About Our Luxury Cruise Ships

Table Of Content

• Ocean Grand Terrace Suites benefits plus:
• Ungerer calls this vessel a “boutique-style resort on the water.”
• Explora II Will Feature Adaptable Green Technology
• Maiden Journey
• • Enhanced In-Suite Dining breakfast menu served in-suite
• Enjoy Explora I's Included Thermal Suite -- and Outstanding Fitness Options
• • One additional bottle of spirit or wine of the guests' preference (three bottles in total)

This time-honoured maritime ceremony saw commemorative coins placed in the ship. A symbol of blessing during construction and a wish for good fortune. Explora Journeys holds the seas and oceans that sustain our planet in the very highest regard. Representing a new era in luxury Ocean Travel, EXPLORA I is the blueprint of exquisite design, architecture and environmental technologies.

Ocean Grand Terrace Suites benefits plus:

"Building a luxury brand that will redefine the cruise experience and create a category of its own has been a long-held vision of mine and my family," said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group. Explora Journeys is taking guest services to an entirely new level. The exclusive partnership with EHL Hospitality Business School is the perfect bedrock for delivering a transformative ocean travel experience.

Ungerer calls this vessel a “boutique-style resort on the water.”

While further details about dining, destinations, and - importantly - prices are still hush-hush, Explora is aiming to make a splash not just among cruisers but the travel industry as a whole, says Michael Ungerer, the cruise line's CEO. Any single-use plastic, which Explora says won't be stocked on board - or during shore excursions. Sink into glittering turquoise waters that lap powdery white sands and sip coconut water beneath gently swaying palm trees. With endless rum punch served in a balmy sea breeze, it’s easy to embrace the slower island life. Embrace island life for a tropical blend of culture, history and nature.

Explora II Will Feature Adaptable Green Technology

Today, it's probably best known among travelers for its bigger, crowd pleasing ships like the MSC Meraviglia that will sail from Miami beginning in August. And while I typically prefer these more amusement park-at-sea type cruise ships, I can't deny that Explora's newest vessel is the most luxurious and beautifully designed I've been on so far. This concept is helmed by rotating guest chefs, including some who have led kitchens with several Michelin stars.

Explora Journeys Has Five Exceptional Restaurants Included Within the Fare

A Luxury Hotel at Sea: Check Out Our Photos of Explora I - Cruise Critic

A Luxury Hotel at Sea: Check Out Our Photos of Explora I.

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:35:26 GMT [source]

The space features a neutral color palette with peach marble coffee tables spaced between cube chairs and sofas. It is also asking the tour operators it works with to do Travelife’s sustainability courses, which helps tour operators manage and improve their social and environmental impact. Each of Explora I's rooms, which range from 377 to more than 3,000 square feet, will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces, and walk-in closets with vanities.

Maiden Journey

Victoria Welcomes Explora I on Maiden Call - Cruise Industry News

Victoria Welcomes Explora I on Maiden Call.

Posted: Sat, 20 Apr 2024 12:04:56 GMT [source]

Each of our 461 ocean-front suites, penthouses and residences are designed with a refined elegance in mind; floor-to-ceiling windows and private sun terraces bring  guests closer to the ocean itself. The 14-deck vessels will have four swimming pools, including one with a retractable roof; nine dining "experiences" and a crew to guest ratio of 1.25 to 1. Explora Journeys will have accessible cabins on its ships for guests with disabilities. Most people in the cruise world know the Aponte family for their ownership of the mainstream line MSC Cruises. What some might not know is that the Switzerland-based family also owns the world's largest container shipping company -- MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company.

• Enhanced In-Suite Dining breakfast menu served in-suite

Right now, the three-Michelin-star Italian chef Mauro Uliassi of Restaurante Uliassi, Italy, is at the helm. Those wanting to dine here will need to dig deep as the fee is €190 per person (approximately $205) and an additional €75 ($81) for paired wines, making it a contender for one of the most expensive restaurants at sea. But while Explora shares some seafaring DNA with its sister brand, its new ships will be something entirely above and beyond, the company says. Details about the world's newest cruise line, Explora Journeys, were announced today, promising to take travelers to the far corners of the globe in luxurious style. Explora I will sail Northern Europe, as well as New England and Eastern Canada this summer and fall, before continuing south to the Caribbean. Seven-day trips aboard Explora I start from $3,650 per person, all inclusive, and you can book your cruise at explorajourneys.com.

