Explora Journeys is launching its third ship this summer, and the maiden season is built around the kind of itinerary that tends to make luxury travelers stop scrolling.
Explora III sets off on August 3, tracing a northern arc from Barcelona to Lisbon before threading through Northern Europe and Iceland, crossing the Atlantic via Greenland, and winding down along the New England coastline into Miami. No itinerary repeats across the season, and the schedule leans into the brand's signature longer stays and overnight port calls — Stockholm, Reykjavik, and Quebec City among them — giving guests room to actually exhale in each destination.
"This sailing season is a uniquely rich moment in time where multiple dimensions of luxury travel come together," said Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys. "From witnessing the cinematic beauty of a solar eclipse alongside world-class luminaries who bring science and adventure to life, to the profound serenity found in a more soulful navigation of the North, every element has been aligned to create a deeper connection with the world around us. It is a natural expression of our Ocean State of Mind, offering the space, stillness and time to truly absorb it all."
The headline event of the inaugural season is a solar eclipse journey on August 12 — the first such event visible from Europe in 27 years — with the ship positioned for optimal viewing conditions. Science presenter and adventurer Huw James boards on August 10 to set the stage, followed by Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, who joins the next day for a talk on the cosmos. Later in the season, Lewis Pugh, U.N. Patron of the Oceans, sails from Bergen to Copenhagen August 22–25, returning to the Norwegian waters where he completed his first endurance swim.
The itinerary itself introduces several maiden ports for the brand, including Bergen, Flåm, Riga, and Tallinn, with dramatic Icelandic fjord and Greenland segments rounding out the northern swing before the Atlantic crossing and the fall foliage stretch through New England.
On board, Explora III arrives with a few notable additions to the fleet. The Cellar by Explora Journeys lays claim to the most extensive wine collection at sea, and The Chef's Table offers bespoke collaborative menus. A Rolex boutique-at-sea returns following its success on Explora I, joined by Cartier, Piaget, and — for the first time aboard an Explora ship — Chopard. The vessel is also the fleet's first LNG-powered ship, equipped with shore power capability and energy efficiency technology.
As the first ship in the LNG-powered fleet, Explora III also marks a step forward in the brand's sustainability commitments.
Advisors looking to book clients on the debut season have until May 26 to take advantage of savings of up to $2,000 per suite on select Summer 2026 journeys. More information is available at explorajourneys.com.
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