When your voyage is designed with water as the main focus, you are assured a tranquil “ocean state of mind.”
As the world of travel begins a refreshing era of reinvention, the luxury cruise industry is right in step, ready to break the mold and explore the oceans in a different way. Tully Luxury Travel is busy preparing for the exciting changes to come, welcoming a new partner to the fold – Explora Journeys from the MSC Group.
You will note the vernacular denotes a journey rather than merely a cruise, the new company taking on a markedly unique persona unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
“Building a luxury brand that will redefine the cruise experience and create a category of its own has been a long-held vision of mine and my family,” says Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s cruise business and broader passenger division. “Inspired by our personal travel wishes, Explora Journeys will be an ocean escape like no other.”
Where you will be heading is a primary element of the Explora philosophy, which will take travellers through journeys of discovery on and off the beaten path. A merging of sophisticated and iconic destinations such as Saint Tropez, Bordeaux and Reykjavik with lesser-known harbours – the Greek island of Kastellorizo in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish island of Bozcaada in the Aegean, and the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway – lends an authenticity to Explora’s elite offerings, creating a distinctively tranquil slow-travel mood.
Chief executive officer Michael Ungerer easily summarizes the travellers perfectly suited to this new kind of luxury travel: “Explora Journeys was designed for guests who want to stay longer, leave later and travel deeper.”
Setting sail in total luxury
The quality of the Explora Journeys service can be understood simply by reading the numbers – beginning with a guest-to-crew ratio of 1.25 to 1. The 461 suites and residences start at a staggering 35 metres and progress upward. In addition to 14 decks of generous indoor space, outdoor decks provide more than 2,500 square metres of relaxation overlooking the sea, with 64 private cabanas spread across three outdoor pools. A fourth pool with a retractable roof makes for a refreshing dip indoors or out.
Flexible dining will champion locally sourced deliciousness throughout nine restaurants, with multiple bars and lounges lending the buzz. Wellness offerings come in the form of indoor and outdoor spa and fitness areas, where guests can take advantage of personal training, group classes and bespoke wellness wonders.
The artistry of detailed conception.
The design of the new Explora vessels yields a meeting of minds, with superyacht and luxury hospitality designers coming together to reinvent the classic cruise experience for a different generation of travellers, blending Swiss precision with European craftsmanship.
State-of-the-art sustainability practices embrace environmental support technologies that lower CO2 emissions and champion the move toward future hybrid power generation, introducing alternative energy solutions as they become available. Explora’s shift to abandoned single-use plastics, both onboard and on shore excursions, provides a very welcome change.
The first ship, Explora I, is scheduled to set sail in 2023, with three others following in succession each year after that, all from Fincantieri, the largest ship-builder in Europe.
Tully Luxury Travel is excited to be in on this ground-breaking ocean adventure. Find out how you can be part of this and other luxury journeys oceanwide by contacting our Luxury Travel Designers today.
