What makes a Harmony Voyages cruise different from a regular river cruise?

If music fills your soul with joy, but the thrill of days camping out in a muddy field to catch your favourite artist has long since faded, then we’ve found a new, more intimate, music experience for you.

Step onboard a Harmony Voyages’ river cruise for a fabulous musical experience, sans mud, sans tents, sans crowds… just all the pleasure of incredible entertainment matched with all the comfort of a luxury river cruise.

This year, Harmony Voyages is working with Amadeus Cruises to deliver a series of incredible itineraries, where you have the opportunity to experience intimate, up close and personal concerts with only 160 or so like-minded people.

Harmony Voyages works with world-renowned professional musicians, whilst Amadeus delivers the luxury travel experience with all the attention to the finer details of dining and destination that cruisers have grown to love the line for.

In the industry this is known as a charter cruise, and they really do stand out from a regular cruise for a number of reasons. If you’ve never experienced a charter cruise before, here are five reasons why you should try one:

1. The best entertainment

With Harmony Voyages, the entertainment is exactly what you want. All of it.

Rather than hoping for the best with a variety spread of visiting entertainers, Harmony Voyages tailors each voyage to your specific wish list… and tells you who’ll be performing ahead of time.

Take the Rhine cruise from Amsterdam to Basel on June 16, 2023, which stars Paul Carrack – adored by fans as “the man with the golden voice”. Also featured on the same cruise as this singer-songwriter headliner is a legendary Beatles tribute band, The Bootleg Beatles.

2. The best atmosphere

With only 160 guest on board, spend your days relaxing, floating down the river or exploring the area on one of the many optional excursions that are on offer. After dinner, relax in the lounge bar with your fellow sailors and enjoy the concert before retiring to your comfortable cabin.

Fans of folk music are already signing up for the June 22, 2023 cruise along the Rhône with Fairport Convention – one of the most famous folk rock bands in the world, who draw crowds of 20,000 to their annual Cropredy Festival on land.

3. Everything you’d expect… and then some

When you book to tickets for a concert, you expect fantastic musical entertainment – and you’re going to get that on a Harmony Voyages’ river cruise.

You might not expect complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the ship or free use of a fleet on onboard bicycles to go out and explore the ports of call at your leisure (you don’t find that at Glastonbury!).

A music charter cruise is a dream holiday experience unlike any other – after all, it’s like plugging your favourite choice of music directly into the live stage and sharing that moment with a crowd of like-minded travellers.

The connection between artists and fans is something beyond anything you’d find on land… you’re all on the same boat, as they say.

4. Double dating

One of the undeniable benefits of a chartered cruise is that you have two companies looking after you.

In the case of Harmony Voyages’ fabulously programmed music-themed charters, you’ll also enjoy all of the charm and hospitality of Amadeus Cruises’ luxury ships and experienced staff.

So, while you’re enjoying all the amazing entertainment programming associated with Harmony Voyages’ special Folk and Roots cruise featuring Richard Thompson and Show of Hands (June 9, 2023), Amadeus Cruises’ expert Cruise Director will ensure you’re set up for success in the ports, and the onboard bar team will keep the drinks flowing.

5. Plus everything you get on a regular cruise

Harmony Voyages has partnered with Amadeus to give their customers the full luxury river cruise experience, with an extra level of top-quality musical entertainment.

As guests onboard an Amadeus river ship, you’ll enjoy free Wi-Fi to keep connected with friends at home and share photos and videos of your unique experience right in the moment.

You’ll also dine in the ship’s gourmet restaurant, and taste the region’s best wines with free-flowing red and white wines, beers and soft drinks served alongside every lunch and dinner onboard.

Harmony Voyages guests also have complimentary access to Amadeus’ state-of-the-art audio headsets for optional excursions ashore when the ship is in port.