Explora Journeys’ new brand campaign is built around a simple idea: maybe the best hotel isn’t a hotel. Pictured here: an image from the campaign.Photo courtesy of Explora JourneysWhen Anna Nash left the world of ultra-luxury hotels to join Explora Journeys—the new luxury lifestyle cruise brand from MSC Group—she encountered an unexpected reaction. Friends and industry colleagues would congratulate her on her new role as president, then quickly add a caveat: “But cruising? It’s not for me.”For Nash, who spent more than two decades in luxury hospitality, including leadership roles at Aman, Rosewood and Orient-Express, those conversations became the starting point for a bigger question: Has the cruise industry been telling the wrong story about ocean travel?I recently caught up with Nash at the New York City launch of Explora Journeys’ new global brand campaign, where the luxury cruise company unveiled a message aimed at travelers who have never considered taking a cruise. The tagline: “Maybe the best hotel isn’t a hotel.”Explora is amping up its presence at a moment when some of the world’s most prestigious hotel brands—including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Nash’s former employer, Aman—are investing in cruise products of their own.Nash believes the timing couldn’t be better. “We wanted to address some of those perceptions head-on, but in a very witty way so that our existing cruisers don’t feel alienated,” Nash told me in an interview. “I think it will help inspire a new generation of seafarers to come and experience this hospitality on the water.” Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys, is leading the luxury lifestyle cruise brand’s expansion while working to attract travelers who never thought cruising was for them. Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Explora Journeys.From Aman To The Open OceanNash joined Explora in 2024 after years in the hotel world, where she built a reputation as one of luxury hospitality’s rising leaders. Explora Journeys currently operates two ships, with four more scheduled to join the fleet by the end of 2028. The line was the brainchild of the Aponte-Vago family, owners of MSC Group, one of the world's largest privately owned shipping companies. For Nash, the opportunity to run Explora was less about joining a cruise company and more about helping create something new. During the campaign launch, Nash unveiled a stylish, slightly cheeky video with White Lotus overtones. She also reflected on what attracted her to the role in a fireside conversation moderated by Carolyn Kremins, president of Skift. “I really wanted to take this challenge and to really be one of the few brands that can say they’ve made a difference to the way that an industry is perceived,” she told the audience.Kremins, whose company closely tracks global travel trends, remarked that the campaign felt “unlike anything else out there in the category,” a reflection of how aggressively Explora is trying to position itself outside traditional cruise industry conventions.Explora Journeys currently operates two ships, with four more scheduled to join the fleet by the end of 2028.Photo courtesy of Explora JourneysWhy Hotels Are Looking To The SeaLuxury hospitality companies are increasingly looking toward the water. Ritz-Carlton entered the market in 2022. Four Seasons Yacht Collection just launched this spring. Aman is developing its own luxury vessel.Rather than viewing those companies as competitors, Nash sees them as validation of a broader shift. “I really welcome those hospitality brands taking to the ocean because I think it will add credibility to the space and will add some buoyancy to ocean travel in general,” she says. “When the water in the harbor rises, all the boats will rise together.”Explora, however, comes to ocean travel from the opposite direction. While hotel brands are moving into cruising, Explora is backed by MSC Group and the Aponte-Vago family, whose maritime roots stretch back more than 300 years. “We come from a family of shipbuilders,” says Nash. “We were born with a very bold and confident vision to redefine and reframe ocean travel.”Industry veteran James Shillinglaw, editor-in-chief of Insider Travel Report, believes Explora is pursuing a distinctly different audience than many of its competitors. “Explora is trying to get a whole new set of people who didn’t like to cruise,” Shillinglaw told me in an interview. “The other lines are still targeting the cruise guests. Explora is going after hotel guests.”Indeed, Explora’s entire strategy is built around appealing to travelers who might never have considered a cruise in the first place.Every accommodation aboard Explora Journeys is an oceanfront suite with a private terrace and floor-to-ceiling views.Photo courtesy of Explora JourneysBuilding A Hotel That FloatsAsk Nash what differentiates Explora from other luxury cruise brands and she doesn’t start with itineraries. She starts with hospitality, explaining that Explora’s service culture, guest experience philosophy and even its marketing approach are inspired by the luxury hotel world. It’s also why the brand avoids much of the traditional language of cruising. “We operate the most beautiful, elegant, sophisticated, ultra-luxury hotels that float,” she says. Explora’s ships have been designed to feel more like superyachts than traditional cruise