MSC Groups luxury brand, Explora Journeys staged a triple celebration at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente near Genoa, Italy late last week.
‘Explora II’ was delivered and became the second ship to join the MSC Group’s €3.5 bill fleet of six vessels.
She will sail on her maiden voyage on 16th September from Civitavecchia in Italy to Sicily, Malta and Spain.
This traditional maritime event was attended by Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Group’s Cruise Division Executive Chairman; the ship’s godmother, Stefania Vago; as well as Fincantieri’s Chairman, Biagio Mazzotta and the builder’s CEO and
General Manager, Pierroberto Folgiero; along with representatives of MSC’s construction team, together with managers and workers from the shipyard.
The 63,900 gt cruise ship will operate in the Caribbean in the winter and return to the Mediterranean for summer 2025.
The new luxury ship has 461 ocean facing suites, penthouses and residences, six restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, four swimming pools, and a range of wellness venues.
A keel-laying ceremony for ‘Explora III’ was also held. The LNG powered vessel will enter service in 2026.
Explora Journeys’ third celebration was a steel cutting ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard to start
the construction of ‘Explora IV’, which will also be fuelled by LNG, and will be completed in early 2027.
‘Explora V’ will join the luxury fleet in 2027 to be followed by ‘Explora VI’ in 2028.
A project is underway for both of the latter cruise ships to have large fuel cell capacity capable of transforming renewable LNG into hydrogen, significantly reducing emissions. Vago, said, “The delivery of ’Explora II’ represents a significant milestone for Explora Journeys and the MSC Group, in our commitment to set new standards in global luxury travel at sea. “This special day also sees us celebrate the coin ceremony for ‘Explora III’ and the start of construction of ‘Explora IV’, as we continue to deliver on our commitment to create a fleet of six best-in-class ships offering even more guests a luxury ocean travel experience like no other,” he said.
‘Explora II’, designed and built under RINA class, has received several additional voluntary notations, due to innovative design and construction features focused on environmental sustainability and passenger comfort.
For example, it received RINA’s Green Plus notation for comprehensive environmental performance and was also awarded the Comfort Noise and Vibration notation for its low noise and vibration levels, enhancing on board comfort.
In addition, she received the Dolphin notation for minimising noise impact in ecologically sensitive marine areas and is certified under the Polar Code C, to enable safe navigation in Polar waters.
