Explora cruises 2026–2027: Explora Journeys ships, fares and who it suits
Explora cruises suit travelers who want a new, resort-style luxury ship where every suite faces the ocean and drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities are in the fare. Skip it if you want a small ship or excursions included, because Explora Journeys ships are larger than most luxury rivals and its inclusions list doesn't cover tours ashore. The line belongs to MSC Group, has three ships in service in October 2026 and plans six by 2028.
Book it if
- You want new ships. Explora I, II and III were delivered between July 2023 and July 2026.
- You want an inclusive fare. Drinks including champagne and premium spirits, Wi-Fi and onboard gratuities are covered.
- You want Alaska on a luxury ship in 2027. Explora III sails its first season there from Vancouver.
Skip it if
- You want a small ship. Explora I has 456 suites, more than most luxury ships.
- You want every restaurant included. Anthology, The Chef's Kitchen, The Chef's Table and The Cellar cost extra.
- You want a long track record. The first Explora cruise sailed in August 2023.
Explora cruise line at a glance
- Fleet
- 3 ships in service in October 2026, with 3 more due in 2027 and 2028
- Price tier
- Luxury, with most extras in the fare
- Ship size
- About 63,600 gross tons for the first two ships and about 72,800 from Explora III on. Explora I has 456 suites
- Main regions
- The Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean and Central America, Alaska from 2027, Asia and South America from winter 2027 to 2028
- Included in the fare
- Dining in the included restaurants, unlimited drinks, Wi-Fi, onboard gratuities, the spa's thermal area and port shuttles where available
- Not included
- Four premium dining venues, bottles from the for-purchase list, spa treatments and flights. The inclusions list does not cover shore excursions
- Owner
- MSC Group, the owner of MSC Cruises
Explora cruise ships
Explora Journeys names its ships with Roman numerals and calls its cruises journeys. All six ships come from the Fincantieri shipyards in Italy. The first two are sisters. From Explora III on, the ships are longer and can run on liquefied natural gas.
- Explora IThe ship the line started with. It has 456 ocean-front suites, six restaurants, 12 bars and lounges and five heated pools. Its first cruise left Copenhagen on August 1, 2023.
- Explora IISister to Explora I. It shares the Mediterranean with Explora I in summer 2027 and sails the Caribbean in winter.
- Explora IIIThe newest ship, 19.2 meters longer than the first two and the first in the fleet able to use LNG. It adds The Cellar, The Chef's Table and Shore Club, and it is the ship for Alaska in 2027.
- Explora IVStarts in summer 2027 in Northern Europe, the Baltic, Iceland and Greenland, then sails the U.S. East Coast and New England.
- Explora VIts first season runs from December 2027 to April 2028 in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic islands.
- Explora VIThe sixth and last ship in the current plan.
Explora III’s first cruise was a seven-night voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon that left on August 3, 2026. MSC Group puts its investment in the six ships at more than 3.5 billion euros.
How big is an Explora cruise ship?
Bigger than most luxury ships. Explora I measures about 63,600 gross tons and has 456 suites, which Explora Journeys describes as ocean-front. Every suite category the line lists comes with a terrace. Explora quotes a ratio of 1.25 guests to each member of staff on Explora I.
That size is the point of the line. You get more restaurants, more pools and more deck space than on a ship of 300 suites, and you give up some of the small-ship feel. Our best luxury and small-ship cruises ranking sets Explora against the smaller ships.
What an Explora Journeys cruise fare includes
Explora Journeys publishes one list of inclusions for every journey.
- Drinks: unlimited beverages, including fine wines, champagne and premium spirits, in the bars, restaurants and your suite.
- Dining: nine culinary experiences by Explora’s count, in-suite dining among them.
- Wi-Fi: throughout the ship.
- Gratuities: onboard gratuities are covered.
- Wellness: the thermal area of the spa, plus group fitness and wellbeing classes.
- Shuttles: from the port to the town center, where one is needed and available.
