explora journeys brand purpose

A boutique resort at sea: What to expect from new luxe cruise line Explora Journeys

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. "What hotel is that?'" he told USA TODAY in an interview.

That's what the new luxury line from the MSC Group is going for. The brand will launch the first of six planned vessels, Explora I, in the summer of 2023, and is aiming to provide an intimate ocean cruising experience, more like a floating boutique resort than a traditional cruise ship.

That applies to the itineraries, which will take passengers places larger ships may not, as well as the accommodations, which consist of 461 suites designed to feel as homey as they do luxe. "Home away from home is a very overused phrase so we call it 'Homes at Sea,'" Ungerer said.

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Where will Explora I sail?

Explora I will sail its maiden voyage on July 17, 2023, from Southampton in the United Kingdom to Copenhagen, Denmark. The 16-day sailing includes stops in Bruges, Belgium; Brønnøysund, Norway; and Skagen in Denmark, according to the line's website .

The ship will sail a diverse collection of itineraries in Northern Europe, the East Coast of the U.S., South America and more, visiting nearly 140 ports in more than 40 countries during its first year of service.

Explora Journeys' sailings will visit a "mix of on and off the beaten path" destinations, Ungerer said.

What can passengers expect from Explora I?

The line will forgo main dining rooms in favor of smaller restaurants and prioritize live entertainment like cabaret performances over flashy, Vegas-style shows, Ungerer said.

Explora I will have six restaurants, including Sakura serving Pan-Asian cuisine, European steakhouse Marble & Co. Grill, and the Mediterranean-inspired Med Yacht Club. There will also be 12 bars and lounges, along with amenities including four swimming pools, private cabanas, a spa, and a running track with sweeping ocean views.

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. The ship's accommodations include 82 connecting suites, well-suited for those traveling with family and friends, according to the line's website .

What else do passengers need to know?

Prices vary depending on the itinerary, but Explora I's 16-day maiden voyage starts at $18,500 for an Ocean Terrace Suite, based on double occupancy. The fare includes food, beverages such as wine and specialty coffees, gratuities, and Wi-Fi, according to the line's website .

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Flights for the entire trip from New York start at $978 for economy and $3,719 for business class, according to Google Flights .

Explora Journeys will have accessible cabins on its ships for guests with disabilities. The line asks passengers "in need of special services during their journey, or needing to travel with medical apparatus, including wheelchairs, motorised scooters or oxygen therapy" to let the line know in writing before their final payment is due, according to its website .

Bringing luxury to life onboard Explora Journeys’ Explora 1

Jason Gelineau explains how Explora Journeys built a brand and debuted its first ship in three years

Explora Journeys

Jason Gelineau explains how Explora Journeys has gone from a blank piece of paper to debuting its first luxury ship in just three years

By Alex Smith | 19 September 2023

When Explora 1 set sail on its maiden voyage from Denmark’s capital Copenhagen on 1 August 2023, it marked the start of full operation for new luxury cruise brand Explora Journeys. For the brand’s head of product Jason Gelineau, the departure also marked the end of a complex three-year journey to take the cruise line from inception to reality.

At the beginning of the project, the team explored various ideas inspired by the vision of the Aponte family, which owns Explora Journeys and its parent company MSC Group.

“We started with a blank piece of paper,” says Gelineau. “That gave us the opportunity to develop something truly unique and different to fill what the Aponte family saw as a gap in European luxury travel. Now, as I walk around the ship, I’m blown away by how beautiful it is. It’s like my baby has come to life!”

Explora Journeys aims to attract the next generation of luxury travellers by providing a new kind of luxury cruise experience inspired by the upscale resorts and hotels they might frequent on land.

“Our perfect guest is the discerning traveller who is attracted to a luxury brand,” says Gelineau. “There are already a lot of great luxury cruise brands that have done well in building a group of very loyal guests. I’ve been in the industry for 29 years and worked for some of those brands, and I’ve seen the fantastic work they do. But at the same time, they have not always changed their offering to meet the expectations of newer generations. Explora Journeys wants to build a brand for the future.”

To capture the attention of this type of traveller, Explora Journeys has formed multiple partnerships with other luxury brands to offer premium products and experiences onboard the ship.

“Our clients understand value and quality, so these partnerships are important,” says Gelineau. “Guests in our residences don’t just get the complimentary brand champagne in their room, they get Dom Perignon. We’ve got three Steinway pianos onboard, and Steinway musicians will come onboard as guest artistes during our cruises. And Swiss watch manufacturer Rolex has designed its first shop at sea specifically for Explora I, which is truly a game-changer.”

