Explora partners with piano maker Steinway & Sons for musical voyages

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Rendering of a Steinway & Sons piano in a lounge aboard an Explora vessel
Three Steinway & Sons Spirio high resolution player pianos will appear on each Explora Journeys ship, and passengers will have the chance to hear accomplished pianists play onboard or in the world’s great concert halls, owing to a new partnership between the piano maker and the cruise line.

Starting in summer 2023 with Explora I`s maiden journey in Northern Europe and the Arctic Circle, acclaimed as well as up-and-coming pianists – recognised for collaborations with the world’s finest orchestras – will reflect the regions sailed through live performances. 

A celebratory journey

Next year, four celebrated Steinway artists will also join the line’s ‘A Celebratory Journey,’ performing for passengers as the vessel sails from Québec to the home of Steinway & Sons: New York. There, passengers will take a morning VIP tour of the company’s workshops just outside Manhattan, while lunch will be accompanied by music performed live by a Steinway artist.

The voyage, departing October 3, 2023 and concluding October 13, 2023, involves calls in La Baie (Saguenay), Baie-Comeau, Havre-Saint-Pierre, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and Halifax. It was announced yesterday at a joint event at Steinway Hall in New York. 

‘A unique opportunity’

Explained Michael Ungerer, CEO, Explora Journeys, ‘This exceptional partnership brings a unique opportunity to celebrate and share musical excellence with a trusted, legendary luxury brand that shares our passion for talent, and demonstrates our commitment to undeniable quality.

‘With the pianos supplied by Steinway & Sons and an enrichment programme bringing the finest musicians in the world to interact with our guests, we are thrilled to take this journey together.’

Ben Steiner, CEO, Steinway & Sons, which has been producing handcrafted instruments played by the world’s most skilled pianists since 1853, added, ‘From the very beginning, we realised that Explora Journeys were doing something very special and innovative in the luxury travel space, much in the way that we have innovated in the piano world with Spirio.

‘We felt an instant synergy between our companies due to our shared vision of excellence, and the more I see of Explora Journeys and their incredible ships, the more impressed I have become.’