When the Swiss-Italian Aponte family – owners of the MSC Group – decided to fulfil their lifelong dream and create a new luxury cruise line, their vision was to go far beyond building the sleekest and chicest of ships. Seafarers for generations, they want to harness and share their passion and expertise, and transform ocean travel for a new generation of curious, conscious and committed travellers.
As such, Explora Journeys is the Aponte’s personal crusade to reinvent the industry and encourage a deeper and more enriching sense of discovery and immersion, both on and off the beaten track as bucket list destinations are complemented by paths less travelled.
Each of the eight Inaugural Journeys collection will give guests exclusive access beyond the traditional luxury cruise experience, inviting them to travel deeper and linger a little longer on sailings that span the globe, from Europe and the Arctic Circle to the Americas, Hawaii and the Caribbean.
VIVACIOUS VOYAGES
The Explora Journeys maiden voyage will take place in May 2023. This Mediterranean exploration begins in Barcelona – the cosmopolitan capital of Catalonia, Joan Miro’s birthplace and home to many of Pablo Picasso’s and Antoni Gaudi’s most extraordinary works – and will set sail for the Cote d’Azur.
The first stop in Saint Tropez allows guests to savour the glamour of the French Riviera, or journey further by private charter to enjoy the cultural cachet of old-quarter Cannes, or F Scott Fitzgerald’s Cap d’Antibes, before sailing onwards to Calvi in Corsica, an island known for its craggy mountain beauty and French-Italian charm.
Next, guests will wander amidst the endless wonders of ancient Rome, followed two days later by a change of scene as the ship docks in Fiskardo, a vibrant fishing village with bustling waterfront and Venetian architecture on the northern-most tip of Captain Corelli’s Kefalonia – the largest of the Ionian islands.
Two days in Istanbul allows guests to embed themselves in its intoxicating mix of European and Asian influences, before celebrating the journey’s end with a climb to the colonnaded hilltop citadel of the Acropolis in Athens. Each sailing is scattered with a few nights at sea, ensuring guests can enjoy the fleet’s elegant and spacious suites, penthouses and residences, its nine culinary experiences and array of stylish places to unwind.
The inaugural Norwegian Journey, which will see Explora I set sail from Southampton in July 2023, moves away from the glittering Mediterranean to traverse some of Norway’s narrowest and most bewitching fjords.
Charting a course northwards to the Arctic Circle and the land of the midnight sun, this voyage sails between Norway’s southernmost city of Kristiansand, with its traditional wooden houses and white sandy beaches, and the lively Tromso. Here, it will take in the Unesco-protected Geiranger Fjord, the icy tongues of the Svartisen glaciers, a trek – for those willing – to the Arctic Globe Monument on Vikingen Island, and multitudinous skerries, snow-capped mountains and wild waterfalls along the way.
This is an aquatic adventure that embraces the Scandinavian idea of “nyde”, meaning the slow and beautiful enjoyment of life – a concept that chimes perfectly with the Aponte vision for Explora Journeys.
The Explora Journeys team is looking forward to welcoming guests on Explora I’s maiden voyage from Barcelona to Athens (31 May- 11 June 2023), from Southampton to Tromso (11-23 July 2023), or on another of the Inaugural Journeys collection of itineraries.