Explora Journeys’ crew members – which it refers to as hosts – will play a pivotal role in delivering a luxury experience. There are 642 hosts of more than 55 different nationalities onboard Explora 1, and they have been recruited from both the land-based hospitality and luxury cruise sectors.

“Our hosts will be the secret to our success,” says Gelineau. “We have recruited them from very diverse posts around the globe, and even while Explora 1 was in the shipyard, their energy and enthusiasm was unbelievable. Everyone had to apply face to face, and our first team members were personally handpicked by the senior executives of each department. The team we’ve put together has great knowledge and understanding of the luxury experience from their time with other brands, which gives me real confidence in our offering.”

In recognition of the hosts’ commitment to delivering the optimal guest experience, Explora Journeys provides a range of benefits to improve their time at sea too.

Hosts are able to participate in classes with onboard fitness and yoga instructors and enjoy entertainment from the resident artistes. Front-of-house team members will also only spend five months onboard, rather than six to eight months, allowing them to visit home more often.

“Being a host is a challenging lifestyle and people have to be away from home for long stretches of time,” says Gelineau. “That’s why we built our host lifestyle experience. We wanted to reward our outstanding crew for their efforts and ensure they can work at 100 per cent of their potential while onboard. It keeps our team fresh, both physically and mentally, and their families get to see them more often, which is something hosts really appreciated.”

This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2023 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review . All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed. Subscribe to Cruise & Ferry Review for FREE to get the next issue delivered directly to your inbox or your door.

Tags: Interview     onboard experience     CFR-63

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Media \ Press Releases \ 2022 \ THE BUILDING OF THE EXPLORA JOURNEYS FLEET, THE NEW LUXURY BRAND BY MSC GROUP, PROCEEDS. TODAY IN FINCANTIERI MONFALCONE SHIPYARD FLOAT OUT FOR EXPLORA I

THE BUILDING OF THE EXPLORA JOURNEYS FLEET, THE NEW LUXURY BRAND BY MSC GROUP, PROCEEDS. TODAY IN FINCANTIERI MONFALCONE SHIPYARD FLOAT OUT FOR EXPLORA I

30 May 2022

• Ship to enter service at the end of May 2023 with sister ship EXPLORA II to follow in summer 2024
• The four ships reflects an overall investment of more than €2 billion and will feature the latest environmental solutions and a highly-innovative design

Trieste, Italy and Geneva, Switzerland, May 30, 2022 – The float out of EXPLORA I, the first out of four luxury cruise ships ordered by the Cruises Division of MSC Group for its new luxury brand Explora Journeys , has taken place at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy today. The vessel, whose construction began in June 2021, will enter service at the end of May 2023. At the same time, the construction of EXPLORA II, the second ship of the new brand, is proceeding with delivery expected in summer 2024 . 

The float-out ceremony was attended, among others, by Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, and by Fincantieri Chairman, Claudio Graziano, and Fincantieri CEO, Pierroberto Folgiero.

The construction of the innovative Explora Journeys fleet, commissioned to Fincantieri by the MSC Group in 2018, continues at a fast pace thanks to a total order worth more than €2 billion for four units. The ships will have gross tonnage of approximately 64,000 tons, featuring the latest available technologies in terms of environment and sustainability.

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Explora Journeys

Explora Journeys represents the ambition of the Aponte’s family to create what they believe luxury cruising should really be like for the discerning traveller. We invite you to join us on this new journey as we develop our take on a luxury lifestyle brand.

Brand Purpose

Everything we do, everything we offer, is for one reason; to ensure our guests reach the Ocean State of Mind

A passionate intuitive, respectful team inspired by the art of hosting. Our culture of refined authentic warm and intuitive service is delivered by a passionate and culturally intelligent team.

Why choose Explora Journeys?

• Equal and Fair Opportunity
• Salary in line with Luxury Industry
• Favorable contract length – Length of contract differs from one position to another
• Vibrant Crew Area
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• Hospitality or Cruise Ship Experience
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A new luxury cruise line just ordered 2 more ships — and it hasn't even launched yet

Call it the fastest-growing cruise line you've never heard of.

Explora Journeys, a new luxury cruise brand under development by the owners of MSC Cruises , on Wednesday ordered two more vessels for delivery in 2027 and 2028, bringing the total number of ships it plans to launch in the next few years to six.

This is despite the fact that the line isn't yet operating voyages with a single vessel.

