Explora Journeys is a luxury lifestyle brand owned by the MSC Group, based in Geneva, Switzerland. It was created to redefine the ocean experience for a new generation of luxury travellers, drawing on the Aponte family’s 300 years of maritime heritage. The brand’s goal is to create a unique ‘Ocean State of Mind’ by connecting guests with the sea and like-minded individuals, offering itineraries that combine well-known destinations with less-travelled ports to inspire discovery.
Explora Journeys will launch a fleet of four ships from 2023 to 2027, starting with EXPLORA I’s delivery on July 24, 2023. These ships will feature the latest environmental and marine technologies, offering a transformative ocean travel experience.
EXPLORA I provides 461 oceanfront suites, penthouses, and residences with stunning ocean views, private terraces, 11 distinct dining options across six restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, a Chef’s Kitchen, four swimming pools, extensive outdoor decks with 64 private cabanas, wellness facilities and refined entertainment.
Inspired by its European heritage, Explora Journeys aims to provide guests with an immersive ocean experience and attentive hospitality.
Explora Journeys offers a wide array of included restaurants for travellers, with only one eatery outside of the all-inclusive experience.
Celebrated chef Emma Bengtsson currently leads this culinary experience until March, bringing her signature cuisine to guests on EXPLORA I’s North American and Caribbean journeys. She is the first female and US-based chef to showcase her culinary talents at Anthology.
Dining in Anthology, both indoors and outdoors, offers a unique experience on this Explora Journeys ship, enabling discovery and enrichment.
Note that Anthology is not part of the inclusive culinary experiences on Explora Journeys cruises. Prices: Tasting menu – EUR 190 per person. Wine pairing – EUR 75 per person.
Emporium Marketplace is an all-day dining restaurant that focuses on quality produce inspired by local destinations. Guests have complete flexibility over when and what they eat, with multiple separate cooking stations evolving throughout the day. Options range from sushi and daily rotisserie offerings to grilled, roasted and slow-cooked meats, pasta cooked to order, and freshly baked pizzas and bread.
Fresh juices, smoothies, and acai bowls are provided during breakfast, along with a selection of wines, champagne, and beverages throughout the day.
Marble & Co. Grill serves excellent beef cuts, personally sourced and sustainably farmed, providing a redefined European steakhouse experience. Guests can enjoy soft lighting and relaxed, attentive service. The restaurant features an in-house dry ager and a cellar with an excellent selection of fine wines.
Med Yacht Club offers a relaxed and convivial atmosphere inspired by authentic Mediterranean dining. It unites tastes and textures from Italy, Spain, Greece, France, and North Africa, incorporating plant-based and vegetarian ingredients. Expect sharing plates and wines from the excellent vineyards of the Mediterranean.
Fil Rouge is a chic and intimate restaurant that provides a global tasting tour of French-inspired international cuisine. An elegant dessert cart serves sweet treats tableside and a wonderful wine selection showcases the best of both the Old and New World vineyards.
Sakura offers authentic Pan-Asian cuisine, including Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian dishes, along with Asian-influenced beverages. The restaurant features a curated selection of sakes and shōchūs, a Sake sommelier, expansive ocean views, and modern Asian music. Seating is available both indoors and al fresco.
The Chef’s Kitchen is a private dining and culinary school held in an ocean-front setting for 12 guests. It offers the opportunity to learn about new ingredients, flavours, textures, and cultures, regardless of your cooking skill level. An exclusive experience fee applies.
Crema Café, inspired by European café culture, provides a comfy lounge with impressive ocean views. It offers an all-day menu of coffees, loose-leaf teas, cold-pressed juices, pastries, cakes and treats.
Gelateria & Creperie at The Conservatory serves crepes and gelato by the poolside all day in a glass-roofed venue.
Explora Lounge offers informal drinking and dining with a fabulous ocean backdrop. Guests can enjoy light meals, snacks, traditional afternoon tea, inventive modern cocktails, barista-made coffees, loose-leaf teas, smoothies, and fresh-pressed juices.
Available 24 hours, Explora Journeys cruise line passengers can enjoy a variety of cuisines at any time in the comfort of their suite or private terrace.
Explora Journeys cruises offer myriad enriching activities to choose from, such as photography and songwriting classes, improvisation and music composition lessons, whisky tastings, and engaging talks on theatre and cinema by resident artists. You can also participate in a book club or join dance sessions.
To promote your well-being, there are opportunities for sundial salutations, ocean meditations and enjoying sunset aperitifs.
Music is a vibrant part of the experience on an Explora Journeys ship, with various venues offering music throughout the day. You can listen to midday melodies in the lounge or enjoy candlelit evenings and jazz nights.
If you fancy some retail therapy, you can spend an afternoon exploring the shops on EXPLORA I, where you’ll find sought-after brands like Rolex, Cartier, Panerai, and Piaget.
Explora Journeys accommodation is all-suite and all-luxurious with a selection of categories to choose from depending on your budget and needs (or desires!).
Ocean Terrace Suites
Ocean Terrace Suites offer spacious introductory suites with floor-to-ceiling windows and a personal sun terrace, allowing guests to connect intimately with the ocean.
