Barbados welcomed Explora Journeys for its inaugural call to Bridgetown on Monday, Nov 27.
Captain Diego Michelozzi and his 630-member crew were welcomed by a delegation led by the CEO of Barbados Port Inc, David Jean-Marie; Chief Product Development Officer of BTMI, Marsha Alleyne; Director of Marketing, BTMI, Anderson King; Divisional Manager, Operations, Barbados Port Inc, Ian Stewart; members of Foster & Ince Cruises and Barbados Port Inc.
The vessel arrived in Barbados from Castries, St. Lucia and will be sailing to Roseau, Dominica. The Explora I will make seven calls this season to Barbados.
MSC Group’s Explora Journeys today celebrated the naming ceremony of the Explora I in New York City, the company said in a prepared statement.
The event included the maritime tradition of cutting a ribbon to break a bottle of champagne on the ship’s bow, officially naming it and bringing good luck.
Taking place at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, the christening ceremony was conducted by Explora I’s Godmother, Dr Sylvia Earle, a renowned marine biologist and oceanographer.
According to Explora, the event was also attended by guests from around the world, international journalists, key travel partners of Explora Journeys and senior representatives from MSC Group, who enjoyed a gala dinner following the ceremonial launch and an evening of vibrant celebrations.
“In the world of luxury travel, the Explora I is a game-changer. We are offering journeys that redefine the very essence of luxurious ocean travel,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, Cruise Division, MSC Group.
“We are looking to attract a wider group of discerning travelers who have experienced the finest luxury land-based resorts but seek more value, more authenticity, and a deeper connection to the world. Explora Journeys is the answer by giving you a way to discover off the beaten track destinations by sea, all whilst enjoying some of the best real estate in the world,” he added, highlighting the further five ships that are joining the fleet in the next five years.
“Today’s event is a significant milestone for Explora Journeys as our first ship, the Explora I, brings to life our vision to reshape luxury travel. We are proud to introduce a new era of discovery and luxurious travel and to showcase our first ship in the vibrant city of New York,” said Michael Ungerer, CEO, Explora Journeys.
“I am honored to be the Godmother for Explora I and look forward to a meaningful relationship between Mission Blue, Explora Journeys and the MSC Foundation towards making a very positive contribution to protect and restore the world’s seas and oceans,” Dr Sylvia Earle, Founder and Chairman, Mission Blue.
The Explora I, the first of six luxury ships constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, began sailing in July this year with a series of journeys in Northern Europe before crossing the Atlantic to New York with visits to Iceland, Greenland and Canada.
The ship has 461 oceanfront suites, penthouses and residences, six restaurants, 12 indoor and outdoor bars and lounges, four swimming pools, extensive outdoor decks with private cabanas and nearly 1,000 square meters of wellness and fitness facilities.
MSC Group today confirmed firm orders for two hydrogen-powered vessels for its luxury travel brand Explora Journeys with Fincantieri and pledged to continue its push towards a net zero-carbon emissions target by 2050 by investigating additional new and advanced environmental technologies for the luxury ships, according to a press release.
The deal completes a total investment of €3.5 billion in six luxury ships for Explora Journeys. The contracts are subject to access to financing as per industry practice.
The company said that Explora V and Explora VI will have new state-of-the-art energy efficiency measures and will also be capable of using alternative fuels such as bio and synthetic gas and methanol and the Cruise Division will work in the future with Fincantieri to equip the ships with future technologies including carbon capture and more advanced waste management systems.
The two confirmed additions to Explora Journeys’ fleet will be delivered in 2027 and 2028.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman – Cruise Division, MSC Group, said: “With Explora Journeys we have created a luxury brand that has been successful at redefining luxury at sea. We are seeing continued growth in the luxury segment and the investment in these two new ships shows our commitment to continue to grow within this sector as well as to invest in ships of the future. Together with Fincantieri, we will study the newest technology that the world has to offer and continue with our commitment to introduce these technologies to drive efficiencies across the whole spectrum of ship performance. And of course, we will continue to deliver the very best luxury travel experience, immersing our guests in the ocean state of mind with a sustainable soul.”
Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer, Fincantieri, added: “This new contract with MSC is a sign of the growing vitality of the cruise sector, in line with what we had predicted. In strategic terms, our future will depend on our ability to lead the evolution of the sector towards all energy and digital transition technologies with the entrepreneurship required to validate, industrialise and commercialise new solutions. The relevance of the partnership with MSC in this sense is a great strategic stimulus towards the future in line with the technological development goals set out in our new business plan. We are therefore particularly proud that the Explora project will mark the acceleration of this new phase, which with the fifth and sixth ships, will reach the highest level of advancement, making Fincantieri’s vision of the ship of the future ever more concrete.”
The two new ships will pursue the use of liquid hydrogen with fuel cells for their hotel operations while docked in ports to eliminate carbon emissions with the vessels’ engines switched off.
The ships will also feature a new generation of LNG engines that will further tackle the issue of methane slip with the use of containment systems.
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