MSC Explora 2

The 2024-built MSC Explora 2 cruise ship ("Explora II", currently under construction) is the second in a series of six MSC EXPLORA-class expedition ships, with sisters Explora 1 (2023), Explora 3 (2026), Explora 4 (2027), Explora 5 (2027), and Explora 6 (2028). These boats are owned by MSC Group and operated as a separate fleet under the company's new luxury brand MSC EXPLORA JOURNEYS.

The vessel (IMO number 9869887) is currently Malta-flagged (MMSI 256798000) and registered in Valletta.

History - construction and ownership

MSC Cruises (MSC Crociere) is a passenger shipping company headquartered in Genoa and Naples. Established in 1960, MSC Crociere is a subsidiary of MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) - the world's 2nd largest containership company. MSC is also the world's largest privately-owned cruise company.

By annual passenger shipping volumes, MSC is ranked the world's 3rd largest cruise shipowner - following only Carnival Corporation and RCG-Royal Caribbean Group.

MSC's EXPLORA ships offer plenty of interior public spaces, 2500+ m2 (~27000 ft2) of exterior deck spaces, spacious Sundeck (with 64 private cabanas), 3x outdoor swimming pools (two aft, one forward), one midship swimming pool covered by a retractable glass roof (indoor pool with a 2-deck sunbathing area and a large LED screen for movies, Ultra-HD images and videos, real-time sea views), several Jacuzzies (indoor and outdoor spa pools/whirlpools, including 1x crew pool) and sundecks with poolside dining and lounging, 9x different dining options (restaurants and food bars) plus in-cabin dining (via 24-hour room service).

Explora II's ultra-modern wellness complex is sized 700+ m2 (7500+ ft2) and has an indoor-outdoor Spa (9x Treatment Rooms for massages, Thermal Suites, Beauty Salon) and Gym (sized 270+ m2 / 2900+ ft2, fitted with the latest fitness equipment) and with a separate Fitness Studio (for group classes and personal training sessions). A Running Track encircles the Sundeck's sunbathing area (Deck 12).

The passenger-to-crew ratio of 1,25 guarantees attentive services by a dedicated staff.

Of the total public space (~16600 m2 / 179000 ft2 of passenger-accessible areas), the outdoor space is ~6250 m2 (67300 ft2) which means ~6,5 m2 (70 ft2) per passenger.

For more information on MSC's EXPLORA-class vessels see the ship's Wiki section.

Decks and cabins

All MSC Explora II staterooms (461 total) are all outside/balconied and in Suite categories. Each cabin is fitted with floor-ceiling windows that open to a step-out terrace. Standard cabins are sized 35-39 m2 / 375-420 ft2 (OCEAN TERRACE SUITE), with 28 m2 (300 ft2) indoor space and 7-11 m2 (75-120 ft2) balcony.

The largest accommodation is the OWNER'S RESIDENCE (280 m2 / 3015 ft2), with indoor space 155 m2 (1670 ft2) and aft-facing wraparound balcony (sized 125 m2 / 1345 ft2) with an infinity whirlpool.

Cabin types include Owner's Residence (1), Ocean Residences (22), Ocean Penthouses (67), and Ocean Suites (371). The ship has a total of 82 interconnecting cabins (Family Suites) designed for families and small-group travelers.

"MSC Yacht Club" 24-hour butler services are provided complimentary to all Ocean Residences and Ocean Penthouses. Butler services packing and unpacking, pressing and laundering assistance, room service, itinerary and land transportation planning, special event planning, and reservations assistance (onboard and ashore).

The boat has 13 decks, of which 11 are passenger-accessible and 5 with cabins.

MSC Explora Journeys deals are inclusive of accommodation, shipboard food (dining at 9 venues plus room service), unlimited beverages (including fine wines, premium liquors, brand coffees and teas, soft drinks), complimentary cabin mini-bar drinks and snacks, access to the wellness facilities (Spa, Fitness, training programs), tips/onboard gratuities, free unlimited Wi-Fi (throughout), Welcome Aboard Gifts (flowers, mini chocolates, bottle of champagne), premium shuttle bus services (port to downtown), 24-hour concierge services, twice-daily housekeeping services (including evening turndown service), shoeshine service.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

All public facilities (restaurants, lounges, bars) are with floor-ceiling windows and unobstructed views. All sundecks are wind-protected (via a wraparound glass wall), furnished with premium patio furniture (3-seater sofas, padded loungers, double daybeds, deckchairs) and decorated with large living plants.

The onboard dining experience is all-inclusive and marked by flexible dining times and gourmet dishes prepared with sustainably and locally sourced ingredients.

