Luxury travel advisors are increasingly turning their attention to cruise as a compelling alternative to land-based holidays, with Explora Journeys emerging as a standout proposition in the premium space.

At an exclusive Winners’ Lunch lunch held at Kerridge’s Bar and Grill at The Corinthia in London with Explora Journeys, agent winners of the TTG Luxury Travel Awards shared business insights and explored how the luxury operator is reshaping perceptions of cruise, particularly among clients who may not have previously considered it.

Event host Priti Mehta, Explora Journeys’ head of sales UK and Ireland, said the appeal of the line lies in its positioning from the outset: focusing on the concept of “ocean travel” and a luxury hotel at sea, rather than being bound by the usual language of cruise.

Pitched as the luxury ocean travel brand of the MSC Group, the line’s upcoming new ship Explora III will be the first in the fleet to offer two Owner’s Residences, designed in collaboration with architect and designer Patricia Urquiola. Each residence spans 280 sqm and includes a private terrace across the full width of the ship.

The decision to increase the number of top-tier residences on Explora III reflects strong demand for its most exclusive accommodation, Mehta told agents. While the ship will feature just a couple of additional suites, its larger overall size compared to the previous two ships ensures that space – a key pillar of the brand – remains uncompromised, she added.

Launching this summer, Explora III will debut with a Mediterranean prelude journey on 24 July, followed by its maiden voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon on 3 August. It will then sail to Northern Europe, Iceland and Greenland. 

“We’ve already seen around 40% repeat clientele,” Mehta noted, underlining the brand’s growing loyalty base.

The next ship in the series, Explora IV, is already planned for 2027, set to be followed by Explora V and Explora VI.

Empowering advisors to sell differently

Explora’s growth strategy has always been built around a close collaboration with the trade, Mehta reiterated, with agent-centric tools and technology playing a key role in simplifying the sales process, added the line’s business relationship expert Megan Saunders.

She told attending agents how quickly they can create co-branded “white label” websites via Approach Guides, allowing them to send personalised content to clients in minutes. 

Integration with marketing platform Rallio also enables advisors to access ready-made content, performance analytics and social media tools tailored to their business.

For many agents in the room, the biggest opportunity appeared to be in switch selling, and introducing cruise to clients who would typically previously have booked luxury hotels.

Huben Travel’s Ben Eddon-Carruthers, winner of Luxury Travel Designer of the Year (In-store), described Explora Journeys as a powerful conversion tool, having sailed with the line in 2025: “It was the best cruise I took last year. We brought clients along who were very loyal to another line and unsure about switching, but by the end they felt completely comfortable.”

He also pointed to the brand’s inclusive onboard initiatives, such as taking note – and consistent care – of sober travellers, something well suited to the wider shift in luxury travel toward wellness, inclusivity and personalisation and helping to broaden Explora Journeys appeal.

Agents heard more about dedicated meet-ups for solo travellers, the LGBTQ+ community, and these sober sailors at the beginning of each voyage, with guests attending these gatherings being provided with a pin, which signals their preferences to ships’ staff.

Tapping into trends: solos and slow travel

“The way Explora supports solo travellers is particularly strong,” Eddon-Carruthers added. “We now actively switch-sell these customers to cruise by telling the story of the experience.”

That sentiment was echoed by Wanderlux’s Rebecca Puttock, winner of Luxury Adventure Travel Designer of the Year, who noted that Explora’s branding as a “hotel at sea” makes it especially attractive for first-time cruisers.

“I’m a passionate and experienced sailor but have yet to cruise much – and with Explora Journeys, I like how the ships seem to feel like a hotel,” Puttock said, adding the focus on how a trip with Explora would be suitable for solo travellers makes it an interesting proposition for her to consider. 

“Taking those first steps as a solo passenger are so important, and it can make all the difference if they feel supported as well as build loyalty.”

Advisors also highlighted how cruise aligns with wider travel trends such as slow travel and sustainability.

