Brooks Aehron

& the "Music at Sea"

Concert Cruise Programme

• Biography
• Music at Sea Program
• 2012 Music at Sea Cruises
• Brooks Blog for June 2, 2007 Music at Sea
• Brooks Blog for Feb. 17 & March 2, 2008 Aus/NZ Music at Sea Cruises
• Brooks Blog for Sept. 13, 2008 Italy Music at Sea #24
• Brooks Blog for Jan. 12, 2009 Caribbean Music at Sea #26
• Brooks Blog for March 14, 2009 China Music at Sea #27
• Brooks Blog for February 14, 2010 Antarctica Music at Sea #32
• Brooks Blog for May 23, 2010 Western Med & London Music at Sea #34
• Brooks Blog for June 20, 2010 Alaska & the Canadian Rockies Music at Sea #35
• Brooks Blog for Sept 17, 2010 West Coast Music at Sea #36
• Brooks Blog for Oct 18, 2010 Egypt & Israel Music at Sea #37
• Brooks Blog for March 13, 2011 South America & Panama Canal #38
• Cruise Ships Used for Music at Sea Concert cruises
• MAS Concert Cruise Prices
• Important information

• Three private concerts exclusively for guests of the Music at Sea Concert Cruise
• Dining in small groups with Brooks Aehron - an evening to get to know this very special man and his wonderful wit and sense of humor
• Special events for each cruise exclusively for the concert guests (for example we took a private trip from Villefranche to Chateau De Berne a private villa in Lorgue in the South of France. We had a tour of the villa, vineyard and winery, wine lecture, lunch, and then a private concert performed by Brooks Aehron on the owner's Steinway Concert Grand piano. It was an incredible special event that exceeded everyone's already high expectations. "The highlight of any cruise I've ever taken" according to one of guests.
• Guest artists on some cruises
• Private cocktail party and reception with Brooks Aehron
• Coffee & pastry with Brooks Aehron on some sea days
• Private CD signing session with Brooks Aehron
• Reduced CD prices
• Sometimes Mr. Aehron also performs bonus concerts for everyone aboard the ship

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.

2012 Brooks Aehron "Music at Sea" Concert Cruises

For 2012 we have three Music at Sea offerings:

1. 13-nt NorwegianFjords & Brooks' London, May 4, 2012
2. 12-nt Jewels of the West Coast Sept. 12, 2012 - Vancouver to San Diego
3. 11-nt Treasures of China, October 9, 2012

Details on each 2012 offerings follows:

 

 

 

1. 13-nt NorwegianFjords & Brooks' London, May 4, 2012

• The package starts May 4, 2012 with an 8-night scenic cruise on Celebrity Eclipse roundtrip London to the stunning Norwegian Fjords. Includes Grieg’s lovely hometown of Bergen, Flam, Oslo and the most beautiful Fjord in the world – Geiranger.
• The cruise is followed by a 5-night London package of hotel, tours and two concerts. You will visit Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, historic Lacock Village, Brooks’ Royal College of Music, with a concert by Brooks at Wigmore Hall – where Artur Rubinstein and Brooks Aehron made their debuts - Greenwich, and Sir William Gilbert’s home at Grim’s Dyke for a tour, lunch and private concert from Brooks. This is a chance to visit some of Brooks’ favorite places in London, plus enjoy plenty of free time to visit your own favorite places.
• There will be a total of three private concerts included in this 13-night package.
• Please visit www.MusicAtSea.com for more details on each of our 2012 offerings
• Click here for Pricing information
• An itinerary overview follows:

2. 12-nt Jewels of the West Coast Sept. 12, 2012 - Vancouver to San Diego

• This package starts with 2 nights in Vancouver touring this Jewel of Canada with a city highlights tour (Stanley Park, Granville Island, The Lookout or Grouse Mountain for incredible views, Chinatown, Gastown, and Queen Elizabeth Park) plus free time.
• The next part of the package is an 8-night West Coast & Wine cruise from Vancouver to San Diego with stops in Nanaimo (steam train & wineries), Victoria (for Butchart Gardens, the inner harbor, Empress Hotel and museums), San Francisco (2 days in this gateway to the Napa Valley), Monterey (Cannery Row, Steinbeck Country and a world-famous Aquarium) and ending in San Diego. Brooks will perform two private concerts for you and perform for the entire ship. He will also dine with each of you once during the cruise.
• Your package continues with 2 nights in San Diego. You will have free time on day 1 when the cruise arrives including Hop On/Off Trolley tickets. On day two you will have a tour of some of John’s favorite places (Cabrillo National Monument for incredible views of the bay & downtown area, then on to the lovely seaside village of La Jolla) followed by lunch at John & Rosemary’s home concluding with a private concert from Brooks.
• Click here for Pricing information
• An itinerary overview follows:

