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Grand Circle Cruise Line acquired the M/V Clio
in 2015 as the Paul Gauguin Cruises "Tere Moana", she will be renamed "Clio" by
Grand Circle Cruise Line following a $5M refit which began in May 2016 and
completed this month.
 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. Alan E.
Lewis, chairman of Grand Circle Cruise Line announced that it will begin
operating "Cuba’s Cultural Treasures: A Coastal Voyage", an 11-night,
89-passenger cruise tour departing 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). |
