Is this ship already in service?

No, not yet. She is under construction at Fincantieri and her entry into service is announced for 2028. She will run on liquefied natural gas. No detailed specification has been published for this hull, and we will not borrow her sisters' figures to fill the gap.

Does Explora Journeys belong to MSC?

To the MSC group, which launched it in 2023 as its luxury brand. The name is the same as the large family line's, the fleet is not at all. All six ships in the programme come from Fincantieri in Italy.

What does the cruise fare cover?

Almost everything, apart from two things worth knowing. In the fare: gratuities, everyday drinks, Wi-Fi, port taxes, spa access, shuttles and the restaurants with one exception. Not in it: shore excursions and spa treatments.

Do I need to budget for gratuities aboard?

Yes, they are part of the fare. At several competitors a service charge is posted daily to the onboard account and adjusted at the purser's desk on request. Here the question does not arise: there is nothing to adjust.

Do excursions have to be paid separately?

No. The fare covers a great deal, but not excursions, which are booked and settled separately. A guest arriving from Regent will notice; the free shuttles into the centre make up part of it.

Is the Wi-Fi unlimited?

Yes, it is in the fare. This is one of the few formulas in the catalogue to include it without usage limits. For anyone who has to stay reachable during the trip, it belongs in the comparison.

Are there cabins without a terrace?

Every one. The brand built its six ships on that principle: no cabin without a terrace, no category without daylight. It is why a ship this size carries fewer than a thousand guests.

Is the suite count known for this ship?

The technical sheets diverge, so we abstain. The only established fact, and it holds for all six ships in the programme, is that every cabin is a suite with a private terrace.

Is there a restaurant with a supplement?

A single restaurant aboard carries a supplement. Everywhere else you sit down without paying and without counting your visits. It is one of the easiest claims to verify once aboard.

Are spa treatments included?

Yes for access and the facilities, no for treatments. It is a distinction worth remembering: the pool, the thermal area and the rest spaces are included, the treatment menu is not.

How many departure dates are on sale?

None, and that is normal rather than worrying. A ship's selling calendar generally opens eighteen to twenty-four months before her first crossing. For an entry into service announced for 2028, the dates will appear between now and then. This is neither a withdrawal nor a cancellation.

Are there duplicate dates in the listing?

None on this page. Across the fleet, twenty-nine lines repeat, thirteen of them on EXPLORA IV and ten on EXPLORA III. The fleet's distinct inventory is shorter than the headline total, because some lines repeat.

Have all six ships been delivered?

Half the programme. EXPLORA I, EXPLORA II and EXPLORA III are sailing; the other three hulls are still at the yard. Two of them nevertheless have an open calendar, which no page said before this rewrite.

Is this ship wheelchair-accessible?

No source from this supplier publishes it. A wheelchair booking is therefore validated with the line before the deposit, cabin by cabin, and your advisor handles it.

What does the compensation fund cover?

The protection comes from here, not from the cruise line. The Office de la protection du consommateur licence, the trust account and the compensation fund for travel agency customers apply because you book through a Quebec agency.

Explora VI

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Explora VI

The EXPLORA VI is an Explora Journeys ship offering a luxury cruise aboard a next-generation luxury yacht, delivering an immersive and high-end experience at sea. It operates cruises in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, allowing guests to discover exclusive destinations through elegant all-inclusive voyages. The vessel features terrace suites, gourmet dining, wellness facilities at sea, and personalized service within an environment designed for luxury vacations. This cruise emphasizes a contemporary approach to luxury at sea, combining comfort, privacy, and exploration of the destinations visited. It is particularly suited to travelers seeking a premium cruise that offers a prestigious getaway, refined gastronomy, and an immersive travel experience.

Itineraries of the Explora VI

Price and Availability Notice
Prices displayed are provided for informational purposes only. They reflect the rates in effect at the time of their most recent update and are shown in Canadian dollars, per person, based on double occupancy, unless otherwise specified.

Supplier rates, exchange rates, taxes and fees, room or cabin categories, and promotions are subject to change at any time. The applicable price is the one confirmed by a travel advisor at the time of booking, subject to availability. Only the confirmed price shall be considered valid.

It is the traveler's responsibility to confirm the price, inclusions, and applicable terms and conditions before making a reservation. While every effort is made to keep our content up to date, transmission, display, or pricing errors may occur. In such cases, the correct price will be communicated to the traveler before any booking is confirmed. Certain terms, restrictions, and exclusions may apply.

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decks plans

Deck 14

Sport court, Sky Bar, whirlpool

Deck 12

Running Track, pool & bar adults only

Deck 11

Pool, restaurants, Explora Lounge

Deck 10

Cabins

Deck 9

Cabins

Deck 8

Cabins

Deck 7

Cabins

Deck 6

Cabins

Deck 5

Spa, restaurants, café, pool & bar

Deck 4

Guest service, boutique, restaurant

Deck 3

Medical center

deck 2

Crew

Deck 1

Crew

Technical specifications

Decks: 13

The last of the six, expected in 2028

EXPLORA VI has not been delivered. She is the sixth and last ship of the programme, her entry into service is announced for 2028, and she will run on liquefied natural gas.

No departure date is on sale on this page, and that is normal. An empty page worries people, so it is worth explaining why this one is empty: a ship's selling calendar generally opens eighteen to twenty-four months before her first crossing. For 2028, the dates will appear between now and then. This is neither a withdrawal from the fleet nor a cancellation.

No detailed specification has been published for this hull: no tonnage, no length, no number of suites. We will not borrow her sisters' figures to fill space.

If you are looking for a date now

Three ships in this fleet are sailing: EXPLORA I since 2023, EXPLORA II since September 2024 and EXPLORA III since 23 July 2026. Two others, EXPLORA IV and EXPLORA V, sell dates in 2027 and 2028 without having been delivered.

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.