Brooks Aehron
& the "Music at Sea"
Concert Cruise Programme
Welcome! You can browse my home page, read my latest Blog entry for our January 12, 2009 Ultimate Caribbean Music at Sea Concert Cruise on Celebrity Constellation, or get the details on our upcoming Music at Sea Concert Cruises by clicking on the desired link below. I hope you will join me on a Music at Sea Concert Cruise very soon. It's the ultimate classical music theme cruise for music lovers.
Brooks Aehron was born into a musical family in the mediaeval market town of Guildford, England, where his unusual talent for the piano quickly manifested itself into numerous awards and scholarships. When just ten years old he was selected for free tuition at London's famous Royal College of Music which later awarded him a prestigious Foundation Scholarship. On completion of his studies Brooks became a member of the college staff but eventually the demands of a flourishing performing career forced the exclusion of his teaching activities.
In
England, Brooks Aehron has appeared at the major concert halls including
the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Wigmore Hall. Press reports
have described him as an "astonishing pianist" with "deep musical insight"
and "phenomenal technique". His amazing versatility has even taken him to
that temple of show business, the legendary London Palladium, where, on
a live telecast he caused a sensation by performing Leroy Anderson's "The
Typewriter" - playing both piano and typewriter simultaneously!
He has guested on many television shows, and his enormously successful BBC radio programme "Brooks Aehron's Serenade", featuring his playing and presentational skills and sixty piece orchestra, ran through two series with repeats, each time topping the Audience Appreciation Index.
Brooks Aehron is a regular guest artiste for the major cruise lines. He was one of the first to be engaged at the start-up of Celebrity Cruises and has made over 200 appearances on the legendary "Queen Elizabeth 2", where he was one of the special guest performers on the superliner's final transatlantic voyage of the last Millennium and the first transatlantic voyage of this Millennium! He created and inaugurated the "Classics For Your Pleasure" recitals on Royal Caribbean's "Legend of the Seas" and "Splendour of the Seas" and starred in Royal Caribbean International's Gershwin centenary show - "By George It's Gershwin" - which was created for him.
When not on tour Brooks lives quietly in London with his wife, the writer Ann Mann, preparing new programmes and coping with the ever increasing demands of furry felines!
Mr. Aehron offers multiple "Music at Sea" Concert Cruises each year. At the end of 2008 we will have completed our 24th "Music at Sea" Concert Cruise and cruise up to #32 are already annouced. . These very special cruises offer a unique opportunity for a limited number of people to enjoy his music with private concerts and many special events exclusively for guests of the Music at Sea Concert Cruises.
Other passengers on board the cruise ship will not know about these private functions and are not permitted to attend. These special events and concerts are held exclusively for guests of the Music at Sea Concert Cruises. Each program is uniquely designed for lovers of great music and include:
To get our special group price that includes all the unique Music at Sea program events and be included in the limited number of special guests allowed on each Music at Sea Concert Cruise, one must purchase these cruises from GalaxSea Cruises of San Diego, the exclusive travel agency for these special cruises.
John and Rosemary Roberts are dear friends of Brooks Aehron and are the owners of GalaxSea Cruises & Tours of San Diego. We have handled all of the Music at Sea Concert Cruises since 2001 and will be happy to add you to our growing list of very special guests. We look forward to meeting you on one of the Music at Sea Concert Cruises described below. Please note, every year we meet Brooks fans on board the ship that learn about the Music at Sea Concert Cruise schedule from our mailings and mistakenly purchased the cruise through their local agency. When they get on board they were sorely disappointed to learn they are not part of our group, are not notified of our functions and do not get to enjoy any of the Music at Sea events. For Music at Sea Concert Cruises one must purchase the cruise through GalaxSea Cruises & Tours of San Diego. You are welcome to book all other cruises with you local agent and we will not market any other cruises to you. One last point is that our special price includes all these private functions and your local agent's price includes none of these special events and is likely to be a higher price and offers less.