The ship has a total of 18x food and beverage venues including 10x dining (6x restaurants, Chef`s Kitchen) and 12x bars and lounges (8x indoor + 4x outdoor). Wine selections are according to the current itinerary program/regions sailed, with a certified sommelier service for the boutique wine labels and wine pairing.

Next are listed the ship's restaurants.

• Anthology (midship on Deck 4/international cuisine). Anthology Restaurant is the venue where celebrity chefs (who attend select voyages as guests) create special menus in collaboration with Franck Garanger (Explora Journeys’ Head Chef).
• Sakura (aft-portside on Deck 5/Pan-Asian cuisine - Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian; Sake sommelier service; Asian beverages; modern Asian music)
• Marble & Co. Grill (midship on Deck 5/steakhouse with a wine cellar; personally sourced and sustainably farmed beef)
• Med Yacht Club (midship-portside on Deck 4/varied Mediterranean cuisine specialties from France, Spain, Italy, Greece; premium wines from regional vineyards; cocktails made with regional ingredients; fresh-squeezed juices)
• Emporium Marketplace (aft on Deck 11/all-day opened buffet restaurant with food themed on the visited destinations; has 18x cooking stations - sushi, seafood, daily rotisserie, homemade sandwiches, cooked-to-order pasta, fresh-baked pizzas and breads, charcuterie/cured meats station, fromagerie/cheese station, boulangerie/bakery; beverages station/soft drinks, brand teas and coffees, fresh juices, wines and champagne)
• Fil Rouge (traditional French cuisine and French-inspired international dishes; with a dessert cart/tableside service; wine selection)
• Chef's Kitchen & Private Dining Room (forward-starboard on Deck 11/capacity 12 seats; at a fee per person)

In-cabin dining is available 24 hours.

Next are listed the ship's lounges and bars.

• Lobby Bar (midship on Deck 4)
• Malt Whiskey Bar (forward-portside on Deck 11/has a smoking-allowed terrace, walk-in humidor/cigar expert, an extensive collection that includes even rarest whiskies)
• Journeys Lounge (forward on Deck 4/serves the company's onboard enrichment and entertainment program)
• Explora Lounge (forward on Deck 11/with 270-degree seaviews; Afternoon Tea service, also serves light meals and snacks)
• Gelateria & Creperie (midship-starboard on Deck 11 - within The Conservatory/gourmet ice creams and crepes, brand coffees)
• Crema Cafe (midship-starboard on Deck5/serves premium coffees prepared by certified baristas, fresh-pressed juices, gourmet pastries, cakes, desserts)
• Astern Lounge (aft on Deck 5/live music entertainment daily, doubles as nightclub with a DJ programming)
• Astern Pool & Bar (aft on Deck 5/poolside bar lounge with nightly live music/acoustic musicians and DJs)
• Sky Bar on 14 (aft on Deck 14/outdoor lounge)
• Atoll Pool & Bar (aft on Deck 10)
• Helios Pool & Bar (forward on Deck 12/adults-only poolside outdoor lounge)

The Conservatory Pool & Bar (glass roof-protected poolside lounge midship on Deck 11; in the evenings transforms into Cinema for movies under the stars)

Deck 3 houses an Aft Marina Deck (for launching watersports activities) with an adjacent Marina Lounge & Bar and two fore-located Tender Areas (portside and starboard) for ferrying passengers (transportation via tender boats) between the ship and the shore. Forward-starboard is the Infirmary/Medical Centre.

Deck 4 houses the Forward Lounge (with a large stage and amphitheatrical seating), the Casino (gaming lounge fitted with table games and slot machines), the Lobby Hall (24-hour Guest Services/Reception Desk for assistance, Destination Experiences for information on and organizing of land tours and excursions), Boutiques (duty-free shops), as well as two restaurants - Mediterranean-style (portside) and International-style (starboard), with an adjacent Galley (kitchen and storage rooms for food and beverages).

The onboard shops include the first at-sea Rolex Boutique, via an exclusive partnership (signed in June 2023) between Explora Journeys and Rolex SA (1905-founded, Geneva-based watch designer and manufacturer). The shop is dedicated to the ultra-luxury Swiss watch brand and offers for purchasing an extensive selection of models including from the renowned Rolex Oyster Perpetual series.

Another signature retail store is the "Watch and Jewelry Shop" (introduced in July 2023) selling the Swiss ultra-premium watch brands Cartier, Panerai, and Piaget.

The ship's Buccellati Jewelry Boutique (fleet's first) sells Buccellati's Opera Tulle Collection (items made with semi-precious stones and enamels), Macri Collection (by Maria Cristina Buccellati/gold and diamond pieces with intricate engravings), Blossoms Collection (by Lucrezia Buccellati/pieces of jewelry with floral designs) and the Blossoms Colour Collection (pendants and bracelets of semi-precious stones and gold-plated bezels).