Four venues sit outside the fare: Anthology, The Chef’s Kitchen, The Chef’s Table and The Cellar. Explora listed the Anthology tasting menu at 165 euros per person (checked October 2026). Bottles from the for-purchase wine and spirits list also cost extra, and so do spa treatments.
The inclusions list says nothing about shore excursions, so plan to pay for tours. The higher suite categories add extras such as ground transfers.
Our all-inclusive cruise guide compares this fare with Regent, Silversea and Seabourn.
Where Explora cruises sail in 2026 and 2027
Ship assignments below come from Explora Journeys’ own season pages and announcements, and they can change.
Explora cruises in 2026
Three ships are sailing as 2026 ends. Our snapshot shows where two of them are in early 2027: Explora II on a short Mediterranean journey from Barcelona in January, and Explora III on a Panama Canal journey from Miami in April, ahead of its Alaska season.
Explora cruises in 2027: the Mediterranean
Explora I and Explora II both spend summer 2027 in the Mediterranean, in a season that runs from March to November. Explora Journeys counts more than 60 possible journeys there. New ports for the line include Istanbul, Algiers, Amalfi, Olbia in Sardinia and Trogir in Croatia.
For seasons and ports, see our Europe cruise guide and Greece cruise guide.
Explora Journeys Alaska cruises
Alaska is new for Explora Journeys in 2027. Explora III sails from Vancouver, and the first journey runs from May 10 to 21, 2027, a round trip that calls at Sitka and Prince Rupert and sails into Endicott Arm. A longer journey in July goes on to Hubbard Glacier and Kodiak.
Trade press reported 14 Alaska cruises for the season when it was announced, some of them between Vancouver and Seward. See our Alaska cruise guide, our best cruise lines for Alaska ranking and the guide to cruises from Vancouver.
Explora IV in Northern Europe and New England
Explora IV starts work in summer 2027. Its first journeys cover Northern Europe and the Baltic, Iceland and Greenland, and it then crosses to the U.S. East Coast and New England. Our snapshot has it sailing from Copenhagen and Hamburg in August 2027 and from New York in late September.
Our Northern Europe cruise guide and Canada and New England cruise guide cover both regions.
Winter 2027 to 2028
The winter collection runs from September 2027 to May 2028, and it was changed in September 2026. Explora Journeys cancelled the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf cruises it had planned for that winter and moved two ships.
- Explora I sails South America on seven and eight-night cruises from Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, reaching Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
- Explora II and Explora IV sail the Caribbean and Central America.
- Explora III sails the line’s first Asia season, with Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Shanghai.
- Explora V starts in the Western Mediterranean and North Africa, moves to the Canary Islands and Madeira, then returns to the Mediterranean.
Our Caribbean cruise guide has the seasons for the winter ships.
How Explora compares
- Against Regent Seven Seas: Regent includes shore excursions in its fare. Explora’s list does not.
- Against Silversea and Seabourn: Silversea and Seabourn sail smaller ships and have decades of history. Explora answers with newer ships and more space.
- Against MSC Yacht Club: MSC Cruises belongs to the same group, and its Yacht Club is a private suite area inside a large resort ship. Explora is a separate line where the whole ship is all-suite.
- In our rankings: Explora is the modern-ship pick in our luxury and small-ship ranking and in our all-inclusive ranking, and it is named among the upscale lines in our best cruise lines ranking.
Explora cruise prices and sample sailings
Three checks help when you compare Explora cruise prices.
- Count what the fare covers. Drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities are in it. Put the same items on the other side before you compare with a premium line.
- Add excursions and flights. Neither is on the inclusions list, and Alaska and Asia journeys start a long way from most U.S. homes.
- Check which ship it is. Explora III and the ships after it are longer than the first two and have dining venues the first two were not built with.