Dear Friends,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and life is treating you well - Yes, and anticipating your silent question, - “Thank you, I’m fine!”
The ‘Music At Sea’ programme for the second half of 2009 and early 2010 has just been released and I am delighted to enclose your copy.
When MAS started with just one cruise in 2000 I could not have foreseen that by 2008 the programme would have become so popular that I would be sending a brochure featuring ‘Music At Sea’ cruises to Asia, South America, the Caribbean, Europe (both Mediterranean and the Baltic) and that perennial favourite the New England Fall cruise out of New York to Quebec.
To all whose support has made this possible, a heartfelt ‘Thank you’.
Catering for ‘music lovers’ rather than ‘music specialists’ (although all are welcome), I can best describe the MAS group as convivial, bound by a mutual love of music and cruising. At some point in the past, I will have had the pleasure of meeting and playing for each member and an ambience is created where friendships can be forged and rekindled.
Our private programme includes concerts presented and played by myself plus a tailor-made land excursion. Previous excursions have included a guided tour and wine tasting at Chateau de Berne in France followed by a concert in the owner's private rooms. In St. Petersburg a private concert in the personal apartment of the great Russian composer Rimsky Korsakoff followed by a banquet at the legendary Demidov restaurant, and in Norway a visit to Edvard Grieg's villa 'Troldhaugen' where I was permitted to play the great composer's treasured Steinway piano just for our group.
As you read through the brochure you will notice that John and Rosemary have pulled off a ‘coup’ by obtaining group space on Celebrity’s newest ships during their inaugural seasons in Europe. To be named ‘Solstice’ and ‘Equinox’, these ships are so new they are still being constructed(!) Already they are creating a ‘buzz’ and I have no doubt that once they enter service they will become the talk of the industry. Sailing ‘round trip’ from Italy, MAS has the choice of the Greek Isles and Eastern Mediterranean in July (Solstice) or ‘Ancient Empires’ in October (Equinox). This latter will include 2 days in Egypt (for Cairo and the pyramids) and a further 2 days in Israel (for the Holy places).
In August 2009 we offer a return to the ever popular Baltic - but this time with a twist! Azamara Journey will sail round trip from Amsterdam and plans to utilize her petite size by navigating the Neva river into the heart of St. Petersburg, docking close to the Winter Palace for 3 days! (Read about our previous shore excursion there earlier in this letter)
We also feature two of our favourite ships Constellation
and Infinity. In September 2009 we offer a repeat of Constellation’s
popular Fall cruise round trip from New York to Quebec (Yes, we plan to repeat
that fantastic shore excursion with concert at Montmorency Falls) and in February
2010 ( the 10th. Anniversary of MAS) we visit her sister ship, Infinity, for
a ‘Music At Sea’ first South America and the Antarctic, round
trip from Buenos Aires! A magnificent
commencement to our anniversary celebrations.
Four years ago I drew attention to the decline in the spending power of the US dollar and pointed out the attractions of purchasing a cruise where all onboard spending - drinks, shops and shore excursions - are priced and sold in US dollars. Looking into my crystal ball again I suggest that anybody considering taking a European cruise should do so within the next few years. The European economic union is fast developing into a political union carrying with it with the possibility of a European minimum wage being adopted. If this becomes a reality and is applied to crew and staff onboard cruise ships the price of European cruising will rocket. Join us before its too late!
With warmest thoughts
Brooks Aehron,
London
P.S.
May I also mention three cruises from our previous brochure which are still
available? In January 2009 we have a few cabins open for our 11 night Caribbean
cruise onboard ‘Constellation’ - a great way to start the New
Year and recover from the Holiday season, and in March 2009 Music At Sea moves
onboard the luxurious and intimate Azamara Quest for our most successful offering
ever - China and Japan. The bad news is that we have very limited space for
this one. The good news is that what space we have is available at rates negotiated
last year - which now represent an absolute bargain. There are also still
a few cabins left on our ‘Best of Italy’ cruise on Quest Sept.
13, 2008.
