“Classical Music meets Meditation” – a transformative cruise on MS EUROPA with ŌHIA, the CHAARTS ensemble and David Orlowsky

An exclusive cruise combining sound and mindfulness – music as an active, energetic element for transforming body and mind. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is once again setting visionary accents with the EUROPA this year. On the cruise from Santa Cruz to Cape Town, the extraordinary “Classical Music meets Meditation” programme will be held in collaboration with the Berlin meditation studio ŌHIA, the Swiss ensemble CHAARTS and the exceptional German clarinettist David Orlowsky. From 9 to 22 Nov, guests on board the small luxury ship will immerse themselves in a transformative experience in which the vastness of the ocean, top-class classical music sounds by virtuoso artists as well as meditation, yoga and hypnosis merge into a harmonious whole. 

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 Guide, formerly Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships Guide. With a maximum capacity of 400 guests, the small ship combines exclusive cruise culture with the highest level of individual attention for every guest – thanks to a crew-to-guest ratio of almost 1:1. Outstanding classical music is inextricably linked with the EUROPA. 

“We have always forged new paths with the EUROPA. She is considered an icon on the world’s oceans, always in tune with the times and yet unimpressed by fast-moving trends. The special feeling for the needs of our guests is firmly embedded in the ship’s DNA and is carried by every single crew member. The EUROPA offers guests on board a protected space for tranquillity and mindfulness but also the environment to try out new things and find their inner self,” says Lisa Wilken, Head of Luxury Cruises at Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. “This voyage is much more than a cruise – it is an invitation to experience the transformative power of classical music and meditation in its full depth.”

The cruise “Classical Music meets Meditation” goes beyond the usual experience of classical music. It opens up a space in which the classical sounds of renowned musicians form a harmonious whole with the mindfulness techniques of the innovative Berlin studio ŌHIA. The ŌHIA studio in Berlin is known for its in-depth meditation and mindfulness practices that promote a balance between body, mind and soul. 

The meditation and mindfulness practice on the EUROPA’s autumn cruise will be led by ŌHIA’s experienced experts, who use gentle yoga and sound baths with crystal bowls. 

The music is not experienced as a background accompaniment but as an active, energetic element that guides and deepens the body and mind during meditation. In this way, guests can experience the healing power of sound, which transports them into a meditative state. Prior to this collaboration cruise with the EUROPA in November, the studio’s experts will also be enjoying the fresh sea breeze on the sister ship EUROPA 2 – specifically on its cruise from Yokohama to Los Angeles in March, featuring an on-board wellness and mindfulness programme designed together with ŌHIA. More information at www.hl-cruises.com/EUX2506

Clarinettist and ECHO award winner David Orlowsky, himself an enthusiastic practitioner of yoga and meditation, will join forces with the Swiss ensemble CHAARTS to create the spectrum of classical sounds in this harmony of sound and spirit. Inspired by nature and the moods of the environment, Orlowsky’s compositions create a soundscape that listeners describe as a spiritual experience.

The artists of the CHAARTS ensemble see themselves as the largest string quartet in the world – a collective comprising numerous members of established string quartets, solo wind players from leading orchestras and top-class independent artists from all over the world, which has been at the very top of the classical music charts in various countries several times over. These artists also enjoy breaking new ground, performing in a variety of formations and using instruments such as the harp to create sounds that resonate with the body, mind and soul. With their creative energy and passion for playing, the artists are set to provide an essential component of this cruise. 

Example cruise MS EUROPA (EUR2581) from Santa Cruz to Cape Town (South Africa). From 9 Nov to 22 Nov 2025 (13 days). Bookable in the SILVER fare from € 4,760 per person, double occupancy, including travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information on the “Classical Music meets Meditation” cruise and to take part in this extraordinary retreat with David Orlowsky, the CHAARTS ensemble and ŌHIA, visit the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises website at: www.hl-cruises.com/EUR2581