Dear Fellow Art Lover,

In every issue of Fine Art Connoisseur, our editorial team highlights artworks, artists, and art venues of outstanding quality and encourages readers to experience this excellence personally. This same spirit of aesthetic discovery infuses Fine Art Connoisseur’s annual cruise program.  Conceived by FAC publisher Eric Rhoads, who sought to share the rich experiences he and I were already enjoying through the magazine, the program launched in 2010 with the Russian Art Cruise, and it continued last autumn with the Danube Art Cruise.  In each case, our participants gained lifelong memories by sharing behind-the-scenes experiences few of us could have obtained as independent tourists.

In Russia, for instance, those passengers on our elegant ship not traveling with Fine Art Connoisseur had to wade through crowds at the Hermitage to see comparatively few artworks, while our little group of 40 entered after public hours to enjoy a leisurely visit with the museum all to ourselves. And instead of following the standard docent through its galleries, we were welcomed and toured by a renowned curator whom I have known for almost 20 years. There were dozens of memorable moments like this during our first two trips, including visits to artists’ homes, art-selling shows developed for us alone, and private lectures.

Now we are eagerly anticipating the Italian Art Cruise, which is scheduled for October 17-24, 2012, with a pre-excursion in Venice and a post-excursion in Florence.  This five-star voyage will take us all the way around the “boot” of Italy, with additional visits to the lesser-known—and very beautiful—Adriatic ports of Dubrovnik and Corfu.  The name “Italy” is virtually synonymous with outstanding art, architecture, and scenery, so we are sure to observe natural and man-made beauty at every turn. Although many of us have seen many of these art-rich places already, we will open the Rolodex ® of Fine Art Connoisseur to go deeper, allowing our travelers to view world-class treasures in a new light through memorable experiences not available on typical cruises.

I am truly excited about this voyage not only because repeat encounters with great art and architecture just get better, but also because I know that my fellow travelers will be a joy. As before, we will be a delightfully cohesive group of kindred spirits eagerly sharing with each other our passion for artistic beauty and quality.  So far our merry bands have encompassed collectors, artists, and enthusiasts—an ideal mix who inspire and educate each other informally.

Although Fine Art Connoisseur’s cruises do not offer college credits, a great deal of learning goes on every day, in the most subtle and enjoyable ways.  Aboard ship, I deliver a series of illustrated lectures that prepare the voyagers for what they are about to see on land.  Once docked, we visit fascinating museums, galleries, and private collections with the curators, dealers, and collectors who know them best.  In addition, our brilliant travel planner, Gabriel Haigazian (who travels with us), secures the most informed and articulate local guides to show us their native cities during lively walking tours.

Lest this sound too intensive, rest assured that plenty of free time is built in for independent dining, shopping, sightseeing, and just plain relaxing.  Moreover, it means something that most of the participants from our first two cruises have remained in regular contact ever since, and that almost a dozen have signed up already to visit Italy together.  It would seem that, in a world of luxurious experiences that are surprisingly forgettable, Fine Art Connoisseur cruises offer something exceptional—a genuine immersion in superb art and architecture alongside like-minded people.  In this regard, even when our participants are unpacking their suitcases at home, their journeys of aesthetic discovery are not actually over.

We certainly hope that you will join us next October to find out why.

Peter Trippi

Editor, Fine Art Connoisseur