Grand Circle Cruise Line (GCCL) marked a milestone on 31 January 2018 when it’s 98-passenger expedition ship Corinthian (1990/4,077gt) reached 66 degrees, 45 minutes south and became the first GCCL vessel to cross the Antarctic Circle and travel that far south.

GCCL is part of Grand Circle Travel, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary having been founded in 1958 by Ethel Andrus as part of a vision to help retired North Americans lead more challenging and active lives.

At first based in New York City, the company was purchased by Alan Lewis in 1985 and its headquarters moved to Boston, but with the same ethos.

Grand Circle Cruise Line today operates a fleet of five privately owned small cruise ships Artemis, Athena, Arethusa, Corinthian and Clio, also eight river cruisers and the charter ships Discovery and Ocean Diamond.

Destinations offered include southern and northern Europe, South America, Antarctica and the Middle East.

Report and photo by Kevin Mitchell