3. 11-nt Treasures of China with Yangtze River cruise Oct 9, 2012

• 11-nights from Beijing to Hong Kong including 3-night Yangtze River cruise
• Start with 4 nights in Beijing at the outstanding Peninsula Hotel with tours of Beijing highlights: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven and a private concert performed by Brooks.
• Fly to Xian for 1-night to see the Terra Cotta Warriors plus a Tang Dynasty dinner and show.
• Next is a 3 night Yangtze River cruise on 5-star Victoria Jenna in a Balcony Cabin. See some of China’s most beautiful scenery: the famous Three Gorges plus a Three Gorges Dam tour.
• After the cruise you will fly to Shanghai for 3 nights in this incredibly fast-growing crown jewel of China. Tours include the restored Bund, Yu Gardens, impressive Urban Planning Center with a model of the city that takes an entire floor, Shanghai Museum, acrobat show, and a private concert performed by Brooks. During a free day to explore you might take a ride on the world’s fastest train - the Maglev Train traveling at 431 km/h (268 mph).
• There is also an optional 3 night Hong Kong extension with flights at $1428 per person
  
  

Cruise Ships Used for Music at Sea Concert Cruises

Celebrity Cruises: Infinity, Constellation, Millennium & Summit (identical sister ships) & starting in 2009 the spectacular new Solstice Class - Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, Silhouette & Refelction. in 2012 the Millennium class ships will all be solsticized with major upgrades including additonal specialty restaurants, Aqua class cabins, Blu restuarant and more.

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:

• one of the first cruise ship to incorporate gas turbine technology, a propulsion system which reduces exhaust emissions by up to 90 percent and considerably curtails noise and vibration, offering guests the ultimate in cruising comfort.
• 80 percent oceanview staterooms, 74 percent with verandahs.
• The Penthouse Suites, encompassing nearly 3,000 square feet with verandah and including such opulent appointments as a butler's pantry, personal exercise equipment, and a baby grand piano.

• The 25,000 sq. ft. AquaSpa is the largest and most sophisticated spa at sea.
• The Emporium, a 14,000 sq. ft. shopping area, is one of the largest designer boutique afloat.
• Glass-enclosed elevators, offering guests captivating, panoramic ocean views as they move from deck to deck.

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 also used 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 debuted in October 2008. We have our first sailing on Equinox on October 2009.

Lastly we are very excited to be offering Music at Sea cruises on Celebrity's new 700 passenger "Deluxe" cruiseline named 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 choices on Azamara Cruises for select Music at Sea Cruises as well. Azamara is:

• An intimate deluxe cruise experience on a small 30,000 ton ship that holds only 700 guests with luxurious decor reminiscent of a small European Hotel
• Gratuities are included as are European wines & berr with dinner, specialty coffees & bottle water daily
• “Deluxe” cruises are like “premium” class cruises on a smaller more intimate ship. They cost much less than the luxury class small ships – typically less than half. Azamara is also priced hundreds lower than Oceania – the only other Deluxe cruise line.
• Impeccable service with every cabin receiving concierge-style amenities like fresh flowers, fresh fruit, Elemis toiletries, complimentary use of Frette cotton robes, slippers, plasma TVs, European bedding & pillow menu, shoeshine service, complimentary tote bag, stationery and pen.
• A higher level of sumptuous dining featured in the main dining room with open seating (dine when you want and with whom you want). Menus will reflect the destinations on your cruise to add a sense of the culture in the area you are visiting
• Two specialty restaurant options: Prime C for steak and seafood and Aqualina for Mediterranean-style dining. These restaurants are both outstanding! Some like them even better than those on Celebrity.
• Resort casual attire and no formal nights
• Luxury cruise focus on adults - no children’s program
• No smoking allowed in cabins or on stateroom balconies
• Specially designed shore excursion with an on board "excursion expert" serving as a local expert and guide for each port of call

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

AMA Waterways

ms AmaLyra - luxury river cruise ship built in 2009

This is one of 58 French Balcony cabins (category C, B & A). They differ only by location. The ms AmaLyra has only 75 cabins. 62 have a French Balcony - an AMA Waterway innovation. They were the first to introduce this design to river cruising and it one of their most distinctive feature. Due to the narrow locks found on the rivers balconies that exteneded outward are not possible. The French balcony is behind the curtains. Standard window cabins and French Balcony cabins both have 170 sq.ft. but appear to be wider than ocean ship balconies. The French Balcony doors slide open so you can get fresh air and have a wall of glass for great views and you will be able to experiences the sights, sounds and smells as you gluide past the beautiful scenery. You cannot step outside, however.

The AmaLyra has 13 small window cabins located on the Piano deck, the lowest deck. Prices are the lowest for these cabins. Each has two small wide windows that are high up on the wall. It appears one would have to stand to see out well, but the cabins are full of light and the same size as the French Balcony cabins - just not a good a view..