In calendar year 2009 we have 6 Music at Sea cruises planned. They offer:
- two new ships, Celebrity Solstice & Equinox
- our first cruise to China
- our first cruises to Egypt, Israel and the Greek Isles! Also first time to Antarctica in Feb. 2010.
- a huge favorite repeated Canada/NE
Our five 2009 Music at Sea Cruises areas follows:
Details on our five 2009 offerings follow:
1.
11-nt Ultimate Caribbean Jan. 12, 2009 on Celebrity Constellation
| Date | Day | Port | Arrive | Depart |
| Jan. 12 | M | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | --- |
5 PM |
| Jan. 13 | Tu | At Sea | ||
| Jan. 14 | W | George Town, Grand Cayman | 7 AM |
5:30 PM |
| Jan. 15 | Th | At Sea | ||
| Jan. 16 | F | At Sea | ||
| Jan. 17 | Sa | Cartagena, Columbia | 7 AM |
4 PM |
| Jan. 18 | Su | Cristobal Pier, Colon, Panama | 8 AM |
6 PM |
| Jan. 19 | M | Puerto Limon, Costa Rica | 7 AM |
7 PM |
| Jan. 20 | T | At Sea | ||
| Jan. 21 | W | Cozumel, Mexico | 9 AM |
7 PM |
| Jan. 22 | Th | At Sea | ||
| Jan. 23 | F | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (flights OK after 12pm) | 7 AM |
2. 14-nt Beijing to
Hong Kong on Azamara Quest March 14, 2009
| Date | Day | Port | Arrive | Depart |
| Mar 14 | Sa | Tianjin (for Beijing) | 6 PM |
|
| Mar 15 | Su | Dalian, China | 9 AM |
4 PM |
| Mar 16 | M | Seoul (Incheon) South Korea | 11 AM |
8PM |
| Mar 17 | T | At Sea | ||
| Mar 18 | W | Kyoto (Osaka), Japan (Overnight) | 3 PM |
|
| Mar 19 | Th | Kyoto (Osaka), Japan | 6 PM |
|
| Mar 20 | F | Hiroshima, Japan | 7 AM |
5 PM |
| Mar 21 | Sa | Busan, South Korea | 10 AM |
9 PM |
| Mar 22 | Su | At Sea | ||
| Mar 23 | M | Shanghai, China | 7 AM |
|
| Mar 24 | T | Shanghai, China | 9 PM |
|
| Mar 25 | W | At Sea | ||
| Mar 26 | Th | At Sea | ||
| Mar 27 | F | Hong Kong (overnight) | 7 AM |
--- |
| Mar 28 | Sa | Hong Kong disembark (flights OK after Noon) | 7 AM |
--- |
3. 12-nt Scandinavia/Russia Aug. 5, 2009 on Azamara Journey
| Date | Day | Port | Arrive | Depart |
| Aug 5 | W | Copenhagen, Denmark | --- |
5 PM |
| Aug. 6 | Th | Warnemunde (for Berlin), Germany | 7 AM |
9:30 PM |
| Aug. 7 | F | At Sea | ||
| Aug. 8 | Sa | Helsinki, Finland | 9:30 AM |
6 PM |
| Aug. 9 | Su | St. Petersburg, Russia (overnight) | 8 AM |
|
| Aug. 10 | M | St. Petersburg, Russia (overnight) | ||
| Aug. 11 | Tu | St. Petersburg, Russia | 5 PM |
|
| Aug. 12 | W | Tallinn, Estonia | 7 AM |
5 PM |
| Aug. 13 | Th | Stockholm, Sweden (overnight) | 10 AM |
|
| Aug. 14 | F | Stockholm, Sweden | 5 PM |
|
| Aug. 15 | Sa | At Sea | ||
| Aug. 16 | Su | Travemunde (for Lubeck), Germany | 7 AM |
6 PM |
| Aug. 17 | M | Copenhagen, Denmark | 7 AM |
4. 14-nt Canada/New England fall colors on Celebrity Constellation Sept. 19, 2009
| Date | Day | Port | Arrive | Depart |
| Sep 19 | Sa | Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ | 5 PM |
|
| Sep 20 | Su | Newport, Rhode Island | 8 AM |
6 PM |
| Sep 21 | M | At Sea | ||
| Sep 22 | T | Boston, Massachusetts | 8 AM |
6 PM |
| Sep 23 | W | Portland, Maine | 8 AM |
6 PM |
| Sep 24 | Th | Bar Harbor, Maine | 8 AM |
5 PM |
| Sep 25 | F | Halifax, Nova Scotia | 10 AM |
