Explora Journeys: the luxury cruise for people who say they don't like cruises

You sail from Panama at eight in the evening. Two days at sea, no hurry and nothing to sort out.

Then El Salvador, Guatemala, and on the sixth day you wake up in Puerto Chiapas, among coffee and cocoa farms in the shadow of the Tacaná volcano. The next day, Huatulco: nine bays, 36 beaches, mole and mezcal. Then Puerto Vallarta at sunset. That is how an Explora journey begins, and it seems to me the best way to explain why this is nothing like what you imagine when you hear the word "cruise."

What Explora is, in one sentence

It is the luxury brand of the MSC Group: six ships planned, of which I, II and III are sailing, each with about 920 passengers and 1.25 guests for every member of the service team, according to its site. Explora III has 461 ocean-view suites, five heated pools, seven restaurants and twelve bars and lounges. It is the first ship in the fleet powered by liquefied natural gas.

The first ship, Explora I, was christened by the oceanographer Sylvia Earle in 2023. Explora III was christened in Barcelona by the marine educator Cristina Ozores, in August 2026.

Who it is for, and who it is not

I will say it plainly, because I think that is the best way for someone to decide well.

Compared with a Royal Caribbean, this is not for you if you want water slides, Broadway-style shows, lots of movement and every hour scheduled. It is not worse, it is a different trip. Icon of the Seas carries 5,610 passengers at double occupancy and up to 7,600 at maximum, according to the trade press. A ship like that offers things one of nine hundred cannot, and many people love them.

Compared with Regent, the size almost matches: Seven Seas Grandeur carries 746 passengers. The difference is the formula. According to the trade press, Regent's fare includes unlimited excursions, specialty restaurants, drinks, gratuities and laundry. Explora includes unlimited drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, the thermal area and a shuttle from the port to the center where one exists, but excursions are booked separately. If what you value most is stepping off at every port with everything paid for, Regent suits you better. If you value the ship as the destination, Explora.

If you travel with children, it is not adults-only. There is a club for kids and teens called the Nautilus Club and a program for families booking three to four suites. The average age is around 50, according to its CEO, much younger than on traditional luxury cruises.

Who it is for: someone who wants the comfort of a luxury hotel that travels at night, to dine very well without leaving the ship and to wake up every morning in a different place without unpacking. And someone who has never cruised and distrusts the idea.

Five routes, day by day

Itineraries and prices come from Explora's site, consulted on 14 October 2026. Schedules may change.

1. The Mexican Pacific, eleven nights (Explora III)

From 22 April to 3 May 2027, from Panama to Los Angeles.

• Day 1, Panama: you sail at 20:00.
• Days 2 and 3, at sea: the time to get to know the ship.
• Day 4, Acajutla, El Salvador: 8:00 to 18:00. The Mayan ruins of Tazumal, the cobbled streets of Santa Ana and crater lakes.
• Day 5, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala: 8:00 to 18:00. Antigua, a World Heritage site, with its Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture.
• Day 6, Puerto Chiapas, Mexico: 8:00 to 17:00. Cocoa plantations, coffee in Tapachula and the ruins of Izapa, with Mayan pyramids rising from the jungle.
• Day 7, Huatulco, Mexico: 8:00 to 17:00. La Bocana beach, diving in San Agustín bay and the plaza market in La Crucecita. Mole and mezcal.
• Day 8, at sea.
• Day 9, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: 9:00 to 17:00. The boardwalk, the cobbled streets climbing the hill and sunset over Banderas Bay.
• Days 10 and 11, at sea.
• Day 12, Los Angeles: you arrive at 8:00.

From 5,735 dollars per person with the current offer. Without the offer, 8,650.

2. Greece and Türkiye, seven nights (Explora II)

From 4 to 11 October 2027, from Athens to Istanbul. It is the route I would recommend if you want the ancient world in a single trip.

• Day 1, Athens (Piraeus): you sail at 20:00. Acropolis and Parthenon if you arrive earlier.
• Day 2, Nafplio: 9:00 to 20:00. Medieval old town and excursions to Mycenae, the Epidaurus theater and the Corinth Canal.
• Day 3, Paros: 9:00 to 21:00. A Byzantine monastery, the Antiparos caves and the Venetian harbor of Naoussa.
• Day 4, Skiathos: 9:00 to 18:00. Pine-lined beaches, monasteries and boats to the sea caves and the Lalaria arch.
• Day 5, Volos: 7:00 to 19:00. The legends of Jason and the Argonauts and the trails of Mount Pelion.
• Day 6, Kuşadası: 9:00 to 21:00. Ephesus and the thermal terraces of Pamukkale.
• Day 7, at sea.
• Day 8, Istanbul: you arrive at 8:00. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar.