This is a luxurious Junior Suite which is 50% larger than the window and French Balcony cabins at 255 sq. ft. All categories have marble appointed bathrooms with mullti-head shower. The Junior Suite also have a bathtub, and two sets of windows and lots of room.

Meals are open seating and served anytime within the dining range, like 6 to 9pm for dinner. As you can see the meals have the same luxurious and high standards seen thoughtout the ship. European wines are compliementary with dinner, as well as beer and sodas. Bottled water is supplied every day. Specialty coffees are also included at mealtime.

The side view of the ms AmaLyra is shown below. All the aft cabins on the top two decks have large french balcony windows that open. Note the very small, narrow windows just above the water line and below the French Balcony cabins These are the windows for the 13 Window cabins on the Piano Deck that do not have a French Balcony.

The Sun Deck is outside on top of the ship.

The Violin Deck is the highest passenger deck and will have the best views. It is under the Sun Deck. All cabins have French Balconies. The three largest cabins (301, 303 & 304) are the Junior Suites. Cabin 302 is a cateogry A+ and is 30 sq. ft.smaller thant the Jr. Suites.

The Cello Deck also has only French Balcony cabins but is one deck lower than the Violin Deck.

The Piano Deck has cabins with small fixed windows high up on the wall and do not permit great viewing.

Cabin Categories Legend & Notes:

Fuschia - Jr. Suite Violin Deck with French Balcony 255 sq. ft. - cabins 301, 303 & 304

Fuschia - A+ Violin Deck with French Balcony 225 sq. ft. - cabin 302

Blue - Category A Violin Deck French Balcony 170 sq. ft. - cabins 305 to 324
Green - Category B Cello & Violin Deck French Balcony 170 sq. ft.- 325 to 328 & 201 to 226
Purple - Category C Cello Deck French Balcony 170 sq. ft. - cabins 329-332 & 227 to 230

Gold - Category D Piano Deck Fixed window 170 sq. ft. - cabins 101 to 107
Yellow - Category E Piano Deck Fixed window 170 sq. ft.- cabins 108 to 113

Pricing Information

For 2012 Music at Sea Cruises, please call GalaxSea Cruises and Tours of San Diego (1-760-789-9635) for current prices and availability. You must reserve your cabin through GalaxSea Cruises of San Diego to be included in the PRIVATE Music at Sea program. Space is very limited.

Brooks Aehron 2012 Music at Sea Concert Cruise Prices*

	May 4, 2012 Norwegian Fjords and London 13-nights	Sept 12, 2012 Jewels of the West Coast 12-nights	Oct 9, 2012 Treasures of China 11-nights
Cruiseline	Celebrity	Celebrity	Land Tour &
Ship	Eclipse	Millennium	Victoria Jenna
Category Cabin:	Category/Price	Category/Price	Category/Price
Inside	call	call	call
Oceanview (1)	call	call	call
Concierge Class or Large Balcony (3)	$4302 to $4482	$3280 to $3381	$3649
Suites (4)	call	$6085 to $6485	call
Type Program	Full MAS	Full MAS	Full MAS
Gratuities Included	Yes	Yes	Yes
Minimum Guests required	26	26	26
Deposit for cabin	$600pp	$600pp	$600pp
Prices Good Until	Jan 19 call after then	March 29 call after then	Feb 28 call after then

 

* Prices are per person double occupancy and INCLUDE port charges, taxes, all Music at Sea Concert Cruise private concerts and events plus most GRATUITIES. Web prices do not include any of these items. These prices are in U.S. dollars. Airfare is not included but available. If prices decline we will lower your price to reflect the change. Please reserve your space early to get our group prices and while selection is good.

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 not listed. Space is limited so reserve early! If prices decline we reduce your price. If price go up, more likely, you are protected by reserving early which locks in these great low prices. Prices go up significantly over time as ships fill.

DEPOSITS: 2012 Music at Sea Deposits are as follows

• $600 per person for Celebrity for standard cabins and Sky Suites - higher level suites $900 per person

2012 Music at Sea Cancellation Penalties:

• $200 per person cancellation penalty from Dec. 1, 2011 until 121 days prior to departure, $400pp from 75 to 120 days, Deposit from 57 to 74 days, 50% from 29 to 56 days, 80% from 15 to 28 days, and 100% within 14 days or no show.

NOTES:

(1) Oceanviews are unobstructed and 170 sq.ft. on Celebrity

(2) Entry balcony category 2A is 208 sq.ft including balcony on Celebrity

(3) Upgraded Concierge Class Balcony on Celebrity Summit/Millennium is 232 sq. ft including the balcony. Concierge Class includes many special suite amenities like upgraded linens, fixtures & bedding, priority embarkation/disembarkation, fresh flowers, pillow-menu & personalized stationary.

(4) Please call for size, location, current price for suites

Important Information