This ship has not been delivered
EXPLORA V is still under construction at Fincantieri and her entry into
service is announced for 2027. She will run on liquefied natural gas.
Departure dates are already on sale on this
page: six in 2027 and twenty-seven in 2028. One line appears twice, so the distinct inventory is slightly shorter.
What that means for you
Booking a hull that has not yet gone to sea is not unusual, the whole sector
does it. But the risk is not nil and it is better named: a yard delay carries
through to your flights, your hotel nights and your time off. Cancellation
cover and changeable air tickets cost less than replanning a trip.
No detailed specification has been published for this hull. We will not
borrow her sisters' figures: what is established is the announced year and the
propulsion.
If you want to leave sooner
Three ships in this fleet are already sailing:
EXPLORA I since 2023,
EXPLORA II since September 2024 and
EXPLORA III since 23 July 2026. They sell the same
formula and the same terrace suites.
The MSC group's luxury brand
Worth knowing before you compare: Explora Journeys belongs to the MSC group.
The same group as the mainstream cruise line everyone knows, but it is not the
same fleet, not the same ship, and not the same way of travelling. Six hulls
ordered in one go from Fincantieri in Italy, all built on the same principle:
few guests, a great deal of space, and a fare that covers almost everything.
A guest who knows MSC through its large family ships does not expect this.
A guest who discovers Explora without knowing where the brand comes from cannot
work out how a house founded in 2023 ordered six ships in a single stroke.
Both deserve to be told.
Suites only, each with a terrace
There is no inside cabin on these ships, no porthole cabin, no entry
category you will be advised to avoid. Every cabin is a suite, and each one has
its own private terrace. It is a constraint the brand set itself in the first
drawings, and it explains why these hulls carry so few people for their
size.
The exact number of suites per ship does not agree from one source to the
next, so we do not quote it. What is established is the above: not a single
cabin without a terrace.
What is included, and what is not
This is the most generous formula in our catalogue after Regent, and it
cannot be guessed at.
Included: gratuities, drinks — wines, spirits, cocktails,
soft drinks, coffees and teas —, Wi-Fi, port taxes, access to the spa and its
facilities, shuttles into town, and every restaurant but one.
Not included: shore excursions, spa treatments, one
restaurant that carries a supplement with an optional food and wine pairing,
and the top of the wine list — rare Champagnes, fine Bordeaux, older single
malts.
Gratuities in the fare is what changes the arithmetic most. At several
American competitors a daily service charge is posted to the onboard account
and only shows up at the end. Here there is nothing of the kind: the question
does not arise. Shore excursions, on the other hand, are booked and paid
separately, unlike Regent and Ponant. Compare two quotes without knowing that
and you will get it wrong every time.
Meanwhile, in the fleet
The fleet will number six ships.
Booking from Quebec
The brand is Swiss, the group Italian-Swiss, the ships come from an Italian
yard. The ticket contract therefore follows a different logic from the American
lines in this catalogue: we did not obtain the current contract, and we will
say neither that it carries an arbitration clause nor that it does not. Ask for
it before paying, or have your advisor read it with you.
Nothing establishes a Quebec licence for the carrier. Your protection comes
from here: Voyages AquaTerra holds a licence from the Office de la protection
du consommateur, your payments pass through a trust account, and your departure
is covered by the compensation fund for travel agency customers.