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

The first Explora Journeys ship, to be called Explora I, is scheduled to begin sailing in May of 2023 in the Mediterranean. It's currently under construction at a Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

Three more sister ships to Explora I already were on order from the same Fincantieri shipyard before Wednesday for delivery in 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively.

The new order will bring two more ships that are similar to Explora I and its sisters but slightly bigger. In a statement sent to TPG, Explora Journeys said the vessels would be about 62 feet longer than their predecessors.

Explora Journeys didn't say how many passengers the two new vessels will hold. The line has said the first ships in the series would be all-suite vessels with 461 rooms. That means they'll be able to carry 922 passengers at double occupancy. That's similar in passenger capacity to the upscale ships operated by fast-growing Viking and the soon-to-be-relaunched Crystal Cruises .

Explora Journeys will be competing in the same upscale cruise space as Viking and Crystal as well as luxury lines Seabourn , Silversea Cruises and the forthcoming The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection . It'll be run completely separately from its sister brand, MSC Cruises, which caters to a mass-market audience.

Related: New Ritz-Carlton cruise ship delayed for a seventh time

Explora Journeys has said its vessels would offer oceanfront suites, penthouses and residences designed to be "homes at sea." Its first ship will have 10 distinct culinary experiences, 10 indoor and outdoor bars and lounges, four swimming pools, outdoor deck areas with private cabanas, wellness facilities and entertainment.

Explora Journeys on Wednesday said the larger size of the two newly ordered vessels would allow for larger public spaces and a different mix of suites.

The line also said the larger size of the ships would allow for the installation of a new type of power generation system that would be able to run partly on hydrogen as well as liquified natural gas — two fuels that are considered cleaner burning than the marine gasoil that many ships currently use as a fuel source.

In a relatively unusual twist, the newly ordered ships will have a 6-megawatt fuel cell system that will be powered by the hydrogen fuel that will allow the vessels to run completely emissions-free while in ports. The fuel cell system also will allow for the ship's onboard electric needs including power for lights and air conditioning to be emissions-free.

Related: Our picks for the 7 best luxury suites at sea

As part of Wednesday's announcement, the line said it would be changing the design of the third and fourth vessels in the series to allow them to run on liquified natural gas. The change will result in the ships being completed a year later than originally announced. They'll now arrive in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

Explora Journeys said the new ship order on Wednesday would bring the total investment in the brand to 3.5 billion euros — about $3.56 billion at current exchange rates.

"Explora Journeys is building ships for tomorrow, utilizing today's latest technologies and being ready to adapt to alternative energy solutions as they become available," Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the cruise division of MSC Group, said in a statement.

"The announcement today marks another significant step forward in our goal as a business to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 across all our cruise [operations] for the two brands and a further proof of our commitment to invest in the most advanced marine environmental technologies available to develop sustainable solutions for the future."

MSC Group is the parent company of MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys as well as the Mediterranean Shipping Company. The latter, also known simply as MSC, is the largest container shipping company in the world.

MSC Group is one of just a handful of cruise ship-owning companies that have ordered new cruise vessels since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. Pandemic-caused cruise cancellations and reduced bookings over the past three years have left many cruise companies in a tough financial situation that has crimped their ability to order new vessels.

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Explora Journeys, New MSC Brand, Builds Up Sales Team

• November 30, 2021

Explora Journeys, the new luxury brand from MSC Cruises launching service in 2023, has further strengthened its commercial team through six new appointments in global and regional roles.

Michael Ungerer, CEO Explora Journeys, said: “We have assembled a fantastic, diverse team of enthusiastic, passionate and highly experienced professionals to strengthen further our commitment to the travel advisor community, our valuable partners. Explora Journeys in a short period of time has quickly been accepted into several preferred partnership programs which demonstrates clearly the confidence and trust the travel industry places in Explora Journeys and its team. These new commercial appointments, working within the global team led by Chris Austin, are further positive steps forward as we continue to build a truly defining and highly desired, luxury lifestyle brand.”

New Commercial Team Members:

Helen Beck, Head of Global Sales Excellence

Based in Explora Journeys’ Geneva headquarters, Helen is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of the brand`s processes and resources to support the commercial global field sales leaders and the Explora Journeys Experience Centre and team of Ambassadors. She previously spent five years as Vice President International Sales and Marketing with Crystal Cruises and prior to that, 16 years with Royal Caribbean Cruises Group as Regional Director, International Representatives, EMEA.

