Cruise choices are music to your ears

STEP aboard any cruise ship and your daily menu of activities is certain to include a combo accompanying your afternoon tea, a pianist tinkling away over pre-­dinner drinks, a nightly song and dance extravaganza in the theatre and for late revellers a pulsating disco.

MUSIC Melodious themed trips that aim to float every boat MUSIC: Melodious-themed trips that aim to float every boat

However there’s also a huge choice of themed cruises to suit everyone’s musical tastes. Here  we pick out a few of the best:

FESTIVAL OF MUSIC

P&O Cruises (0845 355 5333/www.pocruises.co.uk) is celebrating its silver jubilee year of the company’s Music Festivals at Sea programme with seven themed cruises aboard Oriana, Artemis and Aurora.

Internationally renowned artists such as soprano Dame Felicity Lott and pianist Terence Allbright will be performing on the voyages, which feature opera, operetta, recitals, quizzes, interviews and themed shore excursions.

TV and stage personalities such as Richard Baker, Henry Kelly, Angela Rippon and Humphrey Burton will play host. A 17-night trip on Artemis departing from Southampton on September 1 calls at Valencia, Palma, Marseille, Calvi, Livorno, Civitavecchia/Rome, Palermo, Gibraltar and Lisbon.

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS Enjoy an eclectic mix as you cruise MUSIC TO YOUR EARS: Enjoy an eclectic mix as you cruise

Prices start from £1,511pp (two sharing).

FIDDLE MANIA

Folk music legends such as singer/ songwriter Martin Simpson, fiddle player Eliza Carthy and one of the youngest stars on the scene, fiddle singer Bella Hardy, will perform during Spirit of Adventure’s (0800 015 6984/www.saga.co.uk/travel) Voyage of the Vikings 10-night cruise departing from Dover on August 6.

Other entertainers include Scots duo The Wrigley Sisters on fiddle, guitar and piano and poet Roger McGough with guitar accompanist Andy Roberts.

Ports of call include Stavanger and Bergen, the Shetlands, Orkneys and the isles of Lewis, Skye and Mull, then Dublin and Liverpool, where the cruise finishes.

Prices from £1,364pp (two sharing)

CLASSICAL TOUR

Kirker Holidays’ (020 7593 1899/www.kirkerholidays.com) 13-night cruise on Fred Olsen’s Black Watch includes several performances by the Carducci String Quartet, introduced by choral scholar Christopher Monckton, as well as mezzo soprano Catherine Hopper and classical guitarist Gary Ryan.

In addition to 13 concerts and talks and interviews with the performers there’ll be music-themed shore excursions at selected ports of call, which include the Canaries, Morocco and Lisbon.

The cruise departs Southampton on November 19 and starts from £1,816pp (two sharing).

RIVER RHYTHMS

The aptly named ship Mozart (020 7436 2931/www.deilmann.co.uk) has a classical music cruise along the River Danube, with performances inspired by the man himself as well as Schubert, Strauss, Beethoven and Brahms.

Passengers on the week-long voyage will also have the opportunity to visit the magnificent opera houses in Vienna and Budapest along with other sites of musical interest in Dürnstein, Esztergom, Bratislava and Melk.

Departing Passau on October 4, the cruise costs from £1,409pp (two sharing), and includes up to five touring experiences but excludes flights.

ALL THAT JAZZ

Crystal Serenity (020 7287 9040/www.crystalcruises.co.uk) is upping the natural tempo of the Caribbean with a jazz-themed cruise where experts regale, and talented ensembles such as the Duke Ellington Alumni Band, the Kitt Moran Trio and the Eddie Tobin perform.

The seven-night Caribbean round trip from Miami departing November 22 will visit the Turks & Caicos, Grand Cayman and Key West. From £2,806pp (two sharing), including return flights from London, transfers and accommodation in a deluxe stateroom.

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

The new Costa Pacifica (0845 351 0552/www.costacruises.co.uk) is all about music with all cruises themed to both historical and modern sounds.

As well as live performances the ship has its own recording studio for guests to make their own tracks and record a CD as a memento.

A sample one-week cruise departing Barcelona on August 4 and calling at Palma, Tunis, Valletta, Palermo, Civitavecchia/Rome and Savona starts from £989pp (two sharing), excluding flights.

MERSEY BEAT

Black Prince (01473 742424/www.fredolsencruises.co.uk), Fred.Olsen’s first cruise ship, will be retiring from service in October after more than 40 years cruising the world.

One of her farewell cruises, a 10-night UK trip from Liverpool on September 9, will be in the company of The Merseybeats, one of the top bands in the Sixties when the ship first sailed.

The itinerary includes Belfast, the Hebrides, Guernsey, Falmouth and Dublin.

Prices start from £1,045pp (two sharing).

Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?