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There are high chairs in restaurants, a modern kids’ club, Nautilus Club, with organized activities, age-appropriate toys in suites for passengers two years and younger and a shore program with families in mind, too. "Explora Journeys will bring guests to lesser-traveled harbors to enjoy a more authentic experience and a slower pace of travel," the company says in a statement outlining its itineraries, which start at seven nights. The Chef’s Kitchen offers an immersive experience for 12 guests.
Night A Journey From Miami To MiamiDetails
Similar to New York’s former Plaza food hall, the Eataly chain and London’s Fortnum & Mason food hall. It was buzzy and often busy (in a good way), with drool-worthy dishes available at every mealtime. Under a gorgeous blue sky filled with hundreds of migratory Canadian geese, I followed our park guide through the wilds of Zwin Nature Reserve, straddling the Belgium–Netherlands border on the North Sea coast. We were on a mission, foraging for samphire and sea buckthorn, just 25 minutes north of Zeebrugge, with swooping cormorants and wading herons on the watery horizon. Later, guided by a local chef, I chop, blend and saute our bounty to add to dishes of samphire tapenade and seafood bisque.
Enjoy Explora I's Included Thermal Suite -- and Outstanding Fitness Options
Suites mirror public spaces, designed to feel like a boutique hotel or room at a luxury resort, rather than a cruise ship. The line has achieved this not just in the decor – modern and neutral -- but in scale. To deliver the concept, the Explora ships feature a large number of public areas and spaces, including 12 outdoor/indoor lounges and bars, 11 different culinary experiences, four pool decks and a 1,000-square-meter wellness center. Instead, there are eight inclusive dining options, including five specialty restaurants, in-room dining, a cafe and gelateria (the chocolate sorbet is divine!). In-suite dining is nothing new in the luxury market, but with a huge 75-foot balcony, the experience of dining on a beef fillet cooked to your liking, on your private veranda, feels all the more indulgent.
A boutique resort at sea: What to expect from new luxe cruise line Explora Journeys
There are regular meet ups for solo travelers, known as the Solivagant Society. We were impressed by Explora Journeys’ Prism programme, which includes gatherings and activities for the LGBTQIA + passengers with a social event held on the first or second day of every sailing. Towards the end of each sailing, there is also a Prism cocktail party. Explora Journeys is welcoming of the family market and multi-generational groups, with 82 cabins that connect two suites together. This is a smart move to draw larger families or even groups of friends traveling together.
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During my journey, Michelin three-starred Ristorante Uliassi, located in Ancona, Italy, created an 8-course menu focusing on Adriatic seafood—the pasta with an infusion of fig leaves was exceptional. However, each dining establishment I tried left me satisfied, including the surprisingly excellent all-day dining venue Emporium Marketplace, which had made-to-order wood-fired pizza and an indulgent raw bar. The house champagne is Moet & Chandon Imperial, options like Nikka Whiskey and Johnnie Walker are included at the Malt Whiskey Bar, and the wine list offers hard-to-find bottles at a surprisingly fair price point.
Introducing Explora Journeys - a New Luxury Cruise Line From MSC Launching in 2023
Upon boarding, I found myself in the lobby, which manages to feel grand and intimate at the same time with its soaring ceilings. The design is sophisticated and timeless, with a muted color scheme and artful touches like an installation by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare of books from the British Library’s collection wrapped in African fabrics. An art gallery on deck five displays rotating exhibitions of paintings and photographs from the destinations throughout the world where the ship docks.
As our photos of Explora I show, the ship is one of the most luxurious feeling ships that's currently sailing. The dining program, led by Oceania veterans, is also top notch, leaning on artisanal ingredients and a European mindset. The high-end amenities onboard, coupled with large entry-level cabins (which Explora calls "suites") and an upscale atmosphere that isn't too stuffy -- no formal wear required! -- makes this an ideal ship for the affluent working professionals that Explora Journeys hopes to attract.
Michael Ungerer steps down as Explora Journeys CEO - Travel Weekly
Michael Ungerer steps down as Explora Journeys CEO.
Posted: Mon, 04 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The French restaurant, Fil Rouge, serves breakfast á la carte, unlike the other sit-down restaurants, which are not open for breakfast. Explora I has nine dining options, in addition to five bars and lounges. According to Gelineau, the idea was not to have one main restaurant but rather a collection of distinct dining outlets, each with its own concept. Seen from afar, the 922-passenger Explora I cuts a rather sleek silhouette.
Sea Trials
In Oslo, the Nordic weather gods looked on us with favor, and visitors and locals alike took to the shoreline for sunbathing, sauna sessions, and, in my case, a two-hour paddling trip around the harbor with Mad Goats, a local outfitter. In Goteborg, Sweden, I wandered blissfully from neighborhood to neighborhood, window shopping in Haga and sniffing out bakeries in Landala. There, too, I took to the water by renting an electric canal cruiser — much like the ones in Amsterdam — from Let’s Boat for an hour-long, self-guided tour of the city’s waterways. Let our Explora Experience Ambassadors ease you into your travel experience by taking care of essential arrangements before and after your journey.
Explora Journeys’ ships are being designed with an eye toward a greener future. They have a dedicated space for battery storage to allow future hybrid power generation when that technology becomes more widely available. Guests on Explora I enjoy luxury vacations and are typically well-traveled. Some have crossed over from MSC Cruises’ MSC Yacht Club, while others are new-to-cruise.
The Emporium Marketplace is perhaps the fanciest food hall we've seen at sea. Franck Garanger, the French chef who led Oceania to the best dining at sea, has been overseeing Explora Journeys through its culinary launch. He stacked the ship with many former Oceania veterans -- 80% of the culinary team onboard came that line, he said. All of its whirlpools are infinity style, and face the outside of the ship. Luckily, Explora I has the Conservatory Pool, a lovely space with a retractable glass top so people were able to have pool time despite the chilly weather.
The 16-day sailing includes stops in Bruges, Belgium; Brønnøysund, Norway; and Skagen in Denmark, according to the line's website. People gathered at other entertainment venues to socialize at various points during the day. Daily for tea, while the Astern Lounge was ground central for rousing trivia games. DJs played dance music every night, and there was even a silent disco one evening. Instead, the line goes for more of a cabaret vibe, using guest artists that it calls Luminaries. We loved the approach that the line took to a traditional Broadway show, opting to fill the stage with faux candles and a singer with an excellent voice.
And Explora Journeys is definitely not a cruise line, it is a luxury lifestyle brand. While the Explora Journeys brand is new, it has plenty of maritime heritage - centuries of it, in fact. The new line is part of MSC, the family-owned cruise and shipping giant that traces its legacy all the way back to 1675.
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