First look at Explora I: Everything you need to know ahead of its maiden sailing
The first ship from Explora Journeys is here, but does it live up to the hype? Our writer stepped onboard during the ship’s trade and media showcase in Portsmouth to find out.
Since introducing the brand in June 2021, Explora Journeys has been drip-feeding details and CGI images of everything from the restaurants to the shops and suites onboard its new ship, Explora I. And after postponing its maiden sailing to 1 August, the ship sailed into Portsmouth on Saturday (29 July) to greet 60 travel agents, as chief executive Michael Ungerer promised it would herald “a new style of travel”.
Even from a brief overnight stay, it’s clear Explora I has plenty to tempt both new-to-cruise and existing cruisers. It’s a beautiful ship, with the sleek navy hull giving way to serene and welcoming interiors created from a predominantly neutral colour palette – think lots of shimmering taupes, creams and soft metallics.
Head of product Jason Gelineau explained: “We want to create a feeling of being at home. We wanted people to feel that there was a sense of ‘I could unpack and stay here for an extended period of time.’”
My entry level Ocean Terrace Suite was a spacious 35 square metres, including a generous seven-square-metre terrace, complete with seating and a daybed. The interior featured shelves of objets d’art that looked as though they’d been curated from holidays abroad, alongside collections of books. I appreciated all the thoughtful touches, from the Dyson Supersonic hairdryer to the underfloor bathroom heating and the automatic low level bedside lights that illuminate the floor if guests get out of bed at night.
The 461 suites include 10 accessible suites and the top grade Residences. A tour of the Cocoon Residence revealed extras such as in-suite workout equipment from Technogym, Swarovski Optik binoculars and butler services. It also boasted a huge terrace on the aft-deck complete with a Jacuzzi, outdoor shower and multiple seating options. For clients seeking a personal, stylish haven, it’s ideal.
Meeting client needs
Explora Journeys surveyed more than 20,000 potential customers from across the world to help it define its offering, and Ungerer explained: “A few common attributes and themes emerged. These luxury travellers are looking for time and space. They’re craving authentic connections. They’re curious, they love personal touches, highly curated goods and services, and foremost, leaving a positive impact. The next generation of luxury is no longer about abundance and possessions, but long-lasting experiences and memories, making mindful choices and memories.”
Space has therefore been a huge consideration for the line, and Gelineau says the ship offers one of the highest space-to-guest ratios in luxury ocean cruising, at 18.4 square metres. Corridors are wide, seating is well spaced out and there are so many places to relax it’s hard to envisage the ship ever feeling too busy.
Despite being among the first guests onboard, I found the service to be very polished. Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful, and delighted to finally showcase the new ship. Explora I offers a guest to crew ratio of 1.25:1, and the 642-strong team hails from approximately 60 different nationalities. While many previously worked on other luxury ships, around half have come from a hotel background, and training is courtesy of Switzerland’s famed EHL Hospitality Business School.
Onboard facilities
Explora I offers six restaurants and 12 bars and lounges, and guests can order in-suite dining 24 hours a day. Eschewing the traditional buffet, the Emporium Marketplace offers 18 live cooking stations, with dishes cooked to request and served to guests’ tables. Culinary suppliers have been carefully chosen, from the bread and pastry flour sourced from a specialist producer in France, to the illy coffee used across the ship, including in the in-suite coffee machines.
Facilities also include the serene Ocean Wellness spa, offering 700-square-metres of space, 11 treatment rooms and 21 treatments, alongside 270-square-metres of indoor and outdoor fitness space. Spa brands include Aromatherapy Associates and Dr. Levy Switzerland. Plus, the entire ship smells gorgeous, thanks to Explora Journey’s custom Mandela Blue fragrance, which is used in the bathroom amenities. It was created by renowned Spanish master perfumer Alberto Morillas – the nose behind iconic scents such as Calvin Klein CK One and Marc Jacobs Daisy.
Despite being a relatively small ship (with 922 passengers at double occupancy), Explora I offers three heated outdoor pools, one large indoor pool with a retractable roof and an indoor hydrotherapy pool. There are also 64 cabanas, five large whirlpools and some of the plushest sun loungers I’ve ever seen.
Sustainability has been a key focus for the line, and Explora I features shore-to-ship power connectivity, a selective catalytic reduction system to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and ballast water and advanced wastewater treatment systems. The hull and engine rooms have also been designed to minimise acoustic sound impact, reducing their potential effects on marine life.
Explora I is the first of six planned ships, with Explora II currently under construction in Italy, and the line plans to invite 800 agents onboard in the next three months to experience the ship first-hand. Here’s what two of the first agents to step onboard thought:
Lauren Jackson-Heath, agent with Independent Travel Experts, The Travel Network Group
“I sell a lot of cruise but want to break into the luxury market, and this is a fantastic product to do that with, so I’ll be targeting existing clients and using it to target new clients. I love all the outside spaces, and the ship has got a really modern feel with lots of nautical touches. The pools are very impressive, and I was blown away by the suites, which have a real zen feel.”
Tracey Carter, business owner, Travel Counsellors
“I’ve got existing non-cruise clients who are very affluent, and Explora I will be perfect for them, thanks to the quality of the product, the level of service and the huge choice of fine dining available. My clients enjoy ultra luxury hotels, but even a lot of those aren’t as luxurious as this ship, and it has a higher ratio of staff-to-guests than you’d get in many hotels. It has all the facilities of a luxury hotel, but you get to step off and explore different cultures and destinations each day.”
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