Goldring Travel’s 2024 Culinary & Cultural Journey (Venice-Athens-Istanbul) on Explora I – Part IV – Explora is Not MSC Cruises + Hvar, Croatia + More!

The Goldring Travel Culinary & Cultural Journeys are anything but the typical “joined at the hip” affairs so once Explora I departed Venice (Fusina), Italy, it was time to individually enjoy all there is to offer…and there is a lot!

However, there is a bit of an issue that needs to be discussed here; especially since I am observing the it firsthand while onboard. 

Explora Journeys is a luxury travel product that has the same very proud, and rightfully so, owners as MSC Cruises. However, there are some troublesome travel agents that – for their own one-time sales efforts – conflate the two by (a) falsely claiming Explora Journeys is part of MSC Cruises; and (b) falsely claiming that the kinda premium section of MSC Cruises: The Yacht Club (think Norwegian Haven) is similar Explora Journeys. Just look at their misleading Facebook Pages falsely suggesting their affiliation with Explora and the false relationship between the two brands…and tagging anyone associated with Explora when they post.  In my opinion, these are terrible disservices to Explora Journeys and, frankly, those misled. 

I am not looking down on the MSC Cruise passengers. The fact is that many of them aren’t happy onboard because it isn’t the experience they expected, and their conduct generally shows it. As a result, some of the adjustments Explora Journeys has made onboard are to appease them, not the Explora Journeys guests.

As I wrote years ago when I was hosting a group on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas, “There are 3,499 very happy passengers…and me!” Royal delivered the product those passengers wanted and I was simply the wrong passenger for that product. 

Let’s drill down a bit.

Explora Journeys is a casually elegant all-inclusive, all-suite, experience, and the guests tend to dress and act consistently therewith. 

Booking a stateroom on the very casual MSC Cruise in the Yacht Club area of an MSC Cruise gets you a very super-secret decoder ring (actually a wristband that has a chip in it) that is perceived as a status symbol and affords you access to the private area of the ship, reserved seating area in the show lounge, a special entrance onto some ships, etc. and a way to pay for all beverages, specialty dining, etc. charges. 

All of those things are totally unnecessary on Explora Journeys, and as one Explora guest commented, “I’m not sure I’d wear it if it was covered in diamonds!” But a few MSC Yacht Club passengers have expressed frustration that they have lost their faux status.

And that brings me to the entertainment on Explora Journeys. It was classy and diverse, but probably needed to be tweaked a bit. But karaoke, murder mysteries, etc. are pure MSC Cruises and are clearly in response to MSC Cruises passengers not being satisfied. Also, originally, there was no cruise director. But now there is…complete with a hokey and annoying television show. Seriously. And boy, is he loud, verbose, sometimes inappropriate, and annoying!  No, you don’t have to turn to that station, but my question is, “Who exactly is asking for this and why?” 

The reality is you can pretty much tell (as can the staff) who is MSC Cruise and who is Explora. At this point, it causes annoyances and some conflicts (chair hogs, inappropriate conduct in the bars, t-shirts and wet bathing suits in the restaurant, etc.) but hasn’t yet degraded the Explora Journeys product. Yet! (I mean, I didn’t enjoy a man in a Hawaiian shirt sitting at the table next to me in Anthology, but it was more of a “Ya gotta be kidding me” rather than an interference with my dining experience. And there are some on luxury lines that do the same but are corrected by the staff.)

As you read, I really don’t blame Explora Journeys for the push to have MSC Cruise Yacht Club passengers onboard. I blame the travel agents who are really doing a terrible disserve to their clients and Explora Journeys. Just like I would not suggest Silversea to a client who loves Royal Caribbean, travel agents must not exploit their clients by knowingly putting them on the wrong product.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled Journey!

Our first port of call was Hvar, Croatia. I had signed up for a hike in Hvar, but it, unfortunately, was canceled due to a lack of interest. Explora Journeys delivered the bad news by way of a nice letter waiting for me in my suite with a number of suggested alternatives. Unfortunately, none of them really interested me.

