A LUXURY CRUISE EXPERT’S Review of EXPLORA JOURNEYS
Introduction to Explora
It’s a cool October morning in Quebec City as I set out on a morning stroll. The leaves that have been hinting of Fall’s arrival are now in their full bright oranges and reds. I make my way to the fortress of the Chateau Frontenac and look down at the port - there stands the Explora I, the first of the Explora Journeys Fleet. She looks so shiny and new, with her eye-catching black, white and gold Titanic-esque color scheme. She serves as a contrast to the classic full white Regent Navigator which was docked in this same spot on the afternoon previous. I can’t help but wonder how the ship will compare to Regent, or indeed to other fan favorites in the luxury sphere, like Crystal and Silversea.
I don’t have to wait long to find out, within the hour I am at the port and checking in. The check in process is quick but annoyingly I have to fill out details I had already submitted online. It turns out, that extra time was a trade-off, the reason my previous submission was lost was due to the fact that only the night before my suite had been upgraded from an Ocean Terrace to a Premier Penthouse. The 10 minutes spent filling out the form were a small sacrifice for such a great perk.
Within my first few seconds on the ship, I am struck by the overwhelming newness of everything. The carpets, the chairs, the smallest décor items. Everything is NEW. I can’t help but wonder as I sit down in Café Crema whether I was the first person to ever sit in this chair. I have been on my fair share of new builds and renovated ships, but Explora I has a timeless and understated elegance that I think will age well. For now, though, the shiny newness of it all is a feature I am glad to enjoy.
Cafe Crema
Suites on Explora
It’s only 1.30pm, but I decide to take a chance and see if my room is ready — and sure enough it is. The suite design is exceptional. I am lucky to be traveling with a friend who has an Ocean Terrace adjoining my Premier Penthouse. The overall feel of the joined spaces is that of a two-bedroom suite at a hotel. The color scheme is muted and the decor simple. This is what I like from a suite, those with more wild tastes might call the rooms plain, but for me, they are serene, a place I know I can relax. There are one or two minor things that I would change, such as the placement of the faucets in the shower (I couldn’t turn on the water without getting wet) but all in all, the suites are designed perfectly. The sizing is very generous and makes cabins on some other luxury lines seem pokey and second rate. The pièce de résistance is the bed. TRUE KING BEDS. Not two twins, not a queen, but a true king. I would soon find that this was the best mattress I would ever sleep on, the sumptuous pillows, the soft feel of the sheets in tandem with the blackout curtains meant that for the first time in my adult life I actually caught up on sleep. The rest I got in that room is reason enough for me to long to get back onboard.
My room steward, (not quite a butler which is only available for the residences) seems a little green when I ask a few basic questions, but my water bottles are sitting waiting next to some petit fours he has laid out in addition to the bottle of Champagne, and I mean real Champagne, not Prosecco. I don’t linger long after trying the sweet treats before embarking on a full tour of the ship. The public areas are quiet with only 180 passengers on a ship that holds 900 there is certainly an advantage to trying a new cruise line within its first few sailings. The heart of the ship is really the Lobby Bar — a space which feels like a luxury hotel bar on land, as opposed to an “at sea” space. I don’t linger here too long, as I know I will get to appreciate it more throughout my 14-day sailing to Miami.
Premier Penthouse Suite
The Public Spaces on Explora
I go down to the Lobby Bar to have another drink. I am served by Washington, who cut his teeth with the Mandarin Oriental, and he is every bit the 5 star bartender. His manner and conversation are everything you expect from this class of ship - and the actual drink he makes is perfection. It is worth mentioning that Explora is true all inclusive luxury - so I am not pulling out my room key at every interaction. Instead I quickly settle into the ease of ordering whenever I feel inclined without the hassle of a bill. Now the Lobby itself is a neutral space with a high ceiling, sophisticated European design and soft lighting. Most ships have a focal point, and the Lobby is Explora’s - and it competes with the best of them. Most ships have a staircase atrium - and most ships you can tell you’re on a ship - Explora bucks the trend with this space. The vibe is like an ultra luxury Scandinavian hotel; minimalistic and clean lines. I love it. In this lobby it is easy to forget you are on a ship, a goal of Explora Journeys who want to be a hotel that happens to be at sea as opposed to a cruise ship.
The Lobby bar
The next space I explore are the pool decks. I know it will likely be too cold to ever make use of these until we get further south, but thankfully there is the indoor conservatory pool. It’s something of a greenhouse, and is perhaps a little too warm if you aren’t swimming, but it’s still a welcome relief to have an indoor swimming pool in the cold weather. This is also the cinema onboard and while it is a great looking space, there is nowhere to sit and face the screen directly. Here it seems form has been favored over function, but as someone who never even uses cinemas on ships, I am not phased. The conservatory pool connects to the Emporium — Explora’s upscale answer to buffet dining — several food stations with constantly changing menus. I would come to find the choice at emporium an absolute favorite, and with that let me get into the dining options on Explora.
