When baritone José Carbó got the call to join the 2025 BRAVO Cruise of Performing Arts, the decision was less informed by the lure of high seas and more by the realities of modern musical life.

“After COVID, the industry is really up and down, and with opera schedules the way they are these days … well, an opportunity like this is something you really welcome. I always say yes to a cruise!”

And for Carbó, the upcoming October voyage aboard Carnival Luminosa offers the rare luxury of singing to a packed house without the stress and isolation that can come with conventional international touring. “An opera contract usually means six weeks to two months away from home,” Carbo says. “But this … if you’re lucky your friends and family might even come along.”

José Carbó in recital. Photo supplied

Carbó is part of a talent-stacked line-up for BRAVO 2025, which sets sail from Sydney on October 11 for eight nights of music, performance, and ocean-borne glamour. On offer is a veritable floating arts festival featuring luminaries such as Teddy Tahu Rhodes, David Hobson and Silvie Paladino, musical theatre icons such as...