The line launches its first ship, Explora I in May 2023, and the spa, fitness and wellness area will be spread across more than 1,000-square-metres: equivalent to nearly four tennis courts. 

Explora Journeys is the privately-owned luxury lifestyle brand of the MSC Group, and Julanda Marais, senior lead of spa operations, explained: “The philosophy behind Ocean Wellness is deeply rooted in Explora Journeys’ origins. We’ve long understood the powerful effect of water and waves on body, mind and soul. This is the inspiration for Ocean Wellness. We want to give our guests a feeling of refined simplicity, relaxed luxury, and complete mental and physical replenishment.” 

Ocean Wellness – The Spa offers treatments and wellness facilities across more than 700-square-metres, with 11 treatment rooms. They include two private spa suites with private outdoor relaxation areas, one double and seven single treatment rooms. 

There is also a treatment room dedicated to treatments by Dr. Levy Switzerland. A spokesperson for Explora Journeys explained: “Dr. Levy Switzerland is the world’s first cosmeceutical whose products are proven to stimulate the body’s source of collagen production: the dermal skin cells. This process has the effect of reversing skin ageing by protecting, nourishing and awakening the skin’s own regeneration system.”

They said all products used in the spa will use active ingredients with “high concentrations of botanical, marine and biological extracts”, including those from the British wellbeing brand Aromatherapy Associates and Dutch brand The Tides Wellness.  

The spa will feature an outdoor relaxation space and a thermal wellness area with a hydrotherapy pool, steam room, Finnish sauna, salt cave, experience shower, ice fall and heated marble loungers. Guests can also pay a visit to the hair salon and nail salon. 

Ocean Wellness – Fitness offers a sports court for half-court basketball, alongside a 250m running track. Strength training, cardio, Pilates and open air fitness classes will be available, and Explora Journeys has partnered with Technogym to offer smart equipment with biomechanics and digital technologies. 

Guests can try in-suite fitness classes using a Technogym Bench strength-training station and a digital library of guided video exercises. 

The line has also launched tailor-made consultations and retreat programmes, which focus on aspects including sleep, immune boosting and nutrition. The programmes are created with the culinary team, and the spokesperson said they would “demonstrate how best to nourish body and mind to help maintain [guests’] wellbeing during and beyond their journey.”