Enjoy Explora I's Included Thermal Suite -- and Outstanding Fitness Options

And about half of these travelers are first time cruisers, the CEO of the new brand said. From the coffee "store" to the many lounges with live entertainment, it's not hard to find pockets of space for yourself. Instead of Veuve Clicquot, guests in the higher-end suites receive a bottle of Dom Perignon Vintage 2013. A “hop-on-hop-off” system is not currently in place, but guests can combine multiple journeys, creating extended itineraries.

From the modern, elegant, and unstuffy design to the deluxe food, I have a feeling we're not in MSC Cruises territory anymore. This is where crystal-infused water in the spa meets a whiskey bar and cigar lounge. I spent a night on the new luxury cruise brand Explora Journeys' first vessel. And if its five upcoming ships look anything like this Explora I, I have no doubt the brand could become a dominant player in the growing premium cruise market. Passengers disperse nicely to the different venues to enjoy drinks or a bite to eat. Emporium Marketplace and, for breakfast, Fil Rouge certainly appeared the busiest dining spots on our sailing, but, again, never overcrowded.

The infinity edge Astern pool perhaps drew the most oohs and aahs. The loungers throughout Explora I are more posh and plush than I've seen on any other luxury ship -- you melt right into them. I could only imagine the selfies that you'd take from the pool as the ship sailed into Positano or St. Barths (one hardy couple stuck it out for chilly San Francisco). We had wondered before boarding if Explora I would resemble MSC's Yacht Club, the luxury ship-within-a-ship experience on the mainstream lines. The lines are meant to attract two different audiences, we were told. Rougier also revealed some entirely one-off experiences, such as a stay on a private island accessed by helicopter in Sweden or a Zulu healer experience that is being created for the line’s later sailings.

Deck 11 is a vibrant deck centered on the Conservatory Pool & Bar under the cover of a retractable roof. This is where the ship begins to really feel like a luxury resort (though a retractable roof is, of course, a tried-and-trusted cruise ship design and a smart move for when the ship is in cooler climates). Explora I is the much-anticipated first cruise ship by Explora Journeys that debuted in August 2023. Explora Journeys is the luxury cruise line -- or luxury lifestyle brand -- by the Geneva-based MSC Group, with a further five ships in the pipeline.

The entry-level suites are among the largest for ocean ships of this size, at 377 square feet. In addition to a comfortable bed, small sofa, bathroom with bespoke bath products, and a walk-in closet, the suites all have thoughtful amenities like a Dyson hair dryer and Illy espresso machine. The most opulent is the Owner’s Residence, which measures 3,014 square feet and has a living and dining area with a fireplace, a private terrace with a whirlpool, and butler service. There are nine dining options on Explora I -- just don’t expect a main dining room or traditional buffet restaurant in the mix. Instead, passengers will find five inclusive specialty restaurants, one extra-fee restaurant, an inclusive in-suite dining menu, a coffee shop for drinks and light snacks and a gelateria and creperie. The tasting-menu venue Anthology is the most ambitious, with menus designed by culinary superstars who commit to three-month rotations aboard the ship.

Their aim is to "reinvent the classic cruise experience for the next generation of cruise travellers". When Explora Journeys CEO Michael Ungerer shares a picture of the lobby in the cruise line's first ship, he gets the same question over and over. It's pretty rare to find full-sized Pilates reformers on a ship. Private lessons are available for a fee, but the fitness area also has daily classes included in the fare.

I was pleased to discover that the ship has plenty of outdoor spaces, including three outdoor pools. Of the total 178,680 square feet of public space, 67,275 square feet (more than a third) is outdoor space. I spent some time relaxing by the Atoll pool flanked by plush sunbeds on deck 10, and though it was a bit too chilly for me on the North Sea, there were plenty of people out there sunbathing.