From 5,210 dollars per person. Without the offer, 6,950. According to the site, it is 100% refundable and allows one change of journey.

One clarification, because it is the image everyone has of Greece: Santorini is not on this route. I tell you so you do not take it for granted when you see the photos.

3. Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires, seven nights (Explora I)

From 21 to 28 December 2027. Christmas at sea, and you do not need a visa.

• Day 1, Rio: you sail at 18:00. Ipanema, Copacabana, Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer.
• Day 2, Paraty: the colonial center with its colorful doors and emerald coves.
• Day 3, Ilhabela: almost 40 km of beaches; 85% of the island is protected.
• Day 4, Porto Belo: on 24 December, on the Emerald Coast.
• Day 5, at sea: Christmas.
• Day 6, Punta del Este, Uruguay: the "Monaco of South America" and the sculpture La Mano.
• Day 7, Buenos Aires: you arrive at 9:00.

From 4,285 dollars per person. Without the offer, 6,450.

4. The Caribbean from Miami, seven nights (Explora III)

From 22 to 29 November 2026. It is the easiest one to start with.

• Days 2 and 3, at sea.
• Day 4, Cruz Bay (Saint John): trails, kayaking among mangroves and Trunk Bay.
• Day 5, Antigua: swimming with stingrays, ziplining and the forts of Shirley Heights.
• Day 6, Terre-de-Haut (Guadeloupe): French charm and Fort Napoléon.
• Day 7, Philipsburg (Sint Maarten): Great Bay and its streets of Dutch shops.
• Day 8, San Juan.

From 6,410 dollars per person. Without the offer, 8,550.

5. The Amazon to the Caribbean, twelve nights (Explora I)

From 17 February to 1 March 2027, from Manaus to San Juan. On day 1 you sail from Manaus, with its opera house of 198 Murano chandeliers and the meeting of the Negro and Solimões rivers. Then Parintins, with its Boi-Bumbá festival; Alter do Chão, where the Amazon and the Tapajós run side by side without mixing; and Macapá, where, according to the site, the ship carries out immigration procedures and passengers do not disembark. After that, Devil's Island in French Guiana, Bequia, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Kitts.

From 18,950 dollars per person. In the opposite direction, from San Juan to Manaus, from 7,740.

The suite

All suites have floor-to-ceiling windows and a private terrace with a dining area and lounger. Ocean Suites measure between 35 and 39 square meters; Penthouses, between 43 and 69; Residences, between 65 and 149; and the Owner's Residence, 280. All come with a dressing room with a Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, a heated bathroom floor, a Steamery garment steamer, an espresso machine with biodegradable capsules, a minibar stocked to your preferences, binoculars and Mandala Blue toiletries, a fragrance created with the perfumer Alberto Morillas.

On Explora III, the Owner's Residence was redesigned with Patricia Urquiola.

The table: what is worth ordering

According to Explora, there are nine culinary experiences included in the fare, plus three that are paid for or booked separately. You can book up to two restaurants before boarding: one at Sakura and one at Marble & Co. Grill. The rest are booked on board, on deck 5.

Emporium Marketplace

The name comes from the Greek empórion, the place where many offerings converge. It is a buffet, but one that does not feel like a buffet: almost everything is cooked or served to order. There is sushi and fresh seafood, a roast station with grilled or slow-cooked meats every day, freshly baked breads and pizzas, charcuterie, cheeses and pastries. Official Explora page.

The tortelloni are made on board every day, from scratch, in the Italian style, with a flour chosen for its elasticity. The chia yogurt is made with cashew milk produced on the ship. Passenger reports repeat the same things: risottos that change every day, crab at every meal, buffets that adapt to the country you are in and a barista at breakfast. It is the only one where you do not book, and of those who have tried it, it is the one they return to most.

Sakura

Pan-Asian cooking inspired by Japan's cherry blossom season, in a room that evokes the tea houses of Kyoto, with a cherry canopy and strings of lights. Two of the house dishes: Mediterranean bluefin tuna and grade 5 Japanese wagyu tataki, which is not grilled but seared with a torch. There are sakes, shōchūs and Asian beers, and for dessert a kaffir lime pavlova. Passenger reviews praise the sushi and sashimi most of all. Official Explora page.

