Luxury ocean travel with Explora Journeys is an exceptional experience, with its emphasis on space, design, beauty and connection with the sea. Two ships – EXPLORA I and the brand-new EXPLORA II – visit a decidedly irresistible lineup of destinations and ports in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Yet it turns out that Explora Journeys’ ships themselves are the destination, too, with many guests confessing that it’s the time spent onboard that imprints itself most dreamily into their consciousness, even more vividly than the stunning places visited on each journey.

Explora Journeys invites guests to discover their ‘Ocean State of Mind’ – a sense of pure possibility and relaxation sensed whilst gazing out at the mysterious, endless sea. This encouragement to transform seems to open guests’ awareness of a sense of place, and a connection to every moment spent onboard that lingers long after a journey ends.  

Throughout each ship, spaces have been designed to maximize one’s feeling of proximity to the water. Every suite is oceanfront and has a private terrace with comfortable yet elegant furniture that invites relaxation. A plethora of outdoor seating and lounging areas – around the ship’s three outdoor pools and tucked away in seemingly secret nooks – nurture one’s appreciation for thoughtful design, and, more importantly, one’s sense of tranquility.

Nearly every spot inside the onboard bars, lounges, and restaurants brings the sea into perspective, reminding guests that they are not, in fact, in a luxury hotel, which is easy to imagine, but instead gliding through the infinitely blue sea on a uniquely vibrant, cosmopolitan vessel.

But intriguingly, even with the sea a central focus and grounding force for each journey, an Explora Journeys holiday feels more like a stay at an exquisite boutique hotel found in any of the world’s most captivating cities, than a cruise.

Both ships are exceptionally guest-focused, with space, choice, privacy, design and service framing the onboard experience. Design, art, and aesthetic beauty are intended to be effortlessly sophisticated. Service feels natural yet exceptional, drawing its roots from the refined gold thread of European excellence and Explora Journeys’ Swiss and European heritage.

Each guest suite offers subdued and calming colours in its luxurious furnishings to feel inherently soothing and relaxing – a home at sea. Suites start at an ample 377 sq. ft. – similar to the size of a luxurious hotel room. Spacious bathrooms with heated floors, a walk-in closet and vanity with seating, ample storage space, automatic nightlights, charging ports on the nightstands, a stocked bookshelf, European coffee and tea, a Dyson hairdryer and a complimentary minibar stocked daily add to a feeling of comfort. Again, the sensation is that of cocooning in a sumptuous, thoughtfully designed boutique hotel, whose location happens to be the ocean.

Guests who have experienced Explora Journeys as a destination itself have noted cuisine in particular as a hallmark of extraordinary quality and artistry. Some guests have noted that they would feel no need to dine on land whilst on a journey, because the provenance-focused culinary offerings, led by Franck Garanger, rival those found in even the most sophisticated cities. Both ships offer a tantalising range of distinctive, globally influenced dining experiences included for every guest, with no set dining times.

The experience and artistry of Explora Journeys’ culinary and beverage experts results in immersive dining experiences such as Sakura’s Pan-Asian cuisine, Fil Rouge’s French-inspired international cuisine, Marble & Co. Grill’s redefined European steakhouse experience, and more. Beyond what’s included, guests can also experience Anthology’s elevated Italian cuisine in an unparalleled gastronomic adventure, and culinary classes at Chef’s Kitchen.

At Emporium Marketplace, an abundance of globally inspired preparations for breakfast, lunch and dinner ranges from the sumptuous to the health-conscious, with mouthwatering homemade pastas and pizzas, exquisite sushi and ceviche, and an evolving array of plant-based options. The fresh juices and smoothies prepared during breakfast are so perfectly balanced that some guests have found themselves, back home, yearning for just one more bright and sustaining sip of ‘Sweet Green,’ a hydrating blend of fresh spinach, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger, and mint.

More than 12 indoor and outdoor bars and lounges – and all included dining venues – offer complimentary fine wines, spirits, beers, sodas, specialty coffees, teas and other non-alcoholic options – offering the ease of true luxury. Guests are treated to an in-suite welcome bottle of champagne complemented by sweet treats. The suite’s minibar is restocked daily, and included.

For those who want to stay connected, our complimentary high-speed WiFi, available throughout the entire ship, is seamless, with some travellers, including those on a working holiday, telling us it’s the best they’ve experienced at sea.

When it comes to entertainment, a diverse programme of enriching events designed to connect guests, hosts and luminaries offers a sense of discovery and spontaneous moments of joy. Intimate, engaging entertainment and enrichment is brought to life in smaller, cozy venues. The idea is for travellers to feel the right vibe at the right time, and to feel encouraged to explore their curiosity, even if it means dipping in and out as they like.

Ocean Wellness, inspired by the sea and its natural healing properties, aims to nurture a sense of well-being and foster rejuvenation, through spa treatments, the thermal spa, and individual and group fitness opportunities.

Guests ages 6-17 will love the variety of activities offered by Explora Journeys’ Nautilus Club, where certified expert hosts lead fun, enriching activities like art, tech tournaments, sport sessions, and sustainability projects—as well as foosball and a multi-game table, a pool table crafted in Italy, a modern jukebox tablet connected to music streaming platforms, board games, and a digital library with books of different genres, in different languages.

And itineraries are indeed unique, each journey thoughtfully planned to give travellers the opportunity to go deeper and linger longer in some of the world’s most beguiling destinations – well-loved and lesser-known ones alike.

But as wonderfully enriching as it is to connect with these places, it’s the opportunity to do some from a ship with such beauty and warmth, with guests at the centre of everything, and the underlying promise of joy from drawing closer to the sea, that makes these journeys so special.

Even for those who have experienced travel in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, being there with Explora Journeys’ ships – destinations unto themselves – is a decidedly richer way to visit and revisit new and beloved locales.

“It’s not the destination,” wrote American essayist, philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1841, “it’s the journey.” When it comes to time spent on EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II, the truest luxury – feeling free – prevails as guests discover the transcendental experience of being fully present. The Ocean State of Mind, found only within the haven of Explora Journeys’ stunning hotel-like ships, is perhaps the most desirable aspect of this unexpected destination.