Trip Reports
We have known Explora Journeys since before it carried a single guest. We stood on the quay in Monfalcone in 2022 and watched Explora I touch the water for the first time. In every season since, our team has sailed her and her sister, Explora II, again and again, from those nervy first journeys to the assured ship she is today.
We also sat down with the Explora team in the UK and worked patiently through the booking and admin wrinkles that come with any new line, so we have come to know this one inside out. That is why our Explora Journeys reviews are worth your time, they are drawn from years of sailing rather than a single week. What follows is my own Explora Journeys review, a week aboard Explora I in the Mediterranean this May.
Joining Explora I in the Mediterranean
I joined Explora I in Barcelona for a week's sailing through the Western Mediterranean. Having sailed her before and knowing the warm feedback our clients send home, I had a good idea of what was coming. Elegant surroundings, service that seems to read your mind and food worth lingering over. The ship lived up to every bit of it. We called at Marseille, Porto Cervo on Sardinia, Portofino, Livorno and Villefranche, the last of these a first for me and an instant favourite, with Portofino a close second and Livorno the jumping-off point for Pisa or Florence.
The first thing you notice is the pace, or rather the lack of it. No tannoy barking the day's schedule at you, no dash to claim a sun lounger at dawn, just room to breathe, indoors and out on deck. Talking to fellow guests from all over, the same note kept sounding: space to spread out, no sense of being herded anywhere, a ship that quietly lets you exhale. It is built to slow you down and it does just that.
The service is where the ship truly shines. The crew are polished without being stiff and quick with a smile, and they reach for a solution long before they reach for an apology. Over the week, I managed to mislay my key card, my sunglasses and my phone on three separate occasions, which anyone who knows me will confirm is entirely in character. Each time, a crew member appeared at my side with the missing item and a gentle "Don't worry, Madame, we always find them." Instead of the usual jolt of panic, I felt my shoulders drop and reminded myself I was a long way from London.
The food was an absolute triumph, inventive one evening and comforting the next, and it never once dropped its standards. The restaurants have the warmth of a favourite neighbourhood haunt rather than the hush of a hotel dining room, and if you eat alone, you are never left to feel it; someone always stops by for a chat to make sure you are happy. Sakura, the pan-Asian restaurant, won me over completely. With more days on board this time, I grew fond of the Med Yacht Club too, and I rounded off the week at Fil Rouge.
My suite had the same hush as the rest of the ship, generous in space and easy on the eye. It was the small touches that stayed with me. Tea and coffee on hand for an early start, and a minibar stocked to my own taste for an evening drink on the balcony while the Mediterranean slipped by in deep blue. One evening, a dolphin broke the surface just off the rail, and there really is not much that beats that.
A line that has found its feet
It is worth putting this in context. Explora Journeys is still a young line. I was aboard one of her early sailings in 2023, a short hop from Hamburg to Southampton, when the ship and the operation were both finding their feet, and the teething problems were real. Returning now, the difference is obvious. The rough edges have been smoothed and the service has settled into itself. What you get today is a confident ship that knows exactly what it is. We have sailed it at every stage of that journey, which is why we recommend Explora wholeheartedly and look after every booking from first enquiry to the day you sail.
Our Explora Journeys reviews
This is one of several Explora Journeys reviews from our team and each sailing tells you something different about the line. Anjalina was among the first to sail Explora I and gives her early impressions in her Explora I review. Cathy, Hayley and Louise sailed the debut Caribbean season. We were there for the christening of the second ship, captured in our Explora II review, and one of the team later sailed his with family for our ultra-luxury family cruise review. Read together, our Explora cruises reviews build a fuller picture than any single voyage could.
The ship and who it suits
Explora I is mid-sized by luxury standards, 63,900 tons carrying 922 guests across 461 all-suite cabins, with a guest-to-crew ratio of about 1.25 to 1. There is no main dining room, and you will not miss it. Five restaurants are included in the fare. The Med Yacht Club for Mediterranean flavours, Fil Rouge for French-inspired cooking and a table-service breakfast, Sakura for pan-Asian, Marble & Co. Grill for steak and seafood, plus the all-day Emporium Marketplace. Anthology, the refined Italian restaurant, carries a surcharge of around $175 per person plus wine pairing, and Crema Café handles pastries, cakes and every kind of coffee and tea. Suites run from the Ocean Terrace category up through the Penthouses to the various Residences and the Owner's Suite.
A few practical notes from the week. If you like a sun lounger, you cannot reserve one. The pool staff hold a bed for 45 minutes, then clear it, keeping the generous adult dominated pool areas free. The in-suite dining menu is fairly modest if you want to eat in. And it is worth asking us about the suite location before you book, because some of the Ocean Terrace suites on deck 10 sit beneath the overhang of the hot tubs and can catch noise when those are in use or being cleaned.
As for who it suits, Explora I is a joy for couples and just as kind to solo travellers, who are looked after beautifully and never once made to feel conspicuous. The mood is grown-up and easy in its own skin, which suits guests in their forties and beyond, as well as families travelling with older teenagers. With only a small children's room on board, the numbers of young ones are kept low. The nationalities on board make for a happy mix.
I came for a week to slow right down in the Mediterranean and let each day arrive at its own speed, and that is exactly what Explora I gave me. If you are weighing up an Explora Journeys Mediterranean cruise or the line further afield, we know it as well as anyone in the business and would love to help you choose the right journey and handle every detail of the booking. Speak to us to start the conversation.
Meet the Author
