Embarking on Elegance: Inaugural Voyage of Luxury Ship Explora I

Explora I, the first ship in the Explora Journeys fleet, departed Copenhagen on its maiden journey Aug. 1, for a seven-night sailing to Lerwick, Shetland Islands; Kirkwall, Orkney; and Reykjavik, Iceland.

Explora, the luxury lifestyle brand of the MSC Group, espouses an “Ocean State of Mind” philosophy with immersive experiences such as exploring Copenhagen’s waterways by kayak, learning about Shetland ponies, and an overnight stay in Iceland to explore the Golden Circle.

“Our guests will be able to experience the very best European hospitality at sea and our vibrant, cosmopolitan sense of luxury, while discovering some of the world’s most remarkable destinations,” Explora CEO Michael Ungerer said. “A new era of transformative luxury ocean travel begins now with the first sailing of Explora I.”

The festivities held in Copenhagen on Aug. 1 included the traditional crest exchange, a maritime tradition to celebrate a ship’s first visit to a destination, with the ship’s master Captain Serena Melani; Johan Hoganfalt, deputy port captain; Sune Christensen, chief commercial officer of Copenhagen Malmö Port; Klaus Bondam, director of Cruise Baltic and Cruise Copenhagen; and Ungerer.

The ship will spend several weeks in Northern Europe on a range of itineraries and will then cross the Atlantic Ocean and spend the winter in North America and the Caribbean before returning to Europe in summer 2024 for Mediterranean voyages.

Explora II is being built in Italy and is expected to enter service in August 2024. Explora III and Explora IV – which will become the first of two ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) – are scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2027, respectively.