As hospitality heavyweights like The Ritz-Carlton, Orient Express and Four Seasons take to the high seas, Explora Journeys asks a provocative question: What if the best real estate in luxury hospitality doesn’t have an address?

“I’ve always believed that the finest real estate in the world is actually found at sea,” Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division, said during the naming ceremony for the line’s newest vessel, EXPLORA III. “Land-based resorts give you one view in one place. The sea gives you so many different views.”

EXPLORA III marks the third ship from Explora Journeys, the luxury cruise line launched in 2023 by Geneva-based shipping giant MSC Group. Owned by the Aponte-Vago family, the brand was designed to evoke the intimacy of a private yacht with itineraries inspired by the family’s own travels.

“It had to be intimate,” Vago said, “while still offering open public spaces, generous suites, a real choice of authentic dining venues, effortless design and the relaxed feeling of being at home.”

The company plans to double its fleet, adding EXPLORA IV and V in 2027 and VI in 2028. By the time the sixth ship rolls out, Explora Journeys president Anna Nash said, the company will account for about 25% of global ultra-luxury cruise capacity.

We were among the first aboard for a preview voyage from Rome to Barcelona. Here’s what you can expect on the vessel.

What’s New Aboard EXPLORA III

The ship is about 63 feet longer than its predecessors, and some of it goes to the more eco-friendly liquefied natural gas system. The rest went to public areas, like the redesigned double-height lobby covered in creamy Perlato di Sicilia and polished Sahara Noir marble under Venini chandeliers made of handblown Murano glass.

The ship added just two suites, one of them a second Owner’s Residence, the most luxurious accommodation on board. The new 3,391-square-foot residence was designed by Patricia Urquiola, who has created the interiors for hotels like Six Senses Rome and Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan. Muted neutrals run through the contemporary two-bedroom space, which has a dining room with a black oval table for eight, an expansive living room, a travertine bathroom with a standalone deep-soaking tub and steam room, and a wraparound terrace with a hot tub overlooking the ocean.

The rest of the 461 suites offer water views as well. They also have generous layouts, with entry-level Ocean Terrace Suites among the largest in the industry. Our suite was soothing in shades of gray and came with a black round dining table, a bathroom with a tub, a spacious closet with a vanity and a balcony with seating. And the details don’t get overlooked, with all suites featuring Dyson hair dryers, heated bathroom floors, Lavazza coffee and Palais des Thés teabags.

The Food and Drinks

The biggest change separating EXPLORA III from its sister ships is the culinary offerings. The vessel debuted two new spaces built for intimate dining. “We saw demand for smaller, personalized group experiences,” said Alban Gjoka, senior vice president of Food and Beverage Luxury Operations.

Lined with dark wood, The Cellar offers an inviting place to taste nearly 350 labels, ranging from cult wines like Petrus, Screaming Eagle and Opus One, to bottles from lesser-known regions in Romania, Moldova and China. Choose from a stone-topped table with bar chairs or a more private inner room with a four-seat table and design your menu, whether it’s a blind tasting of premium pours or glasses of Rémy Martin Louis XIII cognac.

The bites are as enticing as the wines: our visit included a seared wagyu tataki crowned with caviar in a pool of blood orange sauce paired with a bracing Jacquesson Cuvée 745, and a rich foie gras terrine with apple balsamic, focaccia and apricot accompanied by a fresh 2024 William Fèvre Chablis Champs Royaux.

For a customized meal, head next door to the new Chef’s Table, where guests gather around a 10-seat table and have menus, pairings and themes tailored to their whims.

The ship’s seven restaurants and 12 bars still include fleet favorites like Marble & Co. Grill (order the crushed fingerling potatoes with crème fraîche and chives heaped with Calvisius Oscietra caviar), Fil Rouge (come for the breakfast Benedict, a round of toasted brioche piled with creamed spinach, a poached egg, yuzu Hollandaise and even more caviar) and Sakura (try the lobster pad Thai).

The all-day Emporium Marketplace is a buffet that doesn’t act like one — staff serves you portions, and dishes like pasta are cooked à la minute (you receive a pager for pickup). Some stations change daily: one day there’s a burrata bar, and the next, you will find a gyro spread.

“When it comes to food and beverage, trends come and go, but the real core of food or beverage remains, because it’s comfort,” Gjoka said.

Fine-dining Anthology also returns with a tasting menu that tours through Italy. Don’t let the white tablecloths fool you — chef Franck Garanger injects fun whenever he can into the meal. In between excellent dishes like king crab-stuffed caramelle pasta swimming in a tomato, lobster and sea urchin broth or the A5 wagyu in Amarone sauce, there’s an amuse bouche of foie gras lollipops rolled in crushed pistachios with Amarena cherry centers, or the grappa granita that cleanses the palate with unexpected Pop Rocks-like explosions.

The Spa and Fitness Facilities

When you want wellness, go to deck five. The spa has 11 treatment rooms; a salt cave; experience showers that cycle through temperature, light and scent; a Finnish sauna; a hydrotherapy pool; and heated marble loungers that are dangerously easy to fall asleep on.

The spa spotlights treatments using brands like Aromatherapy Associates, Subtle Energies and Dr. Levy Switzerl, with Sisley Paris coming soon. We went in expecting the relaxing Restore Massage. Our therapist took one look at our sore neck and shoulders and switched us to the Intensive Muscle Release. She was right: we left feeling loose and tension-free.

A new addition is the Sava Sound Pod. Climb into the pod for a touchless 45-minute service combining sound and low-frequency vibrations that’s supposed to calm the nervous system, aid sleep and recovery, and ease stress.

The adjoining gym is stylishly outfitted with beige Technogym equipment from the Sand Stone Collection, from treadmills to Pilates reformers. A studio hosts complimentary group classes like morning yoga and sound bath and meditation.

If you prefer an outdoor workout, head to deck 14 for the full-size padel court, christened by tennis ace Jannik Sinner. Next to the court, pedal or row outside on Technogym machines while watching the waves or circle the running track on deck 12.

Other Noteworthy Amenities

EXPLORA III’s five heated pools will fill up fast. The Conservatory Pool on deck 11 is the largest, while Helios Pool offers a quiet adults-only alternative. Be sure to seek out the infinity hot tubs on the side of the Conservatory pool. The hidden-away spots offer another tranquil haven with views.

While parents escape to the pool or spa, they can drop off the kids at the Nautilus Club, which has separate spaces for ages 3 to 11 and teens 12 to 17. In the colorful rooms, they can play foosball, pool and video games on large-screen TVs, and there are even stations with virtual reality headsets. The club also arranges arts and crafts and sports activities.

The Itineraries

After the ship’s maiden voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon on Aug. 3, its inaugural season takes it through Northern Europe — traversing the Baltic Sea and the Norwegian fjords — Iceland and Greenland before crossing the Atlantic to Canada and New England.

We tested out one of the excursions during our trip, a boat ride along the Italian Riviera. After boarding a Castagnola Heritage wooden cruiser, we glided into the secluded cove of San Fruttuoso and stopped at the Christ of the Abyss, an eight-foot underwater statue that memorializes those who’ve died at sea.

We cruised more of the coast and returned to Portofino for lunch. Paccheri (large pasta tubes) with chunks of Breton blue lobster accompanied by glasses of chilled Franciacorta on Langosteria’s waterfront terrace was a lovely way to cap off an idyllic Italian afternoon.

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