presents

Friends of Opera at Sea Inaugural Cruise

June 2-9, 2012
aboard Seabourn Cruises' luxurious Odyssey

Friends of Opera at Sea is pleased to invite you to join us for a spectacular spring voyage with legendary guest artist soprano Lauren Flanigan, author and On the Beat editor Brian Kellow (Opera News), and opera coach/recording producer/competition judge Scott Barnes.

This seven-day Black Sea Adventure visits historically rich and culturally diverse ports and offers a variety of experiences from colorful and bustling Istanbul to the therapeutic resorts of Odessa.

Enjoy private events and get-togethers with our guest hosts highlighted by two onboard recitals with Ms. Flanigan.

The Seabourn Odyssey accommodates just 450 guests in 225 oceanview luxurious suites, 90% with private verandahs. You'll experience gracious service, the finest dining, and amenities you'd expect from a ship more than twice her size.

Named by TIME Magazine as "the thinking man's diva" and awarded by ASCAP and the Center for Contemporary Opera for her commitment to performing the works of living composers, soprano Lauren Flanigan has firmly established herself as a unique musical presence in the world today. She has been featured on the telecast "Live from Lincoln Center" in performances of I Lombardi (opposite Luciano Pavarotti), The Richard Tucker Gala, Lizzie Borden and Central Park  which was written for her. She has performed at many of the world’s leading opera houses including La Scala, Teatro San Carlo, Bayerische Staatsoper, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera. With American Opera Projects, she created the starring role in the premiere of Marina: A Captive Spirit by Deborah Drattell, and a workshops of Best Friends, by Mrs. Drattell with a libretto by Wendy Wasserstein and Christopher Durang. Most recently, Lauren performed the role of Myra (written for her by Stephen Schwartz in his first opera) in Seance on a Wet Afternoon, which was developed by American Opera Projects, premiered at Santa Barbara Opera, and debuted at New York City Opera.

Closer to home and maybe to her heart is Lauren’s Music & Mentoring House. She has brought this not-for-profit program to life to mentor students whose primary goal is to be successful in opera.

Scott Barnes was trained at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and went on to perform on and off Broadway and around the country, sing on several of the Disney animated films, "act" in forty television commercials between 1977 and 1990, twice won the MAC award for NYC cabaret director of the year (5 nominations), put acts together for Bette Midler, Kathie Lee Gifford, Rita Moreno and scores of other wonderful singers. By a wonderful fluke, liner notes that Scott wrote for a CD were read by Opera New's features editor, and in the last four years Scott has written several features, including three cover articles! He rejoices that he is now friendly with the very singers he has admired for decades. Scott loves singers of all kinds, and has found his unique ability to help them strategize for and enjoy auditions, and to broaden their imaginations to better inhabit songs, arias, and roles. Scott has judged several of opera’s top singing competitions.

Brian Kellow is the features editor of Opera News Magazine, where his popular column, “On the Beat,” appears in each issue. He has written profiles of many leading opera celebrities, including Bryn Terfel, Deborah Voigt, Ricky Ian Gordon, Dolora Zajick, Simon Keenlyside, Marcello Giordani, Natalie Dessay, Joan Sutherland, Régine Crespin, Tobias Picker, James Conlon, and David Daniels. Kellow has contributed articles to Opera, BBC Music Magazine, Playbill, Travel & Leisure, Publishers Weekly, Newsday, Stereophile, Irish America, and other publications. He is the author of three biographies: Ethel Merman: A Life (Viking, 2007) The Bennetts: An Acting Family (University Press of Kentucky, 2004) and Can’t Help Singing: The Life of Eileen Farrell (Northeastern University Press, 1999). His latest book, Pauline Kael: A Life in the Dark, will be published by Viking in October 2011.

Onboard Highlights

Welcome and Farewell Cocktail Parties with guest hosts
Two private recitals
Q&A session with Ms. Flanigan
Hosted Dinner with guest hosts...and more

A Fascinating Black Sea Itinerary

June 2 - Istanbul, Turkey. Spanning Europe and Asia, exotic Istanbul is one of the world's most fascinating cities. Domes and minarets enhance the skyline. Landmarks include Hagia Sophia, once Christendom's greatest church; the Blue Mosque with its striking Iznik tiles; Topkapi Palace, containing a sultan's ransom of treasures; Chora Church with its Byzantine mosaics; and the Grand Bazaar, the ultimate shopping experience.

