Following last year’s successful premiere, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is bringing back the Classical Music meets Meditation programme in response to the positive feedback received from guests. As the EUROPA sets sail from Santa Cruz to Cape Town, leaving everyday life far behind, the programme builds on its previous success and combines classical music with mindfulness to create an intense, holistic experience. The Swiss CHAARTS ensemble is once again on board – joined by the internationally acclaimed soprano Marlis Petersen and the Italian composer and violinist Francesca Guccione.
The positive response to last year’s premiere has shown that guests have an avid interest in the combination of classical concert experiences and mindfulness. With its launch of Classical Music meets Meditation, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises deliberately introduced a visionary new dimension to its programme format, creating an innovative fusion of musical excellence and mindful awareness. The focus is not only on the on-board experience, but also on providing lasting inspiration for everyday life, as guests take valuable ideas for a healthy lifestyle and effective routines back home with them. The programme’s return in 2027 builds on this success, creating a framework in which music and meditation activities can be experienced in their combined form in an entirely new way.
“What makes Classical Music meets Meditation so special is the direct interplay between a classical ensemble and guided meditation – an experience that is unique at sea in terms of its intensity and setting,” says Lisa Wilken, Head of Luxury Cruises at Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. “The positive feedback has shown us just how much of an impact the format has on our guests. That’s why, following last year’s resounding success, we are bringing Classical Music meets Meditation back to the EUROPA in 2027.”
A curated choreography: classical music, mindfulness and artistic excellence
Ever since it was commissioned, the EUROPA, like its sister ship the EUROPA 2, has been named the “best cruise ship in the world” by Insight Guides Cruising & Cruise Ships. With a crew-to-guest ratio of almost 1:1, it offers a cruise experience of the highest standard, featuring excellent service, varied cuisine and exceptional routes around the world. High-calibre classical music has always defined the profile of the small luxury ship. The combination of classical music and mindfulness creates an intense, physically palpable soundscape that is exclusively available in this form on board the EUROPA for no more than 400 guests. The format thrives on the interplay of various artistic and body-oriented disciplines as well as renowned performers.
The Swiss CHAARTS ensemble, which previously performed at the premiere of Classical Music meets Meditation, interprets classical works in an intimate setting, thus creating the unique ambience of the concerts. The programme is complemented by the Italian composer and violinist Francesca Guccione, whose works lie at the interface of classical music and contemporary soundscapes, expanding the repertoire with new acoustic perspectives.
A particular highlight is the participation of Marlis Petersen, internationally acclaimed soprano. At home on the world’s major operatic stages and named “Singer of the Year” on numerous occasions, the artist organises exclusive sessions in addition to her musical performances, drawing on her expertise as an aromatherapist. This fosters personal encounters that allow for an extraordinary sense of intimacy, offering a rare opportunity to benefit from insights into the artist’s understanding of breathwork, voice and sensory perception.
Movement, breath and sound in tune with the rhythm of the sea
Three experts from the fields of yoga, meditation and bodywork will guide the experience, offering targeted insights through their diverse approaches in three daily sessions. Each brings a clear focus and in-depth expertise, deliberately expanding the programme beyond traditional relaxation activities. Alongside meditative sessions, the focus is also on powerful, demanding formats that actively challenge the body and release new energy. Intense movement, conscious breathing activities and mindful awareness merge to create a thrilling, dynamic interplay that continues to linger long after the end of the cruise. Guests are therefore able to gain valuable insights for a healthy lifestyle and effective routines to practice at home in their own four walls. In addition, individual sessions can also be booked on board.
Over the course of the twelve-day cruise, meditation and concert performances come together in a series of sessions to form a seamless experience. They are closely interwoven with the musical structure, allowing the connection between sound and the body to be experienced directly – while the waves of the music echo the movements within the space and open up new levels of perception together with the view of the sea. Thus, the waves of music mirror the movement of the sea outside the window, whereby it is not only the view that opens up new horizons.
Sample cruise MS EUROPA from Santa Cruz to Cape Town (South Africa)
A break at sea dedicated to health and balance for body, mind and soul, from 6 to 18 Nov 2027 (12 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 5,000 (including early booking discount, valid until 31 Jan 2027) per person, double occupancy, including travel package to and from departure and arrival points. Further information on Classical Music meets Meditation – and how to participate in this special format extending beyond a traditional concert experience – can be found on the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises website at www.hl-cruises.com/EUR2723.