Designer Travel’s Toni Sharp, winner of Responsible Luxury Travel Designer of the Year, told hosts and fellow agents that she increasingly presents cruise as a “wild card” option to clients, and it also now seeing more of a willingness to upgrade.

“Cruise can feel overwhelming with the amount of information, so anything that simplifies that journey is valuable,” she explained. “I see there is also a real opportunity to lean into slow travel, with that ability to see multiple destinations while properly switching off.”

She added that cruising offers advantages for clients with dietary requirements too, providing consistency that can sometimes be harder to achieve on multi-stop land itineraries. “That can be a challenge sometimes on big itineraries,” said Sharp. “But with a cruise, at least clients now they can expect that consistency.”

And as Mehta added, the smaller scale of Explora’s ships can mean stopping in smaller and more hard-to-reach ports. 

“When you think of Japan for example, a cruise itinerary is the perfect way to really see the country, having checked-in just once and then enjoying the islands of Japan in comfort. Its remoteness matched with our connectedness is a perfect solution; cruise is the way to go in a lot of scenarios.”

The power of firsthand experience

Across the board, advisors agreed that experiencing a product firsthand remains one of the most effective sales drivers.

In its early days, Explora Journeys invested in “Insider First Look” programmes and familiarisation trips, though agents stressed the importance of careful selection for any fam.

Sharp added any fam trip needs to be carefully monitored: “With Designer Travel, our fams come with conditions of what will be expected from you if you take one, in order to deliver the value to the host and share with our other agents and ultimately of course, make sales.”

Janey Berry, winner of Luxury Travel Designer of the Year (Home-based), emphasised the value of meaningful, well-curated experiences on such trips.

She added she was wary of large fam groups built on incentives, rather than on selecting the right kind of agents. “I think you need to group people appropriately together on trips like this. If I see a competition to win a place on a fam, I tend to look away to be honest. It’s more powerful for me to be able to build an itinerary for myself – perhaps travelling with one other similar-minded agent – and trying to see hotels and places I think will be relevant for my clients. Travelling in this way gives you more of an insight into how your clients will see it too”

Building trust and supplier relationships that will weather uncertain times was also key, agents said, as the discussion touched on the importance of this, particularly in a changing global landscape. 

Berry noted that proactive communication and transparency are essential: “A ‘wait and see’ approach isn’t enough when you and your clients need answers – you need a proactive supplier partner who you know will be there to support you.”

Be a part of this exclusive new luxury event

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Travel advisors can apply to attend for a tailored programme of one-to-one meetings and insight-led conference sessions focused on growing their business.

Luxury suppliers can find out how to get involved and build meaningful relationships with carefully selected and vetted agents using the unique Black Book method. 

 

Looking ahead to further success

With Explora IV set to spend more time in the UK, including departures from Southampton, the brand’s presence in the market is only expected to grow.

The brand's fourth ship will feature prominently in northern Europe during summer 2027, offering multiple itineraries departing from Southampton and the ship will focus on scenic 7-to-13-night journeys to the British Isles, Norwegian fjords, and Iceland.

When it comes to their own businesses, for advisors like Sharp, the direction of travel is clear: “My focus will be on luxury, cruise and sustainable travel. These areas complement each other perfectly.”

With a successful travel lounge set within an 18th-century cottage in Cobham in Surrey, Eddon-Carruthers said the next step was likely to be a business focus around leaning into dynamically packaging under its Atol. “We’d like to enjoy the freedom to do our own thing a bit more.”

“As Explora Journeys continues to expand, its blend of refined design, curated experiences and strong trade partnerships is positioning it as a key player in the evolving luxury cruise sector,” said April Hutchinson, TTG Media’s head of luxury and co-host of the lunch.

“The brand’s positioning gives advisors a powerful new story to tell – and the fact that many of the agents around this particularly table had yet to sell or sail cruise is testament to how the big the opportunity for cruise lines to educate them is too. This event was also a great way for our award winners to reassemble and share best practices while inspiring each other as their businesses continue to flourish.” 

For more pictures from the day, head over to see a full gallery.