I am not a cruise person; never been one. But last May I travelled on Explora Journeys’ Explora II, boarding in Athens for a five-night cruise through the Cycladic islands, around the Peloponnese and across the Ionian Sea to Bari. I disembarked amid the Puglian capital’s dazzling white cathedrals rested, coddled, newly familiar with a few points on the Aegean map, impressed with the ship itself, delighted by its staff – and still not a cruise person. But: a person whose point of view about cruising had somewhat changed.
“Maybe the best hotel isn’t a hotel,” reads the copy on Explora Journeys’ landing page. The choice to own this positioning in a (ahem) sea of competition is intriguing: part of a niche luxury-liner collection launched in 2023 by the Italian conglomerate MSC, with a president who is ex-Aman, Explora Journeys’ 14-deck, 456-cabin Explora II is smaller and more refined than many in its set, painted navy with smart pale-wood decking and white trim. It made good on its claim, with superior amenities, accommodations, dining, service and wellness – the Explora II’s spa and fitness facilities (indoor and outdoor ones, on different decks) account for more than 10,000sq ft of space. The spa has a hydrotherapy pool, ice bath, salt cave, Finnish sauna, relaxation lounge and 11 treatment rooms, including couples’ suites. Its Ocean Wellness retreats are several-day-long programmes with prescriptive fitness, nutrition and mindfulness practices. One of these has been tailored by Jannik Sinner, who is Explora Journeys’ global brand ambassador.
