The long-ago romance between Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis is so well documented that opera lovers and yacht lovers alike know the story. Their torrid affair made headlines around the world, ending once Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy. But what if reading about Callas’ and Onassis’ affair simply isn’t enough for you? What if you could learn more about the operatic diva and hear the music that she made so famous while standing aboard the very decks where her passion with Onassis played out? That’s what the owners of Christina O are banking on with the Maria Callas Experience.
In the course of two-day cruises from May to June 2010, the Maria Callas Experience will include some of the most famous arias that the diva performed. They’ll be sung by one of three leading sopranos, all taking place in the famed Callas Lounge onboard Christina O as she ventures from Monte Carlo to Cannes and back. The Callas Lounge, on the main deck, is where the operatic diva rehearsed each day she spent aboard the megayacht with Onassis. Here you’ll find the only gold record she ever received, as well as other memorabilia, including a portrait and the love letters the American gossip columnist Elsa Maxwell wrote to Callas.
Guests will also enjoy an eight-course dinner in the dining room, followed by after-dinner drinks in the famed Ari’s Bar, and breakfast the next day.
Reservations start at £1,500 (approximately $2,437) per person sharing a stateroom. Of course, the Onassis Suite is available, for £4,200 (about $6,825) per person, also double occupancy. Single supplements are available on request. Visit the Web site to make arrangements.
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