After a short tender ride, I arrived in Hvar and took a quick look around the town. My timing wasn’t great, however. You see I waited for those going on organized tours and those that like to get off the ship first to disembark. However, while my tender was near-empty, I was greeted head-on by wave after wave of luggage-toting tourists who had just checked out of their hotels walking into me as they made their way to the ferries to take them to their next destination.

(NOTE: Importantly, Explora Journeys literally run the tenders continually, so as one departs, another docks. I never experienced more than a five-minute wait.)

Wondering if I could find an interesting hike along the beautiful coast, I turned on my All Trails app and there it was: A similar hike to the one Explora was offering, so off I went. It was a beautiful six-mile hike that I modified to be a “there and back” rather than one way with a transfer back to Hvar. I’m glad I did!

As I approached the 1.5-mile mark, I saw a fork in the road, and, well, as Yogi Berra famously said, “When you come to a fork in the road, you take it!” I had two options: one that I figured was more “hikey” and one that was more pretty.

I started on the hikey one, but turned back because I recalled seeing a sign for Pacha Mama, whatever it was, and thought it could be interesting. It was a great idea.  Eventually, I hiked past Pacha Mama because I saw a sign for a bar further along, and extending my hike wasn’t a bad idea.

However, Robinson’s just wasn’t that friendly. So I turned back and stopped at this funky, friendly, shack. 

The young servers were all too kind and caring—just a joy to be around. And the food wasn’t bad either! Of course, a cold beer on a hot day followed by a Croatian charcuterie board and a delicious octopus salad was perfect!

While I was enjoying the moment, a slightly crazy Croatian masseuse came over and offered me a massage, but then said her table was broken.  She said if I helped fix her table I would get a special price. Why not? So, for two hours I had a wonderful massage under the olive trees. Perfect.

I then hiked back the three miles to the tender and finally hit the air conditioning of Explora I. Ahhh.  What a great day!

The next day was Kotor, Montenegro and, like Venice,  overtourism has ruined a former gem of a port. Silversea, Norwegian, and Explora were all in port and it was so crowded that it was hard to wander the streets. Before I even got to the old city, there were Russians or Montenegrins (not sure) aggressively hawking tours akin to Jamaica.  When I got into the old city, it seemed as though the shops seemed to have all degraded into cheap souvenir shops and the restaurants were just offering touristic food.  

As I wasn’t going to buy anything and the food on Explora I most certainly would be better than the generic food being offered in Kotor, it was back to the ship for me and most of those who ventured out.

I happily started my evening at The Malt Whisky Bar. I am pleased to say that the level of bartending skills, both making cocktails and conversation, is vastly improved and now at a very high level. It is fun to discuss specific whiskies, gins, etc. On this journey, it is a pretty quiet place most of the time, which is perfect for me.  (Last time onboard it was very busy.)  You just can’t beat the view…or the access to the Cigar Lounge!

It was then off to Anthology, the extra-cost restaurant that now has a very upscale and creative Italian cuisine overseen by Chef Franck Garanger; the genius behind all of Explora Journeys’ culinary options.  The new concept did not disappoint, especially opting for the additional cost of wine pairing. (Your choice is that or bottles, but no wine by the glass. It utilizes the same wine list as the rest of the ship.)

I will let the photos explain the cuisine. One course is missing because, well, I got too excited and started eating it.  I do have to point out the risotto made with Amarone wine. Explora consistently blows me away with it risotto…and I am super-critical of this dish. 

It was a quiet day in Brindisi, Italy, a place I probably should have taken a tour but didn’t. I wandered the waterfront and streets for about two hours.

Most shops and cafes were closed or just opening but the old men discussing life were abundant and just a charming thing to watch. With shops opening after 10 and southern Italy having siesta starting around noon, well, it was time to head back to the ship and get some work done. It was, nonetheless, a nice saunter.

Next up: Time to Head to Greece!