6 PM |
| Sep 26 | Sa | At Sea | ||
| Sep 27 | Su | Quebec City, Quebec (overnight) | 10 AM |
|
| Sep 28 | M | Quebec City, Quebec | 5 PM |
|
| Sep 29 | T | At Sea | ||
| Sep 30 | W | Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island | 8 AM |
5 PM |
| Oct 1 | Th | Sydney, Nova Scotia | 7 AM |
3 PM |
| Oct 2 | F | At Sea | ||
| Oct 3 | Sa | Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ | 7 AM |
5. 13-nt Egypt, Israel, Greece, Italy & Turkey on Oct. 23, 2009 on Celebrity
Equinox
| Date | Day | Port | Arrive | Depart |
| Oct 23 | F | Civitavecchia (for Rome), Italy | 6 PM |
|
| Oct 24 | Sa | At Sea | ||
| Oct 25 | Su | Piraeus (for Athens), Greece | 10 AM |
7 PM |
| Oct 26 | M | Rhodes, Greece | 10 AM |
6 PM |
| Oct 27 | T | Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Turkey | 7 AM |
7 PM |
| Oct 28 | W | At Sea | ||
| Oct 29 | Th | Haifa, Israel | 7 AM |
10 PM |
| Oct 30 | F | Ashdod, Israel | 7 AM |
7 PM |
| Oct 31 | Sa | Alexandria, Egypt (overnight) | 10 AM |
|
| Nov 1 | Su | Alexandria, Egypt | 10 PM |
|
| Nov 2 | M | At Sea | ||
| Nov 3 | T | At Sea | ||
| Nov 4 | W | Naples/Capri, Italy | 6:30 AM |
6:30 PM |
| Nov 5 | Th | Civitavecchia (for Rome), Italy | 4 AM |
--- |
Our June 2008 mailing covered five exciting new Music at Sea Concert Cruises for 2009 and one cruise Feb. 14, 2010 to Antarctica. In June 2009 we plan to announce additional 2010 Music at Sea Concert Cruises
Details on our only 2010 offering at this time follows:
1. 14-nt Antarctica & South America February 14, 2010 on Celebrity Infinity
| Date | Day | Port | Arrive | Depart |
| Feb 14 | Su | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 5 PM |
|
| Feb 15 | M | At Sea | ||
| Feb 16 | T | At Sea | ||
| Feb 17 | W | Port Stanley, Falkland Islands | 8 AM |
5 PM |
| Feb 18 | Th | At Sea | ||
| Feb 19 | F | Elephant Island, Antarctica | 8 AM |
2 PM |
| Feb 20 | Sa | Gerlache Straight & Paradise Bay | 11 AM |
4 PM |
| Feb 21 | Su | At Sea | ||
| Feb 22 | M | Ushuaia, Argentina | 10 AM |
7 PM |
| Feb 23 | T | Cape Horn, Chile (circle the famous island) | 8 AM |
10 AM |
| Feb 24 | W | At Sea | ||
| Feb 25 | Th | Puerto Madrym, Argentina | 7 AM |
4 PM |
| Feb 26 | F | At Sea | ||
| Feb 27 | Sa | Montivedeo, Uruguay | 8 AM |
5 PM |
| Feb 28 | Su | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 5 AM |
Celebrity Cruises: Infinity, Constellation, Millennium & Summit (identical sister ships) & starting in 2009 the spectacular new Celebrity Equinox (one of the new Solstice -class ships)
Many of our cruises are offered on Celebrity's top of the line premium class four identical sister ships. These 91,000 ton $350 million ships are larger than many new ships today but holds only about 2000 passengers. Compare this to the larger Grand Princess which is 109,000 tons but holds 3100 people. They are two of the roomiest new ship afloat except for the luxury class ships. Berlitz & Conde Nast Traveler readers rates these ships as the top large cruise ships (over 1000 passengers )and we agree! They set the standard for premium class cruising.
