SEA & MUSIC
A JOURNEY LIKE NO OTHER
Sea & Music 2027
Where East and West Meet Through Music
Japan & Korea aboard Explora III
26 October – 5 November 2027
A journey where music becomes your compass — through Japan and Korea, aboard Explora III, in the company of artists you'll come to know closely.
The first Sea & Music journey through Japan and Korea, aboard Explora III
Confirmed participation of Maxim Vengerov and Marina Rebeka
Concerts and musical encounters on board and ashore
A route from Tokyo along the Japanese coast to Busan and back
A carefully curated experience connecting East and West through music and culture
Travel with renowned artists
On board: Maxim Vengerov and Marina Rebeka.
Two artists whose paths have led across the world's great stages — and who, in autumn 2027, will be travelling alongside you.
Further programme in development, additional artists will be announced shortly.
Concerts take place both on board and in select concert halls in the places we visit. What sets them apart isn't only where they happen, but how long you spend inside them: over several days at sea, you travel alongside the same artists — a closeness a single evening in a concert hall can't offer.
"It is so beautiful that you can meet people so closely here — the audience meets you on equal terms, mutually."
Marlis Petersen, Soprano · Sea & Music 2024
Maxim Vengerov
One of the defining musicians of our time.
Universally hailed as one of the world’s finest musicians, Maxim Vengerov is among the most celebrated violinists of our time. A Grammy Award winner and internationally acclaimed conductor, he began his career at the age of five and soon won major international competitions. Today, he appears with leading orchestras and in the world’s great concert halls, while also dedicating himself to teaching and supporting young musicians.
His participation gives Sea & Music 2027 an exceptional artistic foundation.
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Marina Rebeka
A voice of rare brilliance
Marina Rebeka is one of the leading sopranos of our time, praised for her radiant timbre, exceptional musicality and compelling stage presence. Since her international breakthrough at the Salzburg Festival under Riccardo Muti, she has appeared at the world’s foremost opera houses and concert halls, including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera House, Opéra de Paris, Vienna State Opera and Berlin State Opera. Her artistry spans Mozart, Rossini, Verdi and dramatic bel canto, with Violetta in La traviata among her signature roles.
More than a classical music festival.
A journey of music, encounters and discovery. At sea and ashore.
For us, music has never been just one more thing on the itinerary — it's the reason for the journey itself. Since our first cruise with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008, we've paired the places we love with the music we love, inviting our guests to hear it somewhere it becomes part of the place, not just a performance within it.
In 2027, that idea travels to Asia for the first time — a journey where Eastern and Western musical traditions meet, shaped by the same intimacy that has always defined Sea & Music.
The journey
A journey where East and West meet through music and culture.
Beginning and ending in Tokyo, the route leads along Japan’s coast through Nagoya, Osaka, Kochi, Hiroshima and Beppu before crossing to Busan in Korea. It then continues to Nagasaki and Shimonoseki, followed by a day at sea before returning to Tokyo.
The itinerary brings together places of striking contrast: sacred temples and neon lights, culinary capitals and coastal landscapes, the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the hot springs of Beppu, and the maritime traditions of Shimonoseki. It forms a richly layered setting for a Sea & Music journey shaped by culture, memory, discovery and connection. Special concert locations on land are currently being explored in Japan and Korea; details to be confirmed as the programme develops.
The EXPLORA III
A refined setting for ocean travel at its most elegant.
Explora III is built entirely of suites — 463 of them, each with floor-to-ceiling windows and its own terrace, spread across decks that rarely feel crowded. With close to one crew member for every guest, the ship holds itself less like a cruise liner and more like something borrowed from a much smaller, much more private world — a closeness that carries into the concerts themselves.
Quiet lounges and a wellness area complete the ship — and its kitchens deserve a word of their own.
Culinary experiences
Nine distinct dining experiences are included as part of this voyage — from Mediterranean flavors at the Med Yacht Club to the French-inflected, globally minded plates of Fil Rouge. Fittingly, for a journey through Japan and Korea, Sakura brings authentic Pan-Asian cooking on board, so a taste of the places we're sailing toward is never far from your table.
For an evening that asks a little more of the night, Anthology — the ship's signature Italian dining room, led by Head of Culinary Franck Garanger — The Chef's Table, where a menu is built around you and the people you've brought along, and The Cellar, given over entirely to wine, are all available beyond the included experiences.
Our Legacy and Vision
Dear friends of MS6 Travel & Music,
Ever since we started in 2008, Sea & Music has always been about more than travel and more than attending concerts. For us, it's about creating connections: between artists and guests, music and place, cultures and people.
That spirit has brought guests together with the Vienna Philharmonic and artists such as Lang Lang, Diana Damrau, Elīna Garanča, Rolando Villazón, Igor Levit, Daniel Hope, Gabriela Montero, Christiane Karg, Erwin Schrott and Thomas Hampson — on board and at venues including the Elbphilharmonie and the Concertgebouw.
For 2027, this idea leads us to Japan and Korea. It's a journey we've dreamed of for a long time — shaped by the encounter between East and West, by extraordinary places, and by the intimate musical atmosphere that has always defined our journeys.
We're especially glad that Maxim Vengerov has already confirmed his participation, giving this journey an artistic foundation from the very beginning.
Many details are still being developed, but the direction is clear: Sea & Music 2027 will be a carefully curated journey through Japan and Korea aboard Explora III.
Michaela & Florian,
with the team of MS6 Travel & Music
"Sea & Music is always an unforgettable experience — for us as music lovers and avid travellers, it's a dream come true."
Sea & Music guests, Mexico
"That's something I really like — that you have, either before or afterwards, the opportunity to deepen this contact... the direct human contact that is always important in life."
Sea & Music guest, Germany
"...people have so much in common on this ship, and in the end you feel like you're part of the family."
Knut Weber, Cello, Berlin Philharmonic
"The best thing for us musicians is that we have contact with our audience. I want to hear — how did you like that?"
Matthew Hunter, Viola, Berlin Philharmonic
Guests and Artists about Sea & Music
Frequently asked questions
Receive all updates about SEA & MUSIC 2027
Register for Sea & Music 2027, and you'll be first in line: priority on suite selection, every programme and artist update before anyone else, and early-booking rates — ahead of the official launch.