• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
On July 23rd, Explora Journeys took delivery of EXPLORA III at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, expanding MSC Group's luxury ocean fleet.
The delivery brings the company halfway through the development of its planned 6-ship fleet, with three vessels now in service and three more under construction. The programme represents an investment of more than EUR 3.5 billion, with all 6 ships being designed and built by Fincantieri in Italy.
The traditional handover ceremony was attended by senior executives from MSC Group, Explora Journeys and Fincantieri, together with representatives of the Italian national, regional and local authorities. The event concluded with the ceremonial change of flag, the blessing of the vessel and the traditional ribbon-cutting and bottle-breaking ceremony, officially transferring ownership of the ship from the builder to Explora Journeys.
Extended by 19.2 metres compared with her predecessors, EXPLORA III becomes the largest and most spacious vessel in the fleet while maintaining a similar guest capacity to EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II. The ship introduces several new features, including three additional dining concepts—The Cellar, The Chef's Table and Shore Club on 11—a second Owner's Residence designed by architect Patricia Urquiola, an expanded collection of Ocean Penthouses and Ocean Residences, redesigned Ocean Wellness facilities integrating spa and fitness areas, and the first Chopard boutique at sea. These additions further develop the brand's luxury product while preserving its focus on spacious accommodation and personalised service.
Following delivery, EXPLORA III will operate a one-off 5-night Mediterranean Prelude Journey departing Genoa on July 24th, 2026 and arriving in Civitavecchia on July 29th. The voyage will call at Marseille, Saint-Tropez, Villefranche-sur-Mer and Livorno, providing guests with an exclusive preview of the vessel before her official maiden season. During the opening days of the cruise, brand ambassador Jannik Sinner will join the voyage, while guests will also have opportunities to meet members of the leadership team, designers and senior officers involved in the ship's development.
The vessel's official naming ceremony will take place in Barcelona on August 1st, 2026, followed by her 7-night maiden voyage to Lisbon on August 3rd. Her inaugural deployment will include itineraries across Northern Europe, the Baltic, the Norwegian fjords, Iceland and Greenland before crossing the Atlantic to Canada and New England. In 2027, EXPLORA III will inaugurate Explora Journeys' first Alaska season, while the introduction of EXPLORA V in 2028 will support the brand's expansion into Asia.
EXPLORA III is also the first vessel in the Explora Journeys fleet designed to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG), with the capability to use renewable alternatives such as bio-LNG and synthetic LNG as they become available. The ship is equipped with shore power connectivity, allowing it to connect to port electrical infrastructure and switch off its engines while alongside, reducing emissions in ports where such facilities are available.
Construction of the remaining vessels continues at Fincantieri, with EXPLORA IV and EXPLORA V scheduled to enter service in 2027 and EXPLORA VI following in 2028. These next-generation ships will incorporate further environmental technologies, supporting MSC Group's long-term objective of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from its cruise operations by 2050.
