Exploring Explora Journeys’ Explora II: What’s New (Only Subtle Modifications) + Naming Ceremony + Still Fabulous Service & Cuisine.

It was a whirlwind trip to Civitavecchia, Italy for the Naming Ceremony for Explora Journeys’ Explora II; leaving Friday, arriving Saturday, and flying back from Rome on Monday.  I think I actually spent more time traveling to and from the ship, than on her. Oh, but when I arrived, I knew it was worth it!

Before I get to the good stuff, the Naming Ceremony itself was a very Italian experience with about 90% of it being in Italian (instant translation via headsets were provided.) This was truly a big political moment for Italian shipbuilding and when one has the ear of the invited governmental and industry leaders, one takes advantage of it.  Honestly, the Naming Ceremony for Explora I was a more emotional experience, but Explora II’s was, for the Italians, a more relevant and personal one.

It was interesting…especially for someone like me who gets into the weeds of the shipping world and its impact on GDP, etc. It also opened up opportunities (For example, I had late that night I had cocktails – and an interesting conversation – with the man who essentially owns the Italian ferry world…with MSC being an investor…while sitting next to Explora Journeys’ Chief Commerical Officer. Do you really want me to get into the fuel consumption curves on different types of ferries and ships?)

I also had a brief opportunity to meet Explora Journeys’  brand new President, Anna Nash, who comes to Explora Journeys from Aman. Being less than two weeks on the job, it was just a couple of social hellos, but she seems very nice. I’m optimistic with her hotel background combining with Chris Austin’s.

There was a beautiful video segment of a movie by Academy Award winner Giuseppe Tornatore and a pretty cool drone show off the stern of the ship.  The remaining Naming Ceremony entertainment was Italian and British; good, but not why I was there!

OK, now onto the Explora II experience!

Things appeared seamless for this pre-Maiden Voyage experience. The hosts (not crew or staff on Explora Journeys) were on with polished service and big smiles everywhere. The new hosts are anything but new to hospitality, as many have come from five-star hotels in Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, etc. With the guidance of the hosts that came over from Explora I they quickly understood how things worked…and professionally hid their nervousness, which I found charming.

As a result, it was a truly fantastic experience that made you feel like Explora II had been in service for months. Bravo!

As for the changes, the reality is that – like Explora Journeys’ marketing approach – they are subtle.  Overall, the concept was to brighten up a few areas and provide more intimate and conversational seating in others, but nothing that would make you want to be on Explora II versus Explora I.

Before I list some of the changes, I have to say that there is so much that is the same (suites, restaurants, pool areas, etc. that unless you were going on a scavenger hunt looking for changes, you could be dropped onto either ship and probably not know which ship you were on! For me, that is a testament to great design and forethought.

Because of that, I will not review the suites or restaurants. You may refer to my other articles for that!

• Explora Journeys: Sweet Suites & Residences | Goldring Travel
• Explora Journeys: Culinary Delights & Maiden Voyage Part II (goldringtravel.com)

For those who want to dive deeper into the changes, here are some (most?) examples:

• While Cartier, Piaget, and Paneri remain, the only Rolex shop at sea remains on Explora I, but Explora II has the first at-sea Buccellati jewelry boutique. (I was tempted!)

• The Spa has been brighten up

• The popular Crème Café now has more conversational seating areas (sofas and comfortable chairs) and a second espresso machine.
• The floral ceiling in Sakura now has white, rather than pink, flowers and some dining banquets were removed so that there could be more tables and more flexible seating.   

• Marble & Co’s fabrics have been lighted up to brighten the space.

• The Explora Lounge has more conversational seating (sofas, etc.) in the Steinway piano and singers and solarium areas.

• The Dyson hairdryers are now provided in a bag rather than an entire drawer in the vanity being dedicated to it. The storage system was pretty but difficult to use, and women wanted to use the drawer for their cosmetics, etc.
• On Explora I there are sofas in the forward elevator lobby that make it difficult to get around if the doors across the lobby open, On Explora I the problem was “solved” by only making the elevator buttons on your side of the lobby work only for that side. On Explora II, there is a smaller sofa, which makes access to all four elevators easier. (I don’t think they are very attractive, but they are functional.)

• The Lobby Bar has slightly different sofas.
• Some of the bar glassware has been, to my mind, upgraded.

• In Fil Rouge, the color palette has changed a bit.

• The Art Gallery has lost some curved walls (it was challenging to hang larger pieces on them), but unfortunately, the area now seems a bit too open.
• At the Astern Pool, there are now awnings covering the large loungers.

• The cabanas now have semi-transparent fabric privacy panels that you can open and close.

• There are different styles of outdoor furnishing in a few places, like the Atoll Pool.

Explora Journeys has been on quite a journey this past year, and the minor changes to Explora II speak testament to a focused vision of providing the highest level of luxury travel experiences at sea.

Please don’t forget that Explora III and IV will be LNG fueled ships and will have two (2) Owner’s Residences that span the entire width of the ship overlooking the stern. Yes, that’s right, Explora Journeys will be elevating both the quality of the luxury experience and environmental friendliness over 2026 and 2027.

After that comes Explora V and VI, which will hopefully be the first hydrogen-powered cruise ships.

Was it worth flying to Civitavecchia for such a short journey? Absolutely. Now, just image how much better it will be when you make the journey but stay on board for seven, fourteen, or more days!