vessels. The design is quiet and residential. Every accommodation is an oceanfront suite with a private terrace and floor-to-ceiling views. There are expansive outdoor decks and multiple pools. And the line’s guest-to-host ratio of roughly 1.25 to 1—one of the highest in the industry—one of the highest in the industry—allows for the kind of highly personalized hospitality more commonly associated with luxury resorts than cruise ships.Food is another point of distinction. Perhaps the most telling example is one hallmark of cruising that’s missing. “We do not have buffets on board,” she says. Instead, Explora’s Emporium Marketplace functions more like a luxury food hall, with 18 live cooking stations where dishes are prepared to order.That hotel-inspired philosophy extends beyond the ship itself. Rather than focusing solely on marquee ports, Explora has invested heavily in smaller-group cultural experiences designed to create deeper connections with destinations. Nash points to everything from visits to a working nunnery in Greece to high-profile events like the Monaco Grand Prix. “The off-ship experience should be as seamless and enjoyable as the on-ship experience,” she says.Anna Nash speaks with Skift president Carolyn Kremins during the launch of Explora Journeys’ new global brand campaign in New York City.Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Explora Journeys.Leading DifferentlyNash’s leadership style reflects a similar willingness to break convention. One of the first decisions she made after taking on the role was rejecting a traditional C-suite office. “I broke the mold and very kindly rejected the executive floor to sit with my team,” she says.Her office door also remains open whenever she isn’t in a meeting. “I need to be present,” she says. “If I don’t know what’s going on, how can I run a business?”That philosophy extends to her advice for the next generation of travel leaders, particularly women hoping to build leadership careers in travel. “Do something that you absolutely love,” says Nash, who notes that going to work has never been a chore for her. “It’s been a passion.”She also believes visibility matters. “Show up, be present, raise your hand, have curiosity,” she says. “I don’t believe in working from home, especially for the younger generation. How will you ever be noticed if you work from home?”Nash also believes young professionals need to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset. “We never want to hire the champions of the world,” she says. “We want people that are really in their own growth journey and are hungry and eager to learn.”It’s advice that has served Nash well. Female leadership at the highest levels of the cruise industry remains relatively rare, making her one of the most visible women shaping the future of luxury travel today.Explora Journeys describes its philosophy as an “Ocean State of Mind,” emphasizing space, calm and connection at sea. Pictured here: an image from the new branding campaign.Photo courtesy of Explora JourneysA New Chapter For Luxury TravelIf there was one theme that surfaced repeatedly during both our interview and the campaign launch, it was listening. “We are a brand built on the art of listening,” says Nash. Because Explora is privately owned, the company can move quickly when guests identify opportunities for improvement. “We listen to our guests after every sailing. If we see that there’s a similar trend or theme, we act,” says Nash.That approach has resonated with both guests and travel advisors. Shannon Santiago, a travel advisor with First in Service and The Curated Escape Travel Social Club, calls herself an Explora “fan girl” and credits Nash’s hospitality background with helping shape the brand’s evolution.“Explora Journeys has reimagined what it means to travel by sea,” Santiago says. “I do not care for the term ‘cruise.’ Rather than focusing on the traditional notion of cruising, they have created a sophisticated experience centered on ocean travel, where the journey is every bit as meaningful as the destination.”Santiago also points to the company’s willingness to actively engage with travel advisors, welcome feedback, and implement meaningful improvements. “In an industry where that level of collaboration can be rare, it’s exciting to see a brand that is committed to evolving and enhancing the guest experience,” she says. “To me, that's a direct reflection of Anna Nash's hospitality background. She understands that both guest and advisor feedback matter. If something isn't quite working, you acknowledge it, address it, and make it better. That approach has long been a hallmark of great hotels, and it's refreshing to see those same principles being brought to ocean travel.”Guests agree. During the Q&A portion of the launch event, one repeat guest stood up and addressed Nash directly: “We cruise on a lot of lines,” she said. “The people you’ve hired, the training, the service is unbelievable.”For Nash, those reactions suggest that travelers may be more willing than ever to rethink what luxury at sea can look like. “Luxury has always had to have a fixed address,” says Nash. “Maybe it shouldn’t. Maybe the best postcode is the horizon.”MORE FOR FORBES:Forbes9 Breathtaking Hotels With Some Of The Best Stargazing On EarthBy Laura Begley BloomForbesWant To Move To Spain? 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