Four new Heads of Sales will support the development of and execute the commercial sales strategy for their local markets.

Saul Fonseca, Head of Sales, USA East, and The Americas

Saul previously was a key sales leader with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and throughout his 19 years of experience in the cruise industry, has also held various sales positions with Silversea Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Saul is based in Miami.

Aimee Price, Head of Sales USA West, and Canada

Aimee has 30 years of cruise line experience, most recently at Seabourn Cruises where she led the North America sales team. She joined there from Royal Caribbean International after a 28-year long career. Aimee is based in Seattle.

Priti Mehta, Head of Sales UK & Ireland (Effective 13 December 2021)

Priti has more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience in the luxury travel industry, mostly in the cruise sector. She previously was Senior Director, Sales UK & Ireland at Oceania Cruises and has also held sales positions with Silverseas and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Priti will be based in London.

Francisco Sanchez, Head of Sales (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland)

Prior to joining Explora Journeys, Francisco spent 11 years with Holland America Line and Seabourn in key sales leadership roles for the DACH region and is based in Frankfurt.

Leyre Torres Campo, Business Relationships Lead, Southern Europe

Based in Nice, Leyre is Explora Journeys` Business Relationship Lead for Spain, France, and Italy and is responsible for creating brand awareness, identifying and developing key partnerships. Most recently Leyre was Business Developer Manager for Southern and Eastern Europe and the Middle East for Regent Seven Seas.

Chris Austin, Chief Sales Officer at Explora Journeys said: “I am looking forward to work alongside such a talented and highly respected commercial team who will all relish our commitment to the travel advisor community. The new team members all have long-established relationships, built on a solid foundation of trust, credibility and experience within the luxury cruise and hospitality industry.”

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Explora Journeys Unveils Anthology: An Unparalleled Culinary Voyage Through Italy

Explora journeys.

Geneva, Switzerland, 24 June 2024 – Explora Journeys, the luxury lifestyle ocean travel brand of the MSC Group, is delighted to announce the launch of its new Italian concept for Anthology, a signature fine-dining experience that offers guests an unparalleled gastronomic adventure through the diverse and rich landscapes of Italian cuisine.

Franck Garanger, Head of Culinary Explora Journeys said, “Anthology is more than just a restaurant; it's a voyage through Italy’s gastronomic landscape. For me, Italian cuisine is about respecting the people, the ingredients, and the traditions that have been passed down through generations. It's about sharing the soul of Italy, one dish at a time. This will be a culinary reflection of the rich tapestry of the sights, scents and flavours of Italian cuisine, which I am deeply passionate about.”

Curated by Franck Garanger, Anthology showcases refined Italian cuisine, taking guests on a unique culinary journey and offering a truly memorable gastronomic experience. Franck discovered his passion for cooking at an early age. He commenced his career as an apprentice at the Michelin Star restaurant, Le Vert D' Eau in Angers with French Master Chef Jean-François Piers. Prior to joining Explora Journeys, Franck has worked at numerous world-renowned restaurants alongside some of the most notable culinary names including Paul Bocuse, Alain Passard and Thierry Marx. Furthermore, Franck spent more than a decade for luxury ocean travel brands in leading culinary positions.

Each dish on the menu is a celebration of Italy’s finest regional ingredients and flavours, masterfully crafted to highlight the cultural brilliance and culinary heritage of the Mediterranean. The restaurant tells the story of Italy’s culinary brilliance through a creative expression of culture, heritage, and passion. The menu is an ingenious display of creativity – a vibrant tapestry of regional flavours and authentic ingredients. Highlights include Mediterranean seabass with Arabica coffee and tonka bean and scallop cannelloni with black truffe. Plant-based options are available for each course.

Guests are invited to immerse themselves in the different styles and tastes of Italy’s universally loved cuisine, from the renowned delectable flavours of Piedmont’s truffle-rich countryside in the North to the famed specialties of Italy’s South. Each plate celebrates the local produce and time-honoured techniques of every region in Italy.

Set in contemporary, refined elegance, Anthology offers an intimate yet elevated dining atmosphere with the opportunity to dine outdoors overlooking the azure-blue waters of the Western and Eastern Mediterranean. The dining experience is complemented by impeccable, attentive service, ensuring every guest feels truly special. Dining at Anthology is truly a one-of-a-kind experience enabling discovery and enrichment, setting a new standard for luxury travel dining.

Note to Editors: The Anthology tasting menu is available at EUR 140 per person, with an optional wine pairing at EUR 60 per person.

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