The
Ocean Liners restaurant is the specialty restaurant on board the Constellation
which sets a new standard for dining at sea. It offers an outstanding 5-star
dining experience with highly skilled and knowledgeable staff to make this 3
hour dining experience a meal to remember. It is one of Brooks Aehron's favorite
restaurants anywhere. The restaurant seats 130 guests and has a demonstration
galley, along with a dine-in wine cellar. We expect it to be a dining highlight
of your cruise. There is a small $30 per person service charge to cover staff
gratuities - the food is included in your cruise fare. The Millennium's specialty
restaurant is called the Olympic, the sister ship of the Titanic and includes
wood paneling from the Olympic preserved after her retirement.
Each of the dining areas onboard: the specialty restaurant, the main dining room, the Seaside Cafe and Seaside Grill offer Celebrity's highly rated cuisine. They also offer an excellent sushi bar, and healthy spa cuisine, and custom made pizzas.
These ships offer a number of interesting features and amenities, several of them industry firsts:
In addition to its new public spaces and amenities, there is also the highly-acclaimed, fleetwide signature elements, including museum-quality contemporary art collections, Cova Cafe (a big favorite of Brooks Aehron), Michael's Club piano lounge, a cinema, internet cafe, and Martini and Champagne Bars serving caviar and other delicacies.
We have also used Celebrity's Mercury for the extremely well received 2008 Australia/New Zealand and South Sea back-to-back cruises for Feb.& March 2008. Mercury is a small version of the Millennium Class. We are also using the newly refurbished Century for the first time in 2008. Century has been extensively redone with 314 balconies added, the spa enlarged and a specialty restaurant added. The early reviews have been wonderful. We also look forward to the new Solstice Class Celebrity ships that will debut in October 2008. We expect to offer at least one sailing on Solstice in 2009. Lastly we are very excited to be offering three Music at Sea cruises in 2008/early 2009 on Celebrity new 700 passenger "Deluxe" cruiseline called Azamara Cruises.
New Celebrity Solstice Class
In October 2009 we will use the new Celebrity Equinox for the first time. Equinox makes her inaugural sailing in August 2009. The Equinox is a spectacular new upgrade to the very popular Millennium class ships from Celebrity. You can see our review of her identical sister ship the Solstice at this link. The pool deck for the Solstice is shown below.
Azamara Cruises
Azamara Cruises was created by Celebrity in May 2007. We are excited to be able to offer our Music at Sea guests three outstanding choices on Azamara in 2008. Azamara is:
Beautiful Michaels Club
Prime C is the steak and seafood sepcialty restaurant - no extra charge.
You can see our online brochure for Azamara cruises at click here
Brooks Aehron 2009 Music at Sea Cruises
| Category | March 14, 2009 China & Japan 14-night (Note 6) |
Aug. 5, 2009 Scan/ Russia 12-night (Note 7) | Sept. 19, 2009 Canada/NE 14-night | Oct. 23, 2009 Egypt, Israel & Med. 13-night |
| Cruiseline | Azamara |
Azamara |
Celebrity |
Celebrity |
| Ship | Quest |
Journey |
Constellation |
Equinox |
| Inside | call |
call |
call |
call |
| Oceanview (1) | call |
call |
call |
call |
| Entry Balcony (2) | call |
call |
call |
call |
Concierge Class or 1A Balcony (3) |
pleaes call |
for current |
prices - |
now lower |
| Aqua Class Balcony(8) | n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
call |
| Sky Suite (4) | call |
call |
call |
call |
| Royal Suite (4) | call |
call |
call |
call |
Category Cruiseline Ship Inside cat 9 Oceanview (1) 2B Balcony (2) Concierge Class Balcony (3)
Sky Suite (4) Royal Suite (4)
*Prices are per person double occupancy and INCLUDE port charges, GRATUITIES, taxes & all Music at Sea Concert Cruise events. Airfare is not included (see notes 5 & 6). Don't be confused by on-line prices that exclude all these items. These prices in U.S. dollars.
