Why are wealthy travellers flocking to ‘quiet luxury cruise’ Explora I? Tour the vessel that features Rolex and Cartier stores, tastefully designed suites, fine dining, spa, infinity pools and more

Oct 29 , 2023

Staying on MSC Cruises’ Explora I is the epitome of luxury travel. Photos: @explorajourneys/Instagram

Cargo shipping giant MSC Group operates a 23-cruise ship fleet under MSC Cruises and began sailing its luxury vessel Explora I two months ago, setting record weeks of bookings for 2024

Itineraries in 2024 can go up to US$90,050 per person in the 3,014 sq ft Owner’s Residence on the 25-night cruise from Barbados to LA, but where else can you find a floating Rolex store on board?

If you’ve only sailed with the likes of Carnival or Margaritaville, you might not think of cruise holidays as the pinnacle of luxury travel. But for high-earning globetrotters who know where to look, cruise holidays can feel like a step below travelling on a superyacht (albeit shared) or in a floating luxury hotel.

One of the newest luxury cruise lines to hit the market, Explora Journeys, is trying to offer just that. Just be ready to shell out at least US$500 per night per person in 2024 for its only vessel, the Explora I.

Explora Journeys is a new luxury cruise line that just hit the market

Michael Ungerer, the CEO of Explora Journeys, called the Explora I a “boutique-style resort on the water”.

The new cruise line isn’t the only one pursuing this concept. Competition could be tough: popular luxury resort brands like Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Aman are also building out their own luxury floating hotel portfolios.

Explora I is a smaller and more intimate cruise compared to others

Explora is owned by MSC Group, a 53-year-old European cargo shipping giant that already operates a 23-cruise ship fleet under MSC Cruises. Since the ship began revenue sailings two months ago, “word of mouth” has pushed the cruise line to have “one record week [of 2024 cruise bookings] after the other”, Ungerer said.

Itineraries in 2024 start at US$3,000 per traveller for a six-night January sailing from Miami to Cartagena, Colombia. This price ranges up to US$90,050 per person in the largest 3,014 sq ft Owner’s Residence on the 25-night cruise from Bridgetown, Barbados to Los Angeles.

Unlike the giant cruise ships that have been flooding the market, the Explora I is smaller and more intimate. Royal Caribbean says its upcoming 365-metre-long Icon of the Seas will have 2,805 staterooms for 7,600 travellers. To compare, Explora’s 247-metre-long vessel has 461 cabins, all suites. At double occupancy, this ship can sail with 922 travellers.