Mediterranean Painting Cruise with Janet October 6 - 25, 2009

Don’t you wish you could just get away, paint and be inspired by seeing fabulous Mediterranean coastal cities? Me too! So, I’m going to teach classes on an 18 day cruise. I will help you capture what you are seeing, as an artist. We’ll have morning, on-site painting in Venice, Rome, Florence, Capri, Marseille, Barcelona, Lisbon and the Azores Islands. I will do a short demonstration at most sites and then give lots of tips while students do their own work. My 3 decades of outdoor (plein air) painting experience aid me in teaching students how to capture the essence of a place, emphasizing good composition, careful values and exciting color. Arrangements and costs of transportation to our painting venues will be at additional cost, to be determined when the final number of participants is known.

One thing I love about this trip is that we will have 6 days at sea the last half of the cruise while crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Here we can really assimilate what we have seen, work on paintings we’ve started, and start new ones from our photographs. We will be in Skywalkers Nightclub at the top of the ship to paint every afternoon. We will view each others’ work and have a lively, helpful critique session at the end of our classes. It’s a lot of fun.

Vicky Gianelli will be taking the classes and is our Master Cruise Counsellor. A travel professional for 35 years, she has specialized in cruises for the last 24 years. You can direct specific cruise questions to her at vickyfg@juno.com or 888-416-SAIL (7245).

Spouses are welcome too, and there is much for them to enjoy on a cruise (besides watching us paint, of course!). Ruby Princess (Bermuda registry) is the newest Princess ship, debuting this fall. She is a floating resort and has a movie theater, gym, spa, hot tubs, 11 restaurants, dancing, swimming, golfing, card games, enrichment classes, library, boutiques (duty free), casino and so much more. While in port... there’s lots of sightseeing.

Art Lovers are always a welcome addition on these trips. You may just want to come and see the artists or enjoy the sights. We artists need all the good conversation we can get!

The Cruise Princess will arrange our flight from Seattle to Venice, Italy on October 6, 2009, arriving in Venice on October 7, where you will board for an overnight, using the ship as your hotel. We will cruise for 18 days, and disembark in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where we fly back to Seattle. Your cruise fare, includes your berth on the ship for 18 days, ship amenities, meals, government fees, surcharges and taxes. This price is really great when you compare it to other European trips of this length.

Cabins can be shared (two single beds or a queen size). This is the most economical way to go. We have limited space available. The cruise itself is already sold out.

We suggest taking advantage of the Cruise Sale Oct. 1-8. Deposit $100 per person (instead of 20% of your total fare) to confirm your cabin. You will also receive $100 shipboard credit and a $120 coupon book to use on board the ship. Early birds get the best cabins, and you can choose yours when you sign up (Vicky says balcony staterooms are the best way to spend 18 days). We have an additional 7 day cruise sale from Oct 8-15; your deposit is $100 per person and you will receive the $120 coupon booklet. (The shipboard credit is not available this week). Book early for the best value and cabin.

Rates below are per person based on double occupancy and include fees and surcharges.
(Single rates and 3rd & 4th person rates available upon request)

Suite Stateroom with balcony from Obstructed (lifeboat outside your window) Oceanview Inside (no window)

$3385.06 $2474.06 - $2631.06 $2190.06 $1966.06

Additions to the above costs (per person)
Add -air out of Seattle - $1097 (includes taxes)
Add -15 days of painting classes - $500
Van costs in port – to be determined (depends on the number of people)

We highly suggest purchasing travel insurance. We use TravelGuard and will supply insurance information. Everyone will receive a waiver to sign if declining insurance. Viaggi di Mare has a $150 cancellation penalty in addition to any vendor fees.

I think this trip will be a blast! We will return with some highly personal paintings and great memories of the Mediterranean coast.   ~ Janet

Email Janet for more information. And click here to see the ship and itinerary.