James Taylor Fans Take Note: Virtuoso® Offers Advanced Opportunity to Sail Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 with America's Favorite Singer-Songwriter

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury travel agency network, Virtuoso®, which specializes in creating exceptional experiences for travelers, once again brings a rare opportunity to the agencies that belong to the group and their clients: sailing aboard Cunard Line's famed Queen Mary 2 with Grammy® Award-winning artist James Taylor.  Taylor and his band will perform two special concerts during the August 27, 2014 Transatlantic Crossing, taking passengers on an eight-day journey from New York to Southampton, England, via Halifax, Nova Scotia. Fans and followers have an opportunity to reserve their spot now – a full 30 days before the full sales and marketing push begins – thanks to Virtuoso's exclusive sales window, running November 19 – December 18, 2013.

As a recording and touring artist, James Taylor has touched people with his warm baritone voice and distinctive style of guitar-playing for more than 40 years, while setting a precedent to which countless young musicians have aspired.  Over the course of his celebrated song-writing and performing career, Taylor has sold more than 100 million albums, earning gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards for classics ranging from Sweet Baby James in 1970 to October Road in 2002.  He has won multiple Grammy awards and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame.  Most recently, Taylor was awarded  the distinguished Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony.  He was also one of a select few music artists who performed for both of Obama's inaugurations.

"For anyone who admires James Taylor's music, this is a dream come true: an opportunity to enjoy his performance in a more intimate setting, while aboard one of the world's most iconic ships," says Matthew D. Upchurch, CTC, Chairman and CEO of Virtuoso. "We are very excited to offer our clients access to this sailing before the general public is made aware, giving anyone who books with a Virtuoso-member agency a full 30-day lead on this sailing which is sure to sell out. It's due to the close relationship that we and our member agencies share with Cunard that makes this exclusive access possible."

James Taylor is part of Cunard's illustrious history of hosting famed entertainers with peerless cachet.  Since Queen Mary 2's debut nearly ten years ago, in addition to Taylor, the ship has welcomed musical notables such as jazz legend Dave Brubeck, Rod Stewart and Lenny Kravitz.  For nearly 175 years, Cunard Line's Transatlantic Crossing has appealed to a broad range of sophisticated travelers with a love of glamour, elegance and tradition.  Each Crossing aboard Queen Mary 2 features a series of Royal Nights themed balls on the largest dance floor at sea in the Queens Room; and the Royal Court Theatre presents West End-style musical revues and guest performers.

Oceanview fares start at $2,088 per person, based on double occupancy, which reflect a five percent savings.  (Fares are non-inclusive of government fees and taxes, which are additional and subject to change.)  For more information about Virtuoso or to be connected to a Virtuoso travel advisor to book this exclusive James Taylor Transatlantic Crossing aboard Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2, call 855-570-3830 or visit www.virtuoso.com.  

About Virtuoso:                  
Virtuoso^® is the industry's leading luxury travel network.  This by-invitation-only organization comprises 335 agencies with more than 7,200 elite travel specialists in 20 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,700 of the world's best travel providers and premier destinations.  The network's member agencies generate over $9.6 billion annually in travel sales, making the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment.  Their relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network's affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com. To view Virtuoso's latest videos, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/VirtuosoTraveler.   

About Cunard Line                      
Cunard Line, operator of the luxury ocean liners Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, has long been synonymous with the quest for new discoveries and the epitome of British refinement since the company's first paddle-wheeled steamer, Britannia, crossed the Atlantic in 1840. Cunard voyages bring together like-minded travellers who relish the Cunard hallmarks of impeccable White Star Service, gourmet dining and world-class entertainment. Today, Cunard offers the only regularly scheduled Transatlantic liner service and continues the legacy of world cruising which it began in 1922.

For additional information on Cunard, please contact:                        
Jackie Chase, Cunard Line, (661) 753-1035, [email protected]        
Elizabeth Lascaze, GolinHarris, (213) 438-8719, [email protected]

About James Taylor                     
James Taylor's music embodies the art of songwriting in its most personal and universal forms.  He is a master at describing specific, even autobiographical situations in a way that resonates with people everywhere.  In 1971, Taylor was on the cover of Time magazine, heralded as the harbinger of the singer-songwriter era.  Four decades later his warm baritone, introspective lyrics and unique guitar playing still blaze a path to which young musicians aspire.  He has sold over 100 million albums throughout his career and has earned 40 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards and multiple GRAMMY Awards.  His songs have had a profound influence on songwriters and music lovers from all walks of life: "Fire and Rain," "Country Road," "Something in the Way She Moves," "Mexico," "Shower the People," "Your Smiling Face," "Carolina In My Mind," "Sweet Baby James," "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," "You Can Close Your Eyes," "Walking Man," "Never Die Young," "Shed a Little Light," "Copperline," "Enough to be On Your Way," "Caroline I See You," and many more.  

www.jamestaylor.com                 
http://www.facebook.com/JamesTaylor

For additional information on James Taylor, please contact:          
Pearl Evidente Feldman, The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, [email protected]

SOURCE Virtuoso