I recently had the good fortune and opportunity to sail aboard a newer cruise line. You’ll find many reviews about the MSC owned Explora Journeys Cruise Line, and though I do not pretend to be an expert or professional travel consultant, I offer a few insights here.
The Explora Journeys ship is but a few years old. The ship can carry less than a thousand passengers, and I’d estimate on my recent sailing the numbers were well below that. Passengers came from a host of countries including the U.S., U.K, Australia, France and Italy. The ship never felt overcrowded, and securing a table or a spot by the pool was never an issue .
Crew members were polite and courteous, always ready with a smile. There were a few minor issues at times with what were clearly a few members in training, but nothing that would cause a headache, and I never find fault when a person is learning.
The ship has a low key and laid back feel and a relatively informal dress code. It made life aboard relaxing. If you’re the type of person who likes to dress for dinner in a jacket or tie, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb aboard this ship.
Securing a latte or cup of tea at the cafe was an untroubled experience, but the cups could be larger. Take away lattes were usually empty before I made it back to the stateroom!
The ship was spotlessly maintained, and while one or two lounges could be loud in the evening at the stern, there was usually a quiet spot to be found for writing and reading.
Not being a late night entertainment kind of person, I can’t speak to the quality of the performers. The restaurants onboard never offered a bad meal, but the French Fil Rouge and Marble & Co. could not be scored as off the charts. ( I’ve had better steaks in lesser places.)
As a luxury line, Explora Journeys is looking for market share in the competitive category of luxury cruising. They’ll need to fight hard to move to the top of the list.
My experience resulted in a thumbs up, but not quite a standing ovation.
An Unmapped Route: A Hiker's Blog 