Features include King-sized beds, lounging areas, a personalized stocked mini-bar, espresso machine, kettle, walk-in closets with a vanity section, and spacious bathrooms with walk-in showers and heated floors.
Guests on Explora Journeys cruises enjoy an in-suite welcome bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, a refillable water bottle, binoculars, fine bed linens, bathrobes, an extensive pillow selection, custom bath toiletries, a Dyson Supersonic TM hairdryer, and an illuminated make-up/shaving mirror.
Ocean Grand Terrace Suites
Ocean Grand Terrace Suites offer all the same amenities as Ocean Terrace Suites but with a larger ocean-front terrace featuring an outdoor dining area and daybed.
Explora Journeys cruise line penthouses offer spacious living areas, workspaces, and separate dining areas for four guests.
Accommodations range from Penthouse, Deluxe Penthouse, Premier Penthouse to Grand Penthouse, with sizes from 463 square feet to 732 square feet.
In addition to suite amenities, these penthouses come with a spacious ocean-front terrace, dining area, daybed, dining table for four, and a work desk. They also include a Technogym Case Kit for fitness and an in-suite welcome bottle of Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2015.
Explora Journey’s Ocean Residences – Cove, Retreat, Serenity, Cocoon – offer vast private decks, panoramic ocean views, private outdoor whirlpools, and exceptional butler services by Residence Hosts.
Residences range in size from 753 square feet to 1,604 square feet, featuring separate living, dining, and sleeping areas, a lounge, dining table for four, work desk, and a double sofa bed.
Amenities include an in-suite welcome bottle of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2013, a cocktail-making set, a Technogym Bench, Technogym Case Kit for fitness, and Smart technology for light, heating, air conditioning, and curtain control.
The Retreat Residence category and up include a marble bathroom with a bathtub and separate shower, while Cocoon Residences feature an expansive corner sun terrace on the ship’s aft deck.
The Owner’s Residence is the most luxurious accommodation on Explora I, spanning over 3,014 sq ft with a suite area of 1,668 sq ft and a 1,345 sq ft outdoor terrace.
The terrace includes an infinity whirlpool and a dining table for eight guests.
Furnishings include sofas and chairs by design brands like Knoll and Molteni & C, outdoor furniture from Manutti, elegant lighting solutions by Astep, and a double vanity bathroom made of precious Calacatta marble.
Additional features comprise a lounge area fireplace, guest lavatory, butler pantry area, private steam room, and an oversized dressing room.
Guests in the Owner’s Residence enjoy personalized butler amenities provided by the Residence Manager, such as unpacking and packing assistance, pressing and laundering assistance, celebrations planning, itinerary and transportation coordination, and private in-suite dining.
They also benefit from priority reservations for dining establishments, a complimentary treatment at Ocean Wellness – The Spa, roundtrip transportation between home and the airport, a complimentary hotel night stay before or after the voyage, and, subject to availability, access to a personal onshore driver.
Explora Journeys commits to creating a ‘Home at Sea’ which extends to every member of the family.
The luxury cruise line welcomes all generations because it believes that few things are as rewarding as those cherished moments spent together. To make your journey effortless, Explora Journeys offers connecting suites, a Nautilus Club designed for guests aged 6 to 17, and Destination Experiences thoughtfully curated for the entire family.
With Explora Journeys, you can expect an Ocean Journey of a lifetime, where every detail has been carefully considered.
Families can enjoy ample space and privacy, thanks to Explora Journeys’ offerings of 78 multi-generation-friendly connected suites aboard EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II. These suites are available as Ocean Suites, Ocean Penthouses and Ocean Residences.
Explora Journeys’ diverse range of suite combinations allows the company to accommodate groups of various sizes, ensuring everyone has a memorable experience together.
Onboard Explora Journeys cruises, your fitness needs are well-catered to. The Fitness Centre comprises dedicated areas for cardio, strength, and functional training, equipped with top-tier cardio equipment from the Technogym Artis Line.
The Fitness Studio offers Pilates Reformer classes and yoga sessions to keep you active and relaxed.
The Fitness Deck is equipped with Skillrow machines, Group Cycle bikes, a running track, and a sports court suitable for touch tennis, half basketball, or yoga rituals.
With the Technogym virtual coach, you can even enjoy fitness routines within the comfort of your suite.
Treat yourself to some self-care at the onboard spa, where you can unwind in various facilities, including a steam room, steam shower (available in private spa suites), hydrotherapy pool, Finnish sauna, salt cave, experience shower, ice fall, heated marble loungers, and a relaxation room. Spa treatments encompass massages, facials, body scrubs, and more.
The salon offers grooming services for gentlemen, hair care, manicures, hand treatments, pedicures, foot care, and the convenience of in-suite beauty services.
Explora Journeys cruises to the following destinations:
Mediterranean & Western Europe
Caribbean & Central America
Northern Europe, United Kingdom & Ireland
Iceland & Greenland
US & Canada East Coast & New England
US & Canada Pacific Coast & Hawaii
Africa & Indian Ocean
Red Sea, Arabian Peninsula & India
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