at a hotel in Havana; 28
meals, including Captain's Welcome and Farewell receptions and
dinners and complimentary house beer, wine, and soft drinks served
while on board; 7 exclusive tours with headsets; Airport
transfers in Miami; All
port charges; Gratuities for local guides
and motorcoach drivers; Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage per
person, and more. Grand Circle's local Program Directors will
be assigned to no more than 25 travelers and will accompany their
small group from their arrival in Cuba to their departure, introducing travelers
to the insights that only a local expert can provide.
Grand Circle Cruise Line acquired the M/V Clio in 2015
and has just this month completed a $5M renovation. The ship carries 89
passengers in 45 outside-facing cabins. The ship is part of a
fleet of ships that have been ranked among the "Top 100 Cruise
Ships in the World"—including top 5 Small Ships by Condé Nast
Traveler readers.
For more information about the itinerary or ship, please visit
Cuba's Cultural Treasures or call 1-800-221-2610.
About Grand Circle Cruise Line
Established in 1998,
Grand Circle Cruise Line offers 16 River Cruises and Cruise Tours
throughout Europe as well as 16
Small Ship Cruise Tours to Antarctica, Panama, Europe, the Dalmatian Coast, Greece and the Greek Islands, the Aegean,
Adriatic and beyond. The cruise line is a division of Grand
Circle Corporation, which also includes Overseas Adventure Travel
(est. 1978) and Grand Circle Travel (est. 1958). Grand Circle
has more than 30 offices worldwide and approximately 3,500
associates, guides, and crew serving more than 110,000 travelers
per year. In 1992, owners Alan and
Harriet Lewis established the nonprofit Grand Circle
Foundation to support communities in which Grand Circle works and
travels, including some 300 humanitarian, cultural, and educational
endeavors worldwide—among them, 100 schools, in 50 countries.
The Foundation is an entity of the Lewis Family Foundation, which
has pledged or donated more than $164
million since 1981.
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SOURCE Grand Circle Cruise Line