The arrival of enormous ships, like the 7,000 passenger/3000 crew member Icon of the Seas, is an effective way to promote the cruise industry. But cruise companies are also launching smaller vessels designed to give passengers more individual attention, like the new Explora I from Explora Journeys.
The Explora I, launched in 2023, is a sleek 63,000-ton ship designed for just 922 passengers, each housed in an oceanfront suite. Another important number is 1.32 to 1. This represents the crew to passenger ratio, showing the line’s commitment to passenger service.
Ship staterooms start with the Ocean Terrace suites, at 377 square feet. They feature amenities such as a king bed, a chaise lounge day bed, and big glass doors that make it true ocean front view. Bathrooms include European walk-in showers, heated marble floors, and Dyson hair dryers. The ship also has some 67 penthouses from 462 to 763 square feet, and the Ocean Residences, from 750 square feet up to 1600 square feet.
The Explora I has 12 bars and lounges, and 64 cabanas on deck for guests, with multiple indoor and outdoor whirlpools. The spa has a dry sauna, a steam room, Himalayan salt treatments and more, for “the gift of ocean wellness,” which also includes workouts with free weights, 30-minute yoga classes, Pilates, and rowing machines.
Explora Journeys, said to be the only major cruise line that’s privately owned, is part of the private shipping company MSC. The Italian owners made their private yacht a model for the type of service they planned to deliver. Explora I is the first of a planned six ships, with Explora II set to arrive in August 2024.
Along with many travel agents, a key market for Explora Journeys, I was invited on an introductory cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver, Canada. Destinations enroute included San Francisco, Astoria, Oregon, and Victoria, British Columbia.
Focusing on luxury, Explora’s rates are all-inclusive, including gratuities, alcohol and its powerful Wi-Fi service. A handful of amenities, such as Anthology Restaurant, which features a rotating cast of Michelin-star chefs, have an addition price.
Prices we found range from a ten-night journey from Barcelona to Barcelona for $3,835 (via Gibraltar, Seville, Madera, etc.) to a 44-night extravaganza “connecting continents” from Vancouver to Barcelona via the US West Coast, Mexico, the Panama Canal, and the Mediterranean for $18,450.
The Explora experience began at the Port of Los Angeles, a warehouse-sized building reminiscent of a bus terminal. However, Explora made check-in fast and almost fun, with friendly representatives using data tablets to check us in at small tableclothed tables, rather than at the clerk’s counter.
The commitment to meeting passenger needs shows up everywhere, such as in the availability of 24-hour room service. The restaurants were uniformly excellent, and the fast elevators quickly whisked you from deck to deck. Yet after a couple of days, I really enjoyed taking breakfast in my cabin, eggs, waffles, pancakes, and vats of coffee.
Explora was full of such experiences. I watched a chanteuse descending the staircase into the Lounge Bar singing jazz standards. Later, I smoked a Winston Churchill Petit in the fragrant cigar lounge at midnight.
Explora is based in Geneva, so when I laid a couple of hundred-dollar bills on the blackjack table I was politely told to use my room card or change money at the cashier’s booth—euros only.
The friendly casino kept drawing me back, as the ship sailing north along the Pacific Coast would cruise 12 miles offshore. Of course, I ended up losing all my cash, but I made $200 last the entire six -day cruise. The dealers seemed much more concerned if I was having a good time than those in Las Vegas.
The service was excellent, with barmen opening “closed” bars to pour drinks. Even when the crew didn’t fully understand a request, they gave it their all. In one lounge, I asked for a martini with blue cheese olives, AKA ‘Maytag olives.” The server apparently rustled about the ship and returned with a small plate containing 4 ounces of blue cheese. I did not have the heart to tell him and instead, ate the evidence.
The ship has a well-equipped gym, but I also ran the marked jogging track on Deck 12 in my gray sweats in the wind, feeling like I was in CHARIOTS OF FIRE. I practiced hitting a pickleball over the net on the sports court and shot some 3-pointers.
Later, I sat in one of the Explora’s warm whirlpools directly overlooking the sea. The ship is said to have more water on board than any other.
The ship was so relaxing, in fact, that many passengers chose to stay on board during port days, taking advantage of massages and other services. With cruising, the journey is really the destination.
But they missed out on Explora’s well-organized excursions. In San Francisco, I took a coach tour into Marin County over the Golden Gate Bridge. The intrepid bus driver drove us safely over a zig-zagging road full of bicyclists to Muir Woods. The guide told us about the history of the redwoods, how 95% of the old giants were cut down, and how they were saved at national parks like Muir Woods. But once we got there, he left us alone with our thoughts, to walk the easy trail and admire the redwoods.
The intrepid bus driver found a parking spot at the Marin Headlands overlooking San Francisco Bay for selfies of the Golden Gate Bridge. Memorably, we had sailed under the bridge on Explora’s journey into the city.
I particularly enjoyed the day we spent in Astoria, Oregon, a 200-year-old port city on the south shore of the Columbia River where it flows into the Pacific Ocean. Astoria, founded in 1811, is a destination I might never have encountered if it were not for the cruise. Astoria got its name from wealthy New York entrepreneur John Jacob Astor, who monopolized the booming fur trade.
Our excursion took us to majestic views of the river dividing Oregon and Washington. We investigated the less-than-luxurious dwellings at the Lewis and Clark Fort where the expedition lived. At the Maritime Museum, we learned about the treacherous currents of the Columbia and the salmon cannery industry that once dominated the town.
Lunch at the Mediterranean Yacht Club with its fish, humus and other Mediterranean food was a treat. I enjoyed a great ribeye in Marble, the amazing steak restaurant on board. The fresh pizza on board was also great. Late at night, I thanked the servers who stayed open just for me, pouring a shot of McAllen.
The Explora makes a strong effort to keep the passengers entertained, with Broadway hits in the Journey Lounge, and individual performers in others. (I loved “Better Shape Up” from GREASE performed with just a guitar accompaniment). There are three Steinway pianos in different lounges. Explora also has alternate entertainment like silent discos, a tough trivia game, a cooking experience and “luminaries” on board to talk about various topics.
Cruise expert Chris Gray Faust, Executive Editor at Cruise Critic, says, “Explora Journeys is an entry into the luxury cruise world. Backed by the private shipping company MSC, the line has the money and ambition to fine tune its product to attract those guests who might normally choose a high-end resort or hotel, as opposed to a cruise.”
Before launching Explora, the founders interviewed 20,000 luxury travelers and 250 travel advisors. Chris Austin, Chief Sales Officer, said the idea was to “build a ship that’s like a private yacht. An intimate ship, with many, many spaces.”
What resulted, said Ausin, is something “that doesn’t feel like a cruise ship, it feels like a luxury boutique hotel.” In terms of onboard shopping, “We have Piaget, Cartier, Panerai and the only Rolex watch store at sea.”
According to Austin, just 4% of luxury travelers cruise. But “after 8 months of operating, we are seeing cruisers on second and third cruise.” He added, “There is no more stunning view than when you sail into a port, as opposed to catching a taxi from the airport. Ultimately, having 6 ships will allow us to discover the world together. We call it the Ocean State of Mind.”