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European Waterways announced that it is bringing back its popular Opera Cruise in Venice, available to groups who charter the company’s La Bella Vita luxury hotel barge during July and August 2022. Unique among the company’s many memorable cruises, the Opera Cruise treats guests to front row seats at performances of some of the world’s best-known operas at the Arena di Verona open-air Amphitheatre, a venue that is internationally famous for its large-scale productions. Guests have a choice of Carmen, Nabucco, Aida, Turandot, and La Traviata, among others, based on departure dates.
“Watching one of these visually stunning productions at the Arena di Verona is an unforgettable experience,” noted Derek Banks, Managing Director of European Waterways. “But you don’t have to be an opera lover to appreciate these performances, because the music and the spectacle of human emotions so dramatically depicted on the stage are truly universal.”
La Bella Vita charter prices are based on the number of passengers in the group. Private charters can be as low as $3,950 per person, based on a maximum of 20 passengers, for a total of $79,000.  Ten passengers can charter the vessel from $67,500, or $6,750 per person. A $650 per person supplement applies for Opera Cruises.
A Musical Journey
To enhance the experience of watching a famous operatic work at the Arena di Verona, guests will also “walk in the footsteps” of some of history’s greatest composers. Throughout the cruise, they will visit iconic theatres where many of the world’s most famous operas were performed – and where they still are today. In the village of San Pietro in Volta, for example, they will tour the famous Teatro La Fenice, where composers such as Rossini and Verdi premiered their works. Another excursion will take guests to the popular Teatro Comunale, an Italian landmark since its first performance of Gluck’s Il Trionfo di Clelia in 1763. Some of Wagner’s earlier works, including Lohengrin, Tannhauser, and Tristan und Isolde, were performed here, too.  Another highlight is a visit to the Renaissance city of Mantua, home to Verdi’s opera Rigoletto, which features the “licentious” Duke of Mantua.
While opera night is undoubtedly a major highlight of the La Bella Vita cruise, guests will also soak up the culture, history and cuisine of Italy – all part of the hotel barge’s Classic Cruise itinerary.  After a Prosecco welcome, they will spend the afternoon cruising along the Giudecca Canal, past famous landmarks that include the 16th century Roman Catholic Church of the Santissimo Redentore, the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, and the art museum of Punta della Dogana. Guests will also tour the famous Doge’s Palace, once the center of government for the powerful city-state of Venice.
Other itinerary highlights include a visit to the picturesque seaside town of Chioggia via a traditional fishing boat to visit its bustling fish market, followed by a stroll through the Piazzetta Vigo cathedral. The cruise will take guests through a nature reserve that is home to waterfowls such as flamingos, heron, and snipes. There is also dinner with a Countess at the 17th century private home of Villa Ca’Zen, Lord Byron’s “Venetian love nest,” where he would rendezvous with his secret lover, the Countess Giuccioli.