Table Of Content
Bathrooms on Explora I have a large walk-in shower with a rainfall head and a shaving bench. While the bathrooms overall are a tad smaller than some others within the luxury cruise sphere, they have heated marble floors and plush large towels. The whirlpools are also designed with bench seating facing outward, so you can enjoy the view and talk to your friends, as opposed to the more traditional round seating. Supplementing all the pools are a variety of sunning and lounging options.
T+L's Review of Explora Journeys' Explora I
The company is run by Victor Velton (President) and Yuri Polissky (CEO). The onboard shops include the first at-sea Rolex Boutique, via an exclusive partnership (signed in June 2023) between Explora Journeys and Rolex SA (1905-founded, Geneva-based watch designer and manufacturer). The shop is dedicated to the ultra-luxury Swiss watch brand and offers for purchasing an extensive selection of models including from the renowned Rolex Oyster Perpetual series. These boats are owned by MSC Group and operated as a separate fleet under the company's new luxury brand MSC EXPLORA JOURNEYS. 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.
MSC Explora 1 - user reviews and comments
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. In New York, guests can visit the Ground Zero Memorial and meet someone involved in the 9/11 recovery. “An emotive and emotional experience,” says Sacha Rougier, the line’s Head of Itinerary Planning and Shore Experiences, who was on my sailing. The cost is not far off the price of the chef’s land-based restaurant, which sets diners back € , excluding wine.
And like the less luxurious MSC Cruises, Explora is growing.
People gathered at other entertainment venues to socialize at various points during the day. Daily for tea, while the Astern Lounge was ground central for rousing trivia games. DJs played dance music every night, and there was even a silent disco one evening. Private lessons are available for a fee, but the fitness area also has daily classes included in the fare.
Explora II's inaugural sailing will be the 11-night Maiden Journey of Mediterranean Anticipation itinerary, sailing from Barcelona to Athens (Piraeus), departing on August 12, 2024. Bars include the panoramic Sky Bar situated high on deck 14 and Malt, a whiskey and cigar bar with rare whiskeys, a walk-in humidor and cigar smoking terrace. Explora Journeys does not use any single-use plastic on-board and ashore, and has implemented LNG marine fuel, which is currently the cleanest available at scale.
Explora I Feels Like a True Luxury Hotel -- and That's On Purpose
As someone who spends a lot of time visiting boutique hotels throughout Europe, and especially loves road tripping, I struggled a bit with the idea of having only a few hours in each port. But I appreciated the similarities between this vessel and land-based resorts and the appeal of not having to unpack and repack my bags at every stop on a trip. Explora I’s maiden journey kicked off in Copenhagen in August 2023 and it’s currently in the midst of a grand world tour. I was able to get a first look at the ship on a sailing from Hamburg to Southampton in August—and these were my main takeaways. Every suite on Explora I comes with a Dyson hair dryer -- a welcome amenity for women who hate the skimpy hair dryers found on most cruise ships.
Review: Explora I From Explora Journeys - TravelAge West
Review: Explora I From Explora Journeys.
Posted: Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The Explora I is unique in that it offers 461 ocean front suites, each with floor-to-ceiling windows and private terraces. I was in a “Premier Penthouse,” a mid-tier room that had a separated living and sleeping space with a walk-in closet with a seated vanity and balcony equipped with a table, two chairs, and a chaise. The almost-entirely marble bathroom had a large vanity, a rainfall shower, and—a perk I couldn’t get enough of—heated flooring. The shelves were filled with curated objects, books, and games, creating a home-like atmosphere.
The On Board Experience
MSC's New Explora Luxury Cruise Ship Is the Nicest I've Been on: Review - Business Insider
MSC's New Explora Luxury Cruise Ship Is the Nicest I've Been on: Review.
Posted: Tue, 17 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
I learned all of this on a shore experience that saw us looking for coastal ingredients such as sea aster leaves and sprigs of samphire to cook with a chef in the reserve’s cooking facility later in the day. Luxurious, serene, and spacious, each of our 461 ocean-front suites, penthouses and residences have been created with refined European elegance, comfort and simplicity as the focus to offer a real ‘Home at Sea’ to our guests. Dr. Sylvia Earle, the world-renowned oceanographer, explorer, and conservationist, will be the Godmother of its first ship, EXPLORA I.Dr. Earle is a celebrated pioneer of deep-sea exploration and has dedicated her life to ocean conservation. She has been a vocal advocate for protecting the world's oceans and marine life, and her expertise and leadership have been recognised globally. Dr. Earle's involvement with Explora Journeys underscores the brand's commitment to sustainable luxury travel at sea and ocean conservation.
Discover The Ocean State of Mind
The special event was attended by Pierfrancesco Vago (MSC's Executive Chairman), Michael Ungerer (Explora Journeys' CEO) and Fabio Gallia (Fincantieri's General Manager). MSC opened bookings for Explora Journeys (Explora 1's inaugural cruise season/2023) in January 2022. Explora 1's "Inaugural Journeys Collection" (itinerary program 2023) was announced in late-February 2022. The boat's deployment is in Europe (Mediterranean, Baltic, UK, Iceland, Greenland), North America (Canada, East Coast USA, Hawaii), Caribbean, South America. The inaugural season's signature destinations include Bordeaux France, Saint Tropez (French Riviera), Reykjavik Iceland, Lofoten Islands (Norway), Eastern Mediterranean's Kastellorizo island (Greece) and Bozcaada Island (Turkey).
The Emporium Marketplace is perhaps the fanciest food hall we've seen at sea. Franck Garanger, the French chef who led Oceania to the best dining at sea, has been overseeing Explora Journeys through its culinary launch. He stacked the ship with many former Oceania veterans -- 80% of the culinary team onboard came that line, he said.
WIth Explora I's steel-cutting (June 10, 2021) was also officially launched MSC's expedition travel brand "Explora Journeys". The brand's mandala-inspired logo was designed by Alexa Aponte-Vago (MSC Group's CFO, MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte's daughter and Pierfrancesco Vago's wife). Explora I's christening ceremony was initially scheduled for July 8, 2023, to be held at Port Civitavecchia-Rome. Following the naming, the vessel had to relocate to Southampton to start the 15-night Maiden Voyage (on July 17th) ending in Copenhagen. However, the ship's completion/commissioning was delayed several times due to issues with suppliers and subcontractors.
While there aren’t any cains to avoid, per se, if you experience motion sickness, it’s probably worth requesting a cabin on one of the lower decks in the middle, such as a Deck 6 Ocean Terrace suite. Explora Journeys is welcoming of the family market and multi-generational groups, with 82 cabins that connect two suites together. This is a smart move to draw larger families or even groups of friends traveling together.
On October 18, 2018, MSC Group and Fincantieri signed the MoA (memorandum of agreement) for building 4x ultra-luxury ships, with contract value EUR 2,0 billion (~USD 2,3B / ~GBP 1,75B). The announcement mentioned that the first unit will be delivered in 2023-Q2, and that the design is based on GT tonnage/volume ~64,000 tons and capacity 500 staterooms. EXPLORA I's canceled inaugural sailing (Southampton to Copenhagen/Jul 17 thru Aug 1) can be seen in the ship's Wiki section. The 15-night "A Maiden Journey into Epic Fjords and the Arctic Circle" itinerary included visits to 12x Northern European ports in 4 countries. Deck 3 houses an Aft Marina Deck (for launching watersports activities) with an adjacent Marina Lounge & Bar and two fore-located Tender Areas (portside and starboard) for ferrying passengers (transportation via tender boats) between the ship and the shore.
No comments:
Post a Comment