Explora Journeys welcomes Explora III, the new LNG-powered flagship, to its fleet

The new milestone achieved by the MSC Group’s Cruise Division and Fincantieri, who this morning at the Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa celebrated the delivery ceremony of Explora III, bears the hallmark of naval excellence and great engineering. The new flagship of the luxury brand Explora Journeys represents a fundamental step in the fleet expansion strategy: with a total investment of over 3.5 billion euros for the six planned units and the direct employment of thousands of specialized workers, this industrial synergy continues to confirm itself as a fundamental economic driver for Made in Italy and the Ligurian economy.

Compared to Explora I and Explora II, the third ship marks a clear evolutionary leap. Explora III is in fact the first ship in the fleet to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), a clean technology that drastically reduces emissions and whose integration required a redesign of the spaces. To make room for the LNG tanks while maintaining the exclusive space-to-passenger ratio, Explora III is 19.2 meters longer than its first two sister ships. This increase allowed for the expansion of public areas, with a unified wellness hub on Deck 5 and new gastronomic concepts, and to offer an even wider selection of suites, all while keeping the number of guests on board almost unchanged (463 suites) to ensure an almost one-to-one service.

After its christening, the flagship is ready to set sail for a wide-ranging inaugural season. Explora III’s career will kick off with a preview voyage in the Mediterranean, departing from the port of Genoa, followed by the christening ceremony in Barcelona and the maiden voyage to Lisbon. During the summer, the ship will sail up the Atlantic to explore the wonders of Northern Europe, the Norwegian fjords, Iceland, and Greenland, before embarking on its first oceanic crossing towards the coasts of North America and the Caribbean.