Explora Journeys has taken delivery of Explora III at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa today, with the third ship in MSC Group's luxury cruise brand marking the halfway point in the company's growth.
The ship is the first in the fleet to be powered by LNG, and it is also the largest, as it is 19.2 meters (63 feet) longer than its sister ships, Explora I and Explora II.
The cruise line and the shipbuilding company held a delivery ceremony which included speeches from local dignitaries, a dance performance by Urban Theory, and the official handover of the ship.
There was also a presentation of an ampoule of water from when Explora III touched the water in its float-out to Captain Serena Melani, and as with tradition, a bottle of Lanson Champagne was smashed against the hull of the ship.
Speaking at the ceremony, MSC Group Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said: "This delivery marks a very important step. Three years after the launch of Explora I, we are now halfway through our journey. The fourth and fifth ship are here in the shipyard now. By 2028, we will have launched six ships in five years."
Explora III will now sail a five-night Mediterranean prelude journey from Genoa ahead of its naming ceremony on 1 August in Barcelona. Following a voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon on 3 August, it will then spend its inaugural season cruising in Northern Europe, Iceland and Greenland before heading across to the US East Coast and Canada for the fall.