June 3 - Nessebur, Bulgaria. Nessebur, the ancient Mesembria, was founded in 510 BC by Greek Chalcedonians on an earlier Thracian settlement site. Mesembria prospered as a trade center until the Roman conquest in the first century. Under the Byzantine Empire, Mesembria regained its former importance and its prosperity during that time is evidenced by a number of imposing churches built in the 5th and 6th centuries. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this picturesque island town boasts the most varied architecture in the Balkans.

June 4 - Constanta, Romania. Originally founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC, Constanta is Romania's only major sea port. Rich in history and heavily influenced by centuries of Turkish rule, this capital of the Dobruja region is now a prime center for oil exploration, textiles and furniture manufacturing.

June 5 - Odessa, Ukraine. Known as the "Pearl of the Black Sea", Odessa is a crossroads of cultures, languages and trade, as well as a major seaport and industrial center. Miles of prime beaches attract scores of Eastern Europeans to this "Riviera of the Black Sea." Odessa also features various points of architectural interest including the outstanding Opera House and several interesting museums and former palaces.

June 6 - Yalta, Ukraine. Founded by Byzantines at a point equidistant from the equator and the North Pole, Yalta has an ideal Mediterranean climate and was once a holiday retreat for the elite of Tzarist Russia and the former Soviet States. Located on a sheltered bay, Yalta is lush with flowers, shrubs and exotic plants.

June 7 - Sinop, Turkey. Sinop is one of the oldest cities of the region and the birth place of the famous philosopher Diogenes. Sinop has been a strategic location for the cultural and commerce of the Black Sea for thousand years. This port hosted to many civilizations, including Bronze Age, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman.

June 8 and June 9 - Istanbul, Turkey.

The 450-guest Seabourn Odyssey has the intimate atmosphere of a private club. Accommodations are spacious and luxurious and public areas are stunning and uncrowded. Among her amenities, the state-of-the-art Terrace Spa, a fitness center, a water sports marina, a sun terrace and a 9-hole putting green. Spend your evenings at a show, attend a lecture, enjoy a drink with friends in one of the ship's comfortable lounges, or try your luck at the Casino. Open seating dining is offered in the main Restaurant and there are alternative dining options from elegant to casual.

Suites include living area and bedroom, five-foot wide picture window or Veranda, walk-in closet, flat-screen interactive TV featuring music, movies and more, a fully-stocked bar, Bose Wave Radio CD, writing desk, spacious bathroom with tub, shower, twin sinks and large vanity. Suites also have best selling audiobooks, CDs and DVDs.

Prices below include all shipboard gratuities, stocked mini-bar, fine wines and spirits throughout the ship, 24-hour room service...and a registration fee for private group events, recitals and to benefit participating organizations.
 

Category	Approx. Suite Size	Friends of Opera at Sea Group Rates
Wintergarden Suite (WG)	760-1067 sq. ft.	$13,750
Signature Suite (SS)	760-1067 sq. ft.	$12,550
Owner's Suite (OW)	760-1067 sq. ft.	$10,650
Penthouse Suite (PH)	534 sq. ft.	$8,250
Veranda Suite (V6)	365 sq. ft.	$6,050
Veranda Suite (V5)	365 sq. ft.	$5,900
Veranda Suite (V4)	365 sq. ft.	$5,750
Veranda Suite (V3)	365 sq. ft.	$5,600
Veranda Suite (V2)	365 sq. ft.	$5,450
Veranda Suite (V1)	365 sq. ft.	$5,300
Oceanview Suite (A1)	295 sq. ft.	$5,100
Oceanview Suite (A)	295 sq. ft.	$4.900

Priced per person double occupancy. Seabourn reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement for all guests up to $15 per person per day if the price of light sweet crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) exceeds $70 per barrel.
Some categories may be wait listed. Call Alice Travel for the latest availability.
Government fees and taxes additional.

In the event that any of the guest hosts is unable to travel or attend private events due to illness or circumstances beyond our control, Alice Travel and Cruise Gourmet will not be liable. Applicable Seabourn cancellation penalties will apply. In the event the cruise is terminated or the patron is unable to attend, the participating organizations shall offer each patron/passenger the option to be reimbursed, in whole or in part, for the donation it received. Minimum number of participants required to operate this group event.

Travel Administration for the Friends of Opera at Sea cruise is provided by Alice Travel. You must book through them to participate in this exclusive program. Please call Alice Travel with questions and to make your reservations.

Alice Travel's experienced agents will be happy to help you with all your travel needs including pre- and post-cruise arrangements. They look forward to hearing from you.

888 816-1876	email us	www.alicetravel.com
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