With three luxury ocean ships sailing and three more soon to come, Explora Journeys is looking beyond the horizons to even more experiences on the oceans and on Europe’s rivers.
It’s a magical moment, Chris Austin, Explora’s president of luxury travel partnerships. told The Cruisington Times during a recent visit to Toronto.
Explora is just five years old and “from the beginning our ambition was to redefine ocean travel for a new generation of discerning travellers, not by asking guests to fit into the traditional cruise experience but by creating something entirely different,” Austin says.
Explora’s latest brand campaign opens with a simple thought: maybe the best hotel isn’t a hotel, hinting the experience on one of their luxury ocean ships can top even the poshest hostelries ashore.
“Explora ships are inspired by the elegance of European hospitality with more space, more freedom, more choices and a deep connection to the ocean. At the heart of that vision is what we call the ocean state of mind. It’s about slowing down, embracing discovery and experiencing the world in a way that feels effortless and enriching. It’s a philosophy that resonates with seasoned cruisers and many who are new ocean travellers.” he notes.
The defining milestone of 2026 was the arrivial of the 926-guest Explora III, marking the halfway point to a planned family of six ships by 2028.
“She shares the same DNA with her two sister ships but she has a personality all of her own.” Austin notes.”Every ship builds upon insights from our guests and trave partners allowing us to continuously refine and elevate the experience.”
Explora III is 63 feel longer than her sister ships Explora I and II “and we’ve chosen to give much more of that additional space back to guests through expanded public areas and enhanced experiences, rather than adding guest capacity.” That means three entirely new culinary concepts: The Chefs Table, The Cellar wine bar and the Shore Club , a beach style restaurant in the Conservatory on deck 11 as well as more lounge areas.
The ship also has a second owners’ residence designed by Patricia Urquiola, a famed Parisian architect and interior designer, and an expanding ocean wellness experience.
The momentum continues as Explora IV will debut in the spring of 2027 and Explora V will begin sailing in the late fall. The VI which has just begun construction in Italy is scheduled to enter service in 2028.
That allows the ships to explore more of the world “We’re excited by our first Alaska season starting in May, 2027 with Explora III and then from September 2027 to May 2028 she be will be in Asia.” Explora’s first world cruise is planned for 2029.
On top of that, Explora has also announced a letter of intent to build its first luxury river ship.
“Explora Journeys began as a dream of our family owners the Aponte family to reimagine luxury ocean travel and it keeps expanding . None of that would be possible without the support of travel experts,” Austin says. And Canada has been an incredibly important market.
To thank them, Explora has launched a new program called Beyond Commission which will reward agents with digital gift cards of 2 per cent bonus commission for booking select journeys.
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