Deck 5 houses an indoor-outdoor Spa (9x Treatment Rooms for massages, Thermal Suites, Beauty Salon), Concept Restaurant, Coffee Lounge (patisserie), Steakhouse, Art Gallery (displaying original artworks and also hosting art auctions), MSC Foundation (a venue dedicated to the established by the Aponte family independent not-for-profit organization that manages MSC Group's conservation and humanitarian activities). Aft are the Pan-Asian Restaurant, Aft Lounge & Bar, and the Lower Aft Plunge Pool & Lounge (outdoor swimming pool with a sundeck area).

The forward section of Deck 6 is a crew-only zone with staff and crew cabins, Messhall (crew dining room and bar lounge) and the crew sundeck (bow-facing sunbathing area with a large Jacuzzi/spa pool).

Besides passenger staterooms, Deck 11 (Lido Deck) houses also the Fitness complex consisting of a Gym Room (fitted with the latest training equipment) and a separate Fitness Studio (for group classes and personal training sessions). Midship on Lido Deck is the main swimming pool (indoor pool covered with a retractable glass roof) and its sunbathing area. The pool deck is served by the poolside bar Gelateria & Creperie (snacks and beverages) and the All-Day Dining Restaurant (indoor Lido buffet with an aft terrace/outdoor seating). At the stern is the Upper Aft Pool & Lounge (sundeck with open-air bar, 4-seat tables, a swimming pool and sunbathing area with daybeds and padded loungers).

On Deck 12 are the Forward Pool & Lounge (adults-only sundeck with a large swimming pool and sunbathing area) and the 2-lane Running Track (making a full circle/looping nearly the entire deck with lined up sun loungers for relaxation).

Aft on Deck 14 is the Panorama Lounge & Bar (an outdoor venue with a Whirlpool/Jacuzzi and sunbathing areas with loungers) and the Sports Court (outdoor facility for playing basketball, volleyball, football, tennis). Midship are the Funnels (smokestacks) adjacent to the Retractable Glass-Roof that covers the main swimming pool (on Deck 11 below).

All public facilities (restaurants, lounges, bars) are with floor-ceiling windows and unobstructed views. All sundecks are wind-protected (via a wraparound glass wall), furnished with premium patio furniture (3-seater sofas, padded loungers, double daybeds, deckchairs) and decorated with large living plants.

Journey Together Gatherings (shipboard family program)

In May 2023 Explora Journeys introduced the shipboard program "Journey Together Gatherings".

The program targets multi-generational families and features a dedicated children's lounge (Nautilus Club/ for both kids and teenagers), various destination-themed family experiences, complimentary land-to-ship transfers.

The Nautilus Club hosts age-appropriate supervised activities (for children aged 6-17) including interactive gaming (on PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2, Nintendo Switch, Xbox), sports contests, fun workshops and games. Nautilus Club has its own heated swimming pools and a Sports Court.

Each Explora ship has a total of 82 interconnecting staterooms (designed for families with children) in three categories - Ocean Suite, Ocean Penthouse, and Ocean Residence. In each of the family cabins, one minor passenger (under-18) cruises for free.

All infants and toddlers (6-23-month-old kids) sail free while 2-17 years-old kids sail at 50% off.

Itineraries

MSC Explora Journeys' itinerary program is based mainly on 7-night voyages in Europe (Mediterranean, Baltic, Iceland) featuring less-traveled ports with longer stays (unconventional in-port times of arrival/departure) and many overnights to allow the MSC tourists access to unique ashore experiences.

Explora II's inaugural cruise season (August 2024 through April 2025) was announced in December 2022, when MSC opened the ship for booking (on Dec 6th). The maiden season's schedule listed 39 itineraries (including 14 longer) visiting 82 ports/destinations in 26 different countries.

The program started in the Mediterranean (Italy, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Israel), followed a Suez Canal transit to Red Sea (Egypt and Saudi Arabia) and the Arabian Gulf (UAE and Qatar). Followed destinations in the Indian Ocean - India, Seychelles, Maldives, Mauritius, and Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, South Africa).

However, due to delayed delivery (postponed to September), the summer schedule was canceled. Explora II's Inaugural Cruise is currently scheduled for September 16, 2024. The 7-night itinerary starts in Civitavecchia-Rome, visits Sorrento, Lipari Island, Sicily Island (Trapani and Siracusa), Malta/Valletta and ends in Tarragona.

The next table shows the canceled Maiden Voyage (21-day from Barcelona to Venice/Marghera Port) originally scheduled for 2024. Prices started from EUR 13640 / USD 14850 pp with double occupancy.

The voyage was also available for booking as a shorter segment (11-day from Barcelona to Athens) priced from EUR 7715 / USD 8400 pp.