Explora Journeys celebrated three milestones late last week at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente near Genoa, Italy. Firstly, the delivery of Explora II; secondly, the coin ceremony for Explora III; and thirdly, the start of construction of Explora IV. The new luxury brand continues to grow towards a total of six ships planned by 2028.
Explora II was delivered to become the second ship to join the luxury travel brand of the MSC Group’s fleet of six vessels. The ship set sail on its inaugural voyage Monday, September 16, from Civitavecchia to Sicily, Malta and Spain.
The traditional maritime event when a shipbuilder delivers the new vessel to its owner was attended by Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division, Stefania Vago, the godmother of the ship, as well as Fincantieri’s Chairman Biagio Mazzotta and the constructor’s CEO and General Manager Pierroberto Folgiero, plus representatives of MSC’s construction with managers and workers from the shipyard.
Explora II will operate in the Caribbean Sea in the winter and return to the Mediterranean Sea for summer 2025. The new luxury ship has 461 oceanfront suites, penthouses and residences, six restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, four pools, and a range of wellness venues.
Good to know: Explora II, designed and built under RINA Class, has earned several additional voluntary notations due to innovative design and construction focused on environmental sustainability and passenger comfort. It received RINA’s “Green Plus” notation for comprehensive environmental performance. The ship was also awarded the “Comfort Noise and Vibration” notation for its low noise and vibration levels, enhancing onboard comfort. Additionally, it received the “Dolphin” notation for minimizing noise impact in ecologically sensitive marine areas and is certified under the Polar Code C, enabling safe navigation in Polar waters.
In addition, Explora II’s Journeys Lounge, casino and Fil Rouge restaurant have refreshed colors and materials while maintaining their original layouts and the Explora Lounge, Crema Café and Atoll Pool have all been enhanced with new design and furniture. Outdoor furniture has been added to the Helios Pool & Bar. The Ocean Wellness Spa has updated decor and materials and Australian spa brand Subtle Energies has been added. The Anthology restaurant has been redesigned to offer Italian fine-dining and Explora II will also house the first-at-sea Buccellati jewelry boutique.
A keel-laying ceremony for Explora III also took place at the shipyard when commemorative coins were placed inside the ship as a sign of blessing during construction and good fortune in the future by the vessel’s two godmothers, Verena Koetzle, global head of public relations for Explora Journeys, and Martina Giardina, public area supervisor - Fincantieri Shipyard Sestri Ponente. The liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered Explora III will enter service in 2026.
Explora Journeys’ third celebration was a steel-cutting ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard to start the construction of Explora IV, which will also be fueled by LNG and will be completed in early 2027. Explora V will join the fleet in 2027 and Explora VI in 2028, with a project underway for both to have large fuel cell capacity capable of transforming renewable LNG into hydrogen and significantly reducing emissions.
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