Explora Journeys, the luxury cruise brand from MSC Group, marked three milestones in the construction of its fleet during a ceremony at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy.
The event included the float out of EXPLORA IV, the coin ceremony for EXPLORA V, and the steel cutting for EXPLORA VI. Executives from MSC Group and Fincantieri attended the ceremony along with local officials.
“For the first time, all six ships in our fleet are either in service or under construction,” said Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys. “It’s a defining moment as we continue expanding the brand and introducing more travelers to our approach to luxury ocean travel.”
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This is the third triple ceremony for Explora Journeys in the past 18 months, as the company continues to build its six-ship fleet. Two ships are already sailing, and EXPLORA III is scheduled to launch in July 2026. Four ships are currently under construction at the Genoa shipyard.
Explora Journeys plans to have all six ships in service by 2028. EXPLORA IV and EXPLORA V are expected to launch in 2027, followed by EXPLORA VI in 2028.
During the ceremony, Captain Serena Melani and Alice Gallo served as godmothers for the coin ceremony of EXPLORA V, while Cristina Bacigalupo served as the godmother for the float out of EXPLORA IV.
MSC Group has invested €3.5 billion in the Explora Journeys fleet. Including ships previously built for MSC Cruises, the company’s total investment with Fincantieri is about €7 billion.
The next ship to launch will be EXPLORA III, expected to be delivered ahead of schedule this July. After delivery, it will sail a Mediterranean prelude voyage before its naming ceremony on August 1 at MSC’s cruise terminal in Barcelona.
Several ships in the fleet are designed to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). EXPLORA III will be the first with LNG capabilities, and EXPLORA IV, V, and VI are also being built with LNG systems.
All ships will also have shore power capability, allowing them to connect to electricity while in port and reduce emissions. Explora Journeys is also studying fuel cell technology that could convert LNG into hydrogen to further lower emissions in the future.
