If I have understood correctly, this refers not to a new generation of cruisers (luckily, because we boomers don't like to feel rejected or overlooked) but to a new iteration of luxury, developed over a long planning period and in the course of over 20,000 interviews with luxury travellers.
A European/Swiss company, Explora Journeys is planning a cosmopolitan guest mix of sophisticated travellers who appreciate, it goes without saying, great food and wine, immaculate service and the most comfortable surroundings, but who are also looking for a slower paced way to travel, with time to soak up the destination and come face to face with different ways of life.
As a 'provider of journeys', Explora will plan leisurely itineraries with late arrivals and late departures, overnights, the opportunity to spend plenty of time ashore, some unique destination experiences, and an immersive style. Time ashore will be interspersed with leisurely sea days to enjoy the resort ambience of the ship.
Aiming for high touch and high tech, their ambition is to ensure that cutting edge technology creates a smooth and easy flowing environment, freeing up staff to offer the kind of attentive, unobtrusive and personalised service that will make your stay on board that much more special. There will be an emphasis on privacy and space, with accommodation in residences, penthouses and ocean front suites with terraces, starting from a comfortable 377 square feet.
What is actually quite a large ship will feel quite intimate, giving you lots of choice with a resort style, beach club look. Evenings can be tailored to suit your mood, so no gala theatre productions, but different spaces with different styles of curated entertainment and intimate performances. Likewise dining will offer plenty of choice, with nine distinct culinary venues and lots of al fresco options.
With the might of the global Mediterranean Shipping Company behind it, it goes without saying that for Explora Journeys, sustainability is key. The owners have made a massive financial investment in modern, efficient and environmentally-friendly vessels, both for its cargo fleet and also for passenger vessels, engaging with shipbuilders, design firms, classification societies and other stakeholders to ensure that all plans are environmentally and economically viable.
They have been pouring money into finding the very best sustainable solutions, in areas such as new fuels, high energy appliances on board, reduced underwater noise, wastewater and ballast water treatments, shore to ship power, on board recycling and waste management, optimised hydrodynamics and smart heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and much more.
Explora I will be finished in May 2023, ready to start a series of inaugural journeys in year one as she travels from Europe to the Pacific. Explora II is to join the fleet in May 2024. The first year's journeys will include the Mediterranean, Baltic, Norway, the North Cape and the UK, Greenland, North America and the Caribbean, South America, the West Coast and Hawaii.
For more details of these and other journeys, as well as to understand more about the company and pre-register to join Explora I in year one, call our cruise consultants, who are completely up to speed with everything we know so far.
Download the new brochure from Explora Journeys
Explora Journeys marks MSC's dedicate ultra-luxury brand with their first vessel due to launch in May 2023. Download the latest e-brochure and find out more about this exciting product, including itineraries, deck plans and artists' impressions.
