Explora Journeys has altered the fall/winter 2024-25 deployment for its Explora I ship and unveiled sailings for fall/winter 2025-26 for the Explora I and Explora II.
The Explora I's schedule from October 2024 to April 2025 has been revised so that the ship will sail in the Caribbean. The ship had been slated to do cruises up the Amazon River and into the Brazilian rainforest. Explora said it made the change to support the growth of the Explora brand in North America.
The Explora I's winter 2024-25 season starts with a transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to the Caribbean.
Besides changing plans for the 922-passenger Explora I, the luxury line has added more cruises of six to eight nights, based upon customer feedback.
"We have decided to refine our journey planning, and I have been involved in designing the new journeys, drawing on my own travel experiences, bringing the personal touch that is at the heart of Explora Journeys," said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the cruise division for MSC Group, parent of Explora Journeys.
From April to November 2025, the Explora I will sail the Mediterranean, the islands of the Aegean Sea and the Dalmatian coast.
In winter 2025-2026, the Explora I will sail the Red Sea and Arabian Peninsula.
The Explora II is scheduled to embark on her maiden cruise from Barcelona on Aug. 12, 2024. The ship will continue to sail in the western Mediterranean until November 2024, when she will cross the Atlantic and sail Caribbean cruises during the winter months.
Starting in May 2025, Explora II will spend the summer in the Mediterranean with cruises leaving from Barcelona or Civitavecchia/Rome.
Winter 2025-2026 will be spent in the Eastern Caribbean, featuring Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe; Roseau, Dominica; Little Bay, Montserrat; and Marigot, St. Martin.