Explora Journeys calls its ships mega-yachts, and a three-day press cruise aboard Explora I, the luxury MSC Group brand’s first ship, makes the label easy to understand. The Jerusalem Post’s travel writer, sailing in early September just before Rosh Hashanah, called it an experience everyone should try once. It was her first cruise.
The ship
Explora I entered service in 2023. It holds a maximum of 900 guests in 461 ocean-facing suites, every one with a private terrace. On this sailing, around 850 were aboard.
There are four pools, three outdoor and one indoor under a retractable glass roof, plus whirlpools, more than 700 square metres of wellness space, six main restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, a casino, a culinary school, an art gallery and boutiques including Rolex and Cartier. Evenings bring live music around the ship, and a DJ plays as it pulls away from shore.
What stood out first, though, was the service. With 640 crew for up to 900 guests, the guest-to-crew ratio is about 1.41:1, and it shows. Someone is nearly always on hand to answer a question, offer a drink or simply say hello. The writer found it unusual enough to need some getting used to.
Mornings, food and the spa
Her favourite hours were the early ones. The ship mostly sat at anchor near its destination by day and sailed in the evening and overnight, so she was up around 6 a.m. to watch the sunrise from her terrace. A hatha yoga class followed at 7:15 in a studio over the water. It was fully booked, but the instructor squeezed in one more mat. After that she had a pool to herself for about half an hour, with the Mediterranean stretching away beyond the edge.
For everyday eating she chose Emporium Marketplace, the all-day venue that has a buffet’s freedom with many dishes cooked to order. Breakfast ran to omelets, pancakes, smoked fish and pastries; later came sushi, pizza, burgers and pasta. It also suits groups, since everyone can pick something different and still share a table. Crema Café handled ice cream, crêpes and waffles.
The ship has nine dining experiences in all, among them the pan-Asian Sakura, the Mediterranean-inspired Med Yacht Club and the European steakhouse Marble & Co. Grill. She tried Sakura on the first evening and Marble & Co. on the second, both with multi-course menus and long wine lists. Red wine with warm cheesy bread at Marble & Co. may have been the best pairing of the trip.
A self-described spa lover, she spent every spare hour in a pool or the wellness area, which has a Finnish sauna, steam room, salt cave, hydrotherapy pool, heated marble loungers and treatment rooms. A massage on day two was a highlight. The fitness side covers more than 270 square metres, with Technogym equipment, fitness and Pilates studios and an outdoor area overlooking the sea. A 360-degree running track circles the ship; four laps make a kilometre.
The suite
She stayed in an Ocean Penthouse on Deck 9, built for two but occupied by one. Even the smallest suites on the all-suite ship start at 35 square metres, and Penthouses run from 43 to 68. Hers had separate sleeping and living areas, a walk-in wardrobe, a bathroom and the terrace. The kit list included a Dyson hairdryer, binoculars, fitness equipment and a coffee machine. Fruit, chocolates and a bottle of Moët & Chandon waited on the table. The minibar and 24-hour room service are included in the fare.
Ashore
The route began at Civitavecchia, near Rome, and called at Porto Santo Stefano on the Tuscan coast, where a tender ran between ship and town all day. Monaco came next. On the last day the group walked through Monaco and Monte Carlo, then crossed into France to the hilltop village of Èze, where a perfume factory ran a workshop for mixing personal fragrances. Lunch was in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, with a lavender crème brûlée she singled out. Rain fell as they wandered the narrow streets and, somewhat unexpectedly, reached the grave of Marc Chagall. The trip ended with a drive to Nice airport.
The ship’s captain, Francesco Russo, is a 39-year-old Italian from Sorrento with about 20 years at sea. He spends roughly half the year afloat and half at home with his family. Command, he told the group, is less about machinery than people: a captain has to earn the crew’s trust and make them want to follow. Of the ship herself he was more poetic, calling her a “nice lady” and likening steering her to dancing with a woman.
Cost
Explora Journeys cruises start at around $3,500 to $5,500 per person on itineraries like this one, depending on destination and sailing. A seven-night Mediterranean voyage on Explora I in June 2027 starts at $4,200 per person for an Ocean Suite and $5,790 for an Ocean Penthouse. Fares cover most dining, premium drinks, the minibar, room service, Wi-Fi, gratuities, thermal spa access and the onboard fitness and wellness programme.
On the final evening, the writer noticed how many people had dressed up simply to enjoy the night: dresses and heels, shirts and jackets, cocktails and dancing under the open sky. Her own plan for getting over it was to book the next cruise.
