I spent a night on a new $560 million luxury cruise ship and now I think Explora could dominate the upscale cruise market
Brittany Chang
- I spent a night on Explora Journeys' first cruise ship, the $560 million Explora 1.
- Explora is MSC Group's newest cruise line, joining its eponymous MSC Cruises.
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.
If you've never heard of Explora, you may recognize its owner. This luxury brand isn't backed by cruise giants like Royal Caribbean Group or Carnival Corp. Instead, it has an unconventional parent company: Europe-based MSC Group, one of the world's largest shipping companies.
This name should ring a bell. MSC Group also owns its eponymous cruise line, MSC Cruises, which calls itself the "fastest-growing" cruise line today.
But in terms of their products, this is where the similarities between MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys end.
Some of the cheapest cruises sailing from now through April 2026 are with MSC Cruises, including several $37 per day itineraries, according to data from budget cruise tracker Cruise Sheet.
But don’t call Explora “cheap” — 2024 sailings on this Explora I start at $3,000 per person for a six-night January cruise from Miami to Cartagena, Colombia.
A cool $500 per day does not compare to MSC's $37 per day pricing. But this higher price point does buy you an incomparably more luxurious cruising experience.
Explora really wants you to know that unlike most cruise giants, they are family owned and European.
"Born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, so to speak," Michael Ungerer, the CEO of Explora Journeys, told Insider.
But from the perspective of a consumer walking around (me), the ship doesn't exude European-ness or family-owned-ness.
In the simplest of terms, I just think it’s a really nice ship.
And as someone who recently went aboard the MSC Meraviglia, it's clear the new Explora Journeys and its vessel blows MSC Cruises out of the water in terms of design, quality, and luxuriousness.
Maybe my bar is low — until now, I had only been on one premium cruise ship.
In September, I had an overnight on the new Oceania Cruises' Vista ship, which quickly topped my list of best cruise staterooms I've ever stayed in.
But after spending one night on the Explora I, I can confidently say this new vessel tops my list as the most luxurious cruise ship I’ve ever been on.
On October 12, I spent one night in the Explora I as it was docked in New York City for its naming ceremony.
Ungerer calls this vessel a “boutique-style resort on the water.”
On that note, there are already many luxury resort brands entering the cruise market: the Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Aman.
Explora's CEO isn't worried about this — "We come from the maritime side."
But I do agree with Ungerer when he says there are elements of luxury hotels speckled throughout this ship.
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.
Unfortunately for families that love traveling with big cruise brands, the Explora I doesn’t have waterslides, arcades, or any colorfully kitschy interior designs that have become popular on mega ships.
Instead, it was subtly luxurious, appearing more like a premium hotel than a cruise ship. Think "quiet luxury" instead of something glamorously ostentatious.
While I like the fun and flashy amenities on ships like the Norwegian Prima and Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas (shown below), I didn’t miss them on the Explora 1.
Explora Journeys is targeting a different demographic after all.
The new vessel has 461 suites from 377 square-feet to 3,014 square-feet.
I was put in the smallest cabin segment. Yet my suite was the largest I've ever stayed in. Before this, all of my staterooms had been under 300 square-feet.
Inside, I was welcomed with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, an espresso machine, a Dyson hairdryer stored in its own drawer, and a semi-separated living room.
Through the sliding doors, my room had a balcony with a table, chairs, and a daybed.
Instead of Veuve Clicquot, guests in the higher-end suites receive a bottle of Dom Perignon Vintage 2013. No, I'm not bitter.
My cabin looked more like a sizable and efficiently designed hotel room than a cruise ship stateroom.
I've never had a walk-in closet with a vanity inside my cruise ship cabin. It was bigger than my New York City bathroom.
And this feeling of spaciousness was reflected throughout the 813-foot-long Explora I.
Amenities and people didn't feel crammed together, although that could be because I wasn't on a full revenue sailing.
If all of the rooms are filled at double occupancy, the ship can sail with 922 guests.
This is significantly less than mega ships like the Icon of the Seas that will sail with thousands of people.
To feed these passengers, the Explora I has six dining and 12 bar venues. All but one are included in the price.
Because the brand is all-inclusive, the ship's five restaurants, access to parts of the spa, WiFi, alcohol, sodas, and coffee are included in the cost to travel.
The only dining venue that’s not is Anthology.
This concept is helmed by rotating guest chefs, including some who have led kitchens with several Michelin stars. Expect to pay $190 for the tasting menu or $265 with the wine pairing.
But that doesn’t mean the other dining venues aren’t upscale as well.
Don't worry, you can still get some premium wagyu beef at the ship's pan-Asian Sakura restaurant.
Even the buffet was swanky from the sushi station to grilled lobster tails and crab legs.
Unlike most cruise buffets, there are no self-serving tongs. Instead, the kitchen crew fills your plate for you.
Besides this all-you-can-eat epicenter, there were several spaces on the Explora I that made it stand out from the typical cruise ship.
In place of the typical cruise atrium, the "Lobby Bar" looks more like an actual hotel bar.
This classy watering hole is flanked by tunes from the overhead Steinway and Sons piano and onboard shopping, which includes a Cartier outpost and the first Rolex store at sea.
Yes, they have limited inventory for travelers to purchase.
And in place of one giant pool deck that grounds the ship, the vessel has four smaller pools.
This includes an infinity pool overlooking the ocean and one under a retractable glass roof. The latter looks like a cruise solarium.
For the fitness enthusiasts, there’s even a small outdoor gym on the top deck.
A sports court and a bar, of course, are right next to this little open aired gym.
Throughout the ship, there are 64 private cabanas to make outdoor lounging feel more exclusive.
From the coffee "store" to the many lounges with live entertainment, it's not hard to find pockets of space for yourself.
Or you could just sit in your suite's balcony with the pair of binoculars that come in every cabin.
The Explora I seems more like a place to unwind than a jam-packed destination with exhilarating amenities to explore.
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.
It seems I’m not the only one whose affinity for luxury has made me a fan of Explora.
Since this ship's launch two months ago, Ungerer says the brand has been seeing an uptick in bookings week after week.
Right now, about 60% of its customers are from the US and Canada, primarily because the ship is in the US now.
Typically, Ungerer says this demographic is split between the Americas and the rest of the world. And about half of these travelers are first time cruisers, the CEO of the new brand said.
And like the less luxurious MSC Cruises, Explora is growing.
The brand plans to have six ships in its fleet by 2028.
This first Explora I only just set sail in August 2023. Explora II will hit the seas in the summer of 2024.
If the next five ships are just as ritzy as the Explora I, I have no doubt this new brand will go on to become a strong competitor in the growing luxury cruise market.
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