Each Music at Sea Concert Cruise requires a minimum subscription level and may be cancelled if that is not reached. In that event all deposits will be refunded. Call for single prices. Space is limited so reserve early! If prices decline we can reduce your price but reserving early locks in these great low prices which can go up significantly over time.
A refundable $900 per cabin deposit holds your cabin!
NOTES:
(1) Unobstructed oceanview category 7 (170 sq.ft.) on Celebrity, category 4
on Azamara (161sq.ft.)
(2) 2B balcony (208 sq.ft) on Celebrity, on category 2A on Azamara (216 sq.ft.)
(3) Concierge Class
(CC Balcony on Celebrity is 232 sq. ft.) and includes many special suite amenities
like upgraded linens, fixtures & bedding, priority embarkation/disembarkation,
fresh flowers, pillow-menu & personalized stationary. Cat 1A on Azamara
is more midship than category 2A but is same 216 sq. ft. All cabins on Azamara
receive concierge class-like amenities.
(4) Please call for size, location, current price and amenity differences between
Celebrity and Azamara suites
(6) Special $1499 airfare with
transfers from major North America gateways
(7) Special $1199 airfare with transfers from
major North America gateways
(8) Aqua Class Balconies have all the Concierge class amentites plus more. Celebrity is making the AQ class cabins into part of a spa experience. The cabins have some spa features built into them, such as mood lighting, ambient music/sound, scent selections, a "conscious dream enhancer", extra pillows, 8-head shower, etc. so that they seem like an extension of the AquaSpa. In addition, you get preferential booking for the Spa treatments, your own restaurant Blu, and complimentary access to the Persian Gardens (a value of over $100) and the forward facing Relaxation Lounge like your own private observation lounge with refreshments.
The Persian Gardens is like a sauna - eucalyptus scent, heated tile lounges, two steam rooms, New Age music. It's a "private sauna". The Relaxation Lounge is a private, quiet observation lounge with refreshments that is 1-deck above and right over the ship's navigation bridge. It is also complimentary to those in AQ class balcony cabins and suites.
The special restaurant that is assigned to those in the AQ cabins is called Blu, and has a lighter, healthier menu as well as the menu from the main dining room. If space is available, then non AQ Class passengers can make reservations for this restaurant at an extra charge.
We suggest you reserve you space early as Music at Sea Concert Cruises have limited space to ensure the experience is outstanding and they sell out quickly. You can only reserve space for this private event through GalaxSea Cruises of San Diego.
Guests must book Music
at Sea Concert Cruises through GalaxSea Cruises of San Diego 1-800-923-7245
or 1-760-789-9635, the
exclusive agents for Brooks Aehron Music at Sea program. Passengers booking
through any other agency will not be part of the Music at Sea Group and
will not be able to attend any of our private concerts, exclusive tours
and private “Music at Sea” events. We know you have your favorite
travel agent but for these special cruises you have to book through GalaxSea.
You can still book all your other cruises with your own agent. It is the
only way to bring you exciting private programs like these with Brooks Aehron
.
To
reserve your space please fill out our quote request form by clicking on
the button below, email us at john@galaxsea.com or call GalaxSea Cruises
San Diego at 1-800-923-7245 (or 1-760-789-9635) . .
To go to the main page for GalaxSea Cruises of San Diego click below
email: john@galaxsea.com
CST # 1011227-40
Copyright 2008 GalaxSea Cruise