Conservatory Pool
Dining on Explora
As already stated, Emporium is great. There is a lot of variety and the menu changes regularly. I did notice meals repeat during my second week, but I think Explora is going for clients looking for one week Mediterranean and Caribbean sailings as opposed to longer voyages. There was a little too much focus on seafood for my liking, I would say half of the meat options were seafood, which on some nights swelled to 3/4 of the options. Regardless, I liked having the options.
The included restaurants onboard are the Pan-Asian Sakura, the Marble & Co. Steakhouse, the French Fil Rouge, and the casual Med Yacht Club. The leader of the pack here is Sakura by a mile. The flavors and the ambience of this space are truly comparable to on land fine dining. For sushi lovers, you will be impressed by their extensive selection. The New Zealand lamb seemed a little out of character for an Asian restaurant, but it was delicious nonetheless. The Panaeng curry was my go-to favorite, and the Wagyu Beef was a must-have.
Sakura
The other restaurants all feel a little “same-same” and in fact a few of the options seemed to be the same meals as other restaurants but dressed a little different - but the quality was superb so I was happy - and again I was on for 14 nights so I had more opportunity to notice this. The easy remedy that Explora needs to implement is to have nightly restaurant specials - as it was the menus never changed at all, with the exception of one or two “off menu” specials.
The room service is speedy and also high quality. I became addicted to the French fries - perfectly crisp on the outside but soft potato inside, and what’s more they arrived hot which is not always a guarantee on a ship.
The Gelateria and Creperie was perhaps the only place that struggled to impress. I am a sweet tooth and a desert snob. I find when I travell so many places make beautiful looking sweet treats that taste factory made and Explora unfortunately had deserts that felt the same - and the ice cream selection never changed in all my 14 days onboard. Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, Vegan Vanilla, and Peanut Butter. Where is the Stracciatella? Or even just Cookies and Cream? Why no Boysenberry ripple? Or at least the classic strawberry? Many will likely find the offering here sufficient, but I cannot help but wish for just a little more - at the very least some rotating flavors.
The 4pm afternoon tea suffers from some of the same “mass made” taste, however there were some real highlights hidden among here too, so I must acknowledge that. So as long as Explora take on the feedback and keep capitalizing on what they do well, then I am sure in no time they will be at the absolute top of the industry.
In summary the food is excellent, and if you are a foodie then you won’t be disappointed, but on a sailing more than 10 nights you might start to notice a few repeats.
Emporium Marketplace
The Ports
Explora is facing an uphill battle to secure good ports when all the other ships have had their places years in advance. As a result we found ourselves overlooking some of the best ports on the east coast like Newport in Rhode Island and Savannah in Georgia. We did at least get an overnight in New York City and I will say, Explora felt like a “New York City” kind of ship if that makes sense. I didn’t try the shore excursions as they all seemed severely overpriced and, well, boring. Self exploration or simply enjoying the ship was the way for me, and I wasn’t disappointed.
We were docked at the same terminal as a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship and I was a little disappointed that NCL seemed to have their Port side terminal operations running like clockwork while Explora seemed to be a little lost. There was absolutely no signage in the terminal with the name Explora and you would be forgiven for thinking you had to queue in the NCL lines just to get on. They really dropped the ball here, and all I can say is I hope they improve with practice.
I won’t talk too much more about this subject as I do really love Explora Journeys and to focus to much on this might seem to portray an overall negative impression - its just something that was part of my Explora Experience that I trust will be polished up quick-smart. Looking ahead to the next few years, it seems that they are aware and are working to iron this out. I think they will really come into their own and shine next season in Europe.
Our docking point in new Yrok City
The Service
I have to start by mentioning my favorite bartender, Washington. He was the first person I met on board and he came straight from a 5-star hotel background and absolutely ready to deliver the kind of service that would make other luxury lines nervous. The wait staff in the restaurants and the serving staff the at the Emporium were all excellent — again, they seemed to be from a 5 star background. There were some staff members who needed a little polish, but the majority were great and I was honestly surprised that’s such a new line already had staff with true luxury pedigree.
Entertainment
There are not really “shows” on Explora. They pride themselves on not having “Broadway-like productions”. For this reason, guests of other lines might not think of what Explora does as “entertainment”, they have bars and lounges that happen to have live music. Whether or not this floats your boat will be a matter of taste. If socializing with friends while someone plays the piano or sings soft jazz is your style, then Explora will tick the box entertainment-wise.
Overall Impression:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Explora, true they have a bit of polishing to do, but then the same can be said of the tried and true brands. I can confidently say the Explora Journeys is here to stay and does deserve its place among the leaders in the luxury space. I think they have made a strong start, perhaps they haven’t leapt to #1 in all categories from day one, but they are serious competition and I will most definitely be sailing with them again. Other luxury lines ought to be nervous.
I love the ship, I love the brand, the food is excellent and with just a little work there service could be perfect too - and if they can pull it off they might just find themselves at the top of the food chain - a real achievement for a brand that has only just reached the 1 year mark of having a ship in the water (and is about to start sailings on their second ship). All I can say is watch his space, and if you haven’t been on Explora yet then get in now so you can be counted among those who “discovered” this brand before it went mainstream.