The sailings below come from our monthly snapshot.
| Departs | Line and ship | Nights | Itinerary | From | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2027 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA II | 5 | A Journey Of Catalan Coasts & Mediterranean Serenity (from Barcelona, Spain) | $2,695 | Check price |
| Mar 20, 2027 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA II | 5 | A Journey To The Aegean’S Sacred And Sunlit Isles (from Comino, Malta) | $3,045 | Check price |
| Apr 12, 2027 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA III | 10 | A Journey Through Enchanting Nature & The Marvels Of The Panama Canal (from Miami, Florida) | $7,440 | Check price |
| Jun 22, 2027 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA III | 10 | A Journey Through Glacial Majesty & Alaskan Spirit (from Vancouver, British Columbia) | $10,000 | Check price |
| Aug 6, 2027 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA IV | 5 | A Journey Of Design, Heritage & Harbours (from Copenhagen, Denmark) | $6,020 | Check price |
| Aug 20, 2027 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA IV | 5 | A Journey Of Nordic Cities & Coastal Calm (from Copenhagen, Denmark) | $4,305 | Check price |
| Aug 25, 2027 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA IV | 10 | A Journey From Celtic Shores To Icelandic Fjords (from Hamburg, Germany) | $9,485 | Check price |
| Sep 25, 2027 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA IV | 10 | A Journey Through Ocean Mists & Radiant Island Tranquillity (from New York, New York) | $7,245 | Check price |
| Dec 2, 2027 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA II | 10 | A Journey Through Caribbean Havens & The Tropical Gems Of Seaside Cities (from Miami, Florida) | $5,730 | Check price |
| Jun 20, 2028 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA III | 10 | A Journey Of Wild Canadian Shorelines, Indigenous Discovery & Alaskan Wonder (from Vancouver, British Columbia) | $7,115 | Check price |
| Jun 23, 2028 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA IV | 7 | A Journey To Untamed Icelandic Shores, Black-Sand Beaches & Rainbow Streets (from Reykjavik, Iceland) | $8,025 | Check price |
| Sep 24, 2028 | Explora Journeys, EXPLORA V | 10 | A Journey Through Sublime Scenery & Cultural Treasures (from New York, New York) | $6,780 | Check price |
Explora cruises FAQ
Who owns Explora cruises?
MSC Group, the privately owned company based in Geneva that also owns MSC Cruises. Explora Journeys is its luxury cruise line and is run as a separate brand.
How many ships does the Explora Journeys cruise line have?
Three in October 2026: Explora I, Explora II and Explora III. Explora IV and Explora V are due in 2027 and Explora VI in 2028, which completes a fleet of six.
Are Explora Journeys cruises all inclusive?
Largely. The fare covers unlimited drinks including champagne and premium spirits, Wi-Fi, onboard gratuities and dining in the included restaurants. Four premium dining venues, spa treatments and flights cost extra, and shore excursions are not on the inclusions list.
Does Explora Journeys sail to Alaska?
From 2027. Explora III sails the line’s first Alaska season from Vancouver, starting with a round trip from May 10 to 21, 2027.
What is the newest Explora cruise ship?
Explora III, delivered in July 2026. It is 19.2 meters longer than Explora I and II and is the first ship in the fleet that can run on liquefied natural gas. Explora IV follows in 2027.
Where do Explora cruises go in 2027?
The Mediterranean on Explora I and II, Alaska on Explora III, and Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland and New England on Explora IV. From late 2027 the ships move to the Caribbean, South America, Asia and the Atlantic islands.
Sources
- Explora Journeys: inclusions (what the fare covers, extra-cost dining; checked October 2026)
- Explora Journeys: EXPLORA I (suites, restaurants, bars, pools, guest-to-host ratio)
- Explora Journeys: ships (the six ships and their years)
- Explora Journeys press release: delivery of EXPLORA III (July 2026)
- Explora Journeys press release: new itineraries for summer 2027 (May 12, 2025)
- Explora Journeys: summer 2027 collection
- Explora Journeys: winter 2027–2028 collection
- Cruise Industry News: Explora expands 2027–28 winter season in Europe (September 25, 2026)
- Porthole Cruise and Travel: Explora Journeys launches first Alaska cruises in 2027 (May 16, 2025)
- Wikipedia: Explora Journeys (delivery dates, gross tonnage, builder)