Marble & Co. Grill

A European steakhouse with an open grill in front of diners and meat from sustainable farms. Its signature dish is crushed fingerling potatoes with Bordier butter and Calvisius Oscietra caviar. The rib comes from a producer in the Loire valley, of the Jersey breed. Reviews agree that the sides are the best part. Official Explora page.

Med Yacht Club and Fil Rouge

Med Yacht Club serves shared plates from Italy, Spain, Greece, France and North Africa, in a room with portholes that let the sun in. The house dish is a sweet caprese: cherry tomatoes and strawberries, burrata cream and Sicilian Bronte pistachio pesto. According to reports, it is worth it at lunch on a sea day. Official Explora page.

Fil Rouge is international cuisine with French inspiration, in a room of white hexagons with art on the walls. A dessert trolley comes by the table and every night there is a soufflé with different sauces, from orange with Cointreau to dark chocolate. Its signature dish is Mediterranean bluefin tuna tataki, caught near the bay of Cartagena. Official Explora page.

Anthology

The tasting menu, on deck 5, with 48 seats inside and 22 outside. It is Italian cooking by Franck Garanger, ranging from the truffles of Piedmont to the flavors of the south. It is the only one that costs extra: 165 euros per person for the menu and 70 for the pairing, according to the site. Passenger reviews are divided, and one calls it the least memorable on the ship. My recommendation: on your first trip, try the others first. Official Explora page.

There is also Chef's Kitchen, a private oceanfront kitchen where you cook alongside the chef; In-Suite Dining around the clock; and on Explora III, Shore Club on 11, a poolside restaurant with a beach club feel.

The days at sea

Explora calls a day of sailing the "Ocean State of Mind": a program of wellness, dining and entertainment. Access to the Ocean Wellness thermal area is included in the fare. According to the trade press, it includes a hydrotherapy pool, steam room, Finnish sauna, salt cave, ice fall and heated marble loungers; treatments are paid separately. There are group fitness and mindfulness classes.

Reviews also mention a silent cinema with headphones, a silent disco and Cartier and Rolex boutiques; on Explora III, Chopard debuts. The dress code is "elegant resort" and there are no formal nights.

The sea

Here I want to be honest: no cruise ship is neutral. What Explora says it does, according to its sustainability site: a selective catalytic reduction system that cuts nitrogen oxides by 90%, RINA Dolphin certification for underwater noise reduction on all six ships, shore power connection in port, and no single-use plastics, neither on board nor on excursions. Explora III and the ones to come run on liquefied natural gas. Explora VI would be delivered with a hydrogen fuel cell, and Explora V is being built to adapt. It is a path of transition, not a goal achieved.

The godmother of Explora I is Dr. Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue, whom I admire; that of Explora III is the marine educator Cristina Ozores, whose center, Vellmarí, has been restoring seagrass meadows with the MSC Foundation since 2024.

How much it costs

Prices per adult, in dollars, "from," taken from Explora's site on 14 October 2026 with the current offer. They change daily.

• Mexican Pacific, 11 nights (April 2027): 5,735. Without the offer, 8,650.
• Greece and Türkiye, 7 nights (October 2027): 5,210. Without the offer, 6,950.
• Rio to Buenos Aires, 7 nights (December 2027): 4,285. Without the offer, 6,450.
• Caribbean from Miami, 7 nights (November 2026): 6,410. Without the offer, 8,550.
• Amazon to the Caribbean, 12 nights (February 2027): 18,950. Without the offer, 19,950.

Booking before 27 October 2026 gives up to 30% savings and a reduced 10% deposit. Flights to the port and excursions are not included, and the larger suites cost more.

What you may not like

Stops last hours, not days. Excursions are paid separately, and a review of Greece criticizes that an excursion billed as intimate was run on a twenty-person launch. Anthology does not convince everyone. And it is a ship: if the sea makes you queasy, you will notice.

What people ask me most

01

Is it adults-only?

No. There is a kids' club and a program for families.

02

What does the fare include?

Unlimited drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, the thermal area, nine culinary experiences and welcome bottles in the suite. Excursions are not included.

03

Do I have to dress formally?

No: elegant resort, no formal nights.

04

When should I book?

Specialty restaurant bookings open 75 days before boarding in an Ocean Suite, and up to 180 in the Owner's Residence.

How we plan it

The first thing I ask is what you expect from a cruise and what you cannot stand about them. With that I tell you whether Explora is for you or whether another line suits you better, and that is part of the work too.

That is how we build a tailored trip, starting with the first call, which costs nothing. If you already have dates or a ship in mind, tell us where to. There are consortium benefits on some lines, always subject to availability.

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Escrito por Diego Ramírez · Publicado el 14 October 2026