The first thing I did in my suite on Explora II was open the terrace door and stand there for a minute, slightly suspicious.
I plan ultra-luxury cruises for a living. I've seen the brochures, and I know what "redefining luxury at sea" usually means: the same ship as everyone else's, with better lighting in the photographs. Explora Journeys was two years old, owned by a family better known for the world's biggest cruise company, and promising a "transformative ocean journey." I boarded in the Caribbean fully prepared to come home with a polite, careful opinion.
I came home with 1000's of photographs and a problem: I couldn't stop recommending it.
This is the review I wish I could have read before I sailed — the honest version, from someone whose job is matching travelers to ships, not collecting press trips. It's long, because your questions deserve real answers. Skim the headings; they're the questions people actually ask me.
What Explora Journeys actually is (and who's behind it)
Explora is the ultra-luxury line built by the Aponte family — the owners of MSC — backed by an investment of approximately €3.5 billion. EXPLORA III entered service in July 2026, EXPLORA IV and EXPLORA V are scheduled for 2027, and EXPLORA VI is planned for 2028. III and IV are LNG-powered, and the later ships are being designed for future technologies including hydrogen. That matters to you for one reason: this is not a startup testing an idea. It's a permanent new player, building fast, and it's priced and designed to compete directly with Silversea, Regent, and Seabourn.
Every accommodation is an oceanfront suite. Every suite has a private terrace. The ship never feels crowded because it was designed not to — and that, more than any single amenity, is the thing you're paying for.
The suite: where I stopped being suspicious
The suite is the argument. Floor-to-ceiling glass, a bed that faces the ocean instead of the wall, a walk-in closet that fits actual luggage, and a marble bathroom that would not apologize in a five-star city hotel. I filmed a walkthrough the first morning — before I unpacked, which took discipline — and I've sent that video to more clients than any brochure.
What surprised me most was the quiet. Not "cruise quiet." Quiet.
The food: I photographed everything I ate. Everything.
Six restaurants, no rotation schedules, no "specialty dining" upsell theater — with one exception I'll get to. Fil Rouge became my anchor: French technique, hushed room, the kind of menu you photograph before you ruin it with a fork (I did, nightly). The pan-Asian restaurant turned out plates I'd happily pay Minneapolis omakase prices for. The steakhouse understands what medium-rare means. And the marketplace-style venue solved the thing I hate most at sea — the buffet — by turning it into chefs cooking in front of you instead of trays dying under heat lamps.
The honest caveat: Anthology, the chef's-table concept, carries a supplement — currently €165 per person for the tasting menu, with an optional wine pairing at €70 per person. It's the only venue onboard that costs extra. Everything else I ate was included, and I never once looked at a menu and calculated.
One more thing nobody told me: the coffee. There are real baristas making real flat whites, included, all day. As someone who plans European itineraries around café stops, this mattered more than it should.
The spaces: pools, whisky, and the room I kept coming back to
Four pools, and here's the trick: one of them sits under a retractable glass roof with a cinema screen, which means a rainy Caribbean afternoon costs you nothing. The adults-only aft pool at sunset was where I understood the "yacht, not ship" language isn't just marketing.
And then there's the Malt Whisky Bar — a small, dark, serious room that most guests walk past. Don't. It became my 9 p.m. ritual, and it tells you everything about who this line thinks its guest is: someone who'd rather have one perfect thing than twelve loud ones.
The service: the barista knew my order on day two
The crew-to-guest ratio does what it's supposed to do, but ratios don't make a barista remember your flat white on the second morning, or a sommelier walk a glass of something "you have to try" to your table unasked. The service on Explora II was the closest I've felt at sea to the great European family-run hotels: warm first, polished second. That's rare. It's usually the other way around.
Now the part most reviews skip: who should NOT book Explora
I don't recommend what I haven't experienced — and I don't recommend what doesn't fit. Explora is wrong for you if:
You want production shows, casinos with energy, and a packed daily program. The entertainment is intimate — a pianist, a duo, a quiet lounge. If a big theater night is your favorite sea day, Silversea or a premium big-ship line will make you happier.
You want ballroom formal nights. Explora has none. The dress code is "elegant resort casual" — no jackets required, ever, and swimwear stays at the pool. My clients who love dressing for gala night feel something is missing here.
You're traveling as a family of four on a budget. Kids are genuinely welcome — the Nautilus Club takes ages 6 to 17, under-2s sail complimentary, and reduced fares generally apply for ages 2–17 as the third or fourth guest in a suite. But four guests means a Grand Penthouse or Residence Suite, and the math climbs quickly.
You measure value in included excursions. Shore experiences cost extra — this is the biggest practical difference from lines like Regent, and we should talk about it before you book.
So is Explora Journeys worth it?
Explora publishes lead-in fares that vary by itinerary, sailing date, and suite category, so I won't quote you a per-day number that won't hold — I'll pull the live fare for the sailing you're considering. Here's my honest math instead: counted against what's included — oceanfront all-suite accommodation, every dining venue but Anthology, unlimited fine wines and premium spirits, specialty coffees, Wi-Fi, all gratuities, thermal spa access, and port shuttles where available — it prices out comparably to its ultra-luxury competitors while feeling newer, calmer, and more residential. If the ship fits you (see above), yes. It's worth it. If it doesn't fit you, no ship is.
FAQ: the quick answers
Is Explora Journeys all-inclusive?
Nearly. Every fare includes your oceanfront suite, dining across all culinary venues, unlimited fine wines, premium spirits, specialty coffees, teas and soft drinks, high-speed Wi-Fi, all onboard gratuities, thermal spa access, and port-to-city shuttles where available. Anthology is the only venue with a supplement — currently €165 per person for the tasting menu, plus an optional €70 wine pairing. Shore excursions are extra.
Do you tip on Explora Journeys?
No — gratuities are included and no additional tipping is expected anywhere onboard. The only tipping situation you'll meet is ashore, for local guides and drivers.
What is the dress code on Explora Journeys?
Elegant resort casual, no formal nights. The only firm rules: no swimwear or robes in restaurants and indoor lounges. Pack one nicer outfit for Anthology night and you're covered.
Is Explora Journeys good for kids?
Better than you'd guess for an ultra-luxury line. The Nautilus Club welcomes guests aged 6 to 17, children under 2 sail complimentary, and reduced fares generally apply for ages 2–17 travelling as the third or fourth guest in a suite, subject to offer and availability. Grand Penthouse and Residence Suites accommodate up to four guests. It's still a serene ship — families who thrive here like pools and gelato more than waterslides.
Who owns Explora Journeys?
The Aponte family's MSC Group, investing approximately €3.5 billion in the fleet. EXPLORA III entered service in July 2026, EXPLORA IV and V follow in 2027, and EXPLORA VI is planned for 2028.
How is Explora different from Silversea?
That deserves more than a paragraph — I'm sailing Silversea again August 30 to September 5 specifically to write the honest comparison. Subscribe to my newsletter and you'll get it first.
The advisor's bottom line
I boarded Explora II suspicious and disembarked with a new answer to a question my clients ask constantly: "What's actually new in luxury cruising?" This. This is what's new. And with the fleet tripling by 2028, the itineraries are about to multiply — which means the good suites on the good sailings will not wait politely.
I've sailed Explora II personally, I hold Silversea's certifications, and I planned every trip I recommend from the inside. If you're wondering whether this ship fits you — that's exactly the conversation I'm for. You can also read more about planning an Explora Journeys voyage with me.