Renaissance Tours have chartered Orion I for a floating carnival of opera and music in February and March 2011.

Departing Auckland on February 27, the eight-night cruise will feature six concerts, each chosen to provide a delicate mix of opera, chamber music and solo piano from the Baroque and Romantic eras, the Golden Age of Opera, 20th-century classics and the present day.

‘Meet the Musicians’ sessions, hosted by Guy Noble, will supplement the performances, giving passengers a wonderful opportunity to learn about the years of dedication, triumphs and heartaches that form the soul of the performances.

Orion I will explore the east coast of New Zealand taking in the Bay of Islands, Marlborough Sounds, White Island and the towns of Russell, Tauranga, Picton and Napier, returning to Auckland on March 7, 2011.

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