It is a behemoth of the seas which took possession of Port Hercule this Thursday. Passing through the Principality for a day before heading to Marseille this Friday, Explora I made its first appearance in Monegasque waters.
Created in August 2023 with Explora I its first boat, Explora Journeys is a subsidiary of the company MSC Cruises. And intends to ride on the success of the latter. “More than one in two travelers who go on a cruise do so with MSC, slides not without pride Patrick Pourbaix, Managing Director France and Monaco of Explora Journeys. For a young company like MSC Cruises which is only 22 years old, this is quite remarkable.”
The local manager of Explora Journeys explains this success by the European origins of the company when the world of cruising is predominantly American.
As for the reasons which led to the creation of the luxury subsidiary, Patrick Pourbaix quickly goes back through history. “MSC was the beginning of the adventure. There was the creation of the Yacht club [un espace de luxe au sein des bateaux de croisière, ndlr] which was already a more high-end product on large ships and we were missing this last segment of great luxury.”
461 suites for double the number of passengers. Six swimming pools, five restaurants and a thirteen-level interior that makes you forget you're on a boat. Luxury boutiques with prestigious brands such as Rolex or Cartier. A spa, a fitness center, an art gallery, a casino and several lounges to entertain its passengers. The luxury bet seems to have succeeded. And its little brother Explora II – which will come to Monaco in May for the F1 Grand Prix (read opposite) – offers more or less the same standard as Explora I. To drive the point home, four other boats are under construction and will be delivered by 2028 (read below). We must therefore expect to see these blue and white giants settle permanently in the landscape of the Principality.
“Monaco, symbol of luxury and a luxurious art of living”
As is tradition for a ship's first call, the ship and port captains exchanged plates under the eyes of the president of the Société d'exploitation des ports de Monaco (SEPM), Aleco Keusseoglou. . “I am particularly happy and honored to be on board Explora I. I come from the cruise world myself since we had a cruise ship company in our family. I had the chance to follow the rise and spectacular development of MSC over all these years To see that the company has decided to have a luxury brand gives us great pleasure and we are very happy to welcome it to Monaco. start of a long story between MSC, Monaco and Explora Journeys.”
Celebrations shared by the Managing Director France and Monaco of Explora Journeys. “Monaco is the symbol of luxury and a luxurious art of living, enthuses Patrick Pourbaix, who is pleased with the first booking figures in the Principality for the Formula 1 Grand Prix. In fact, Explora must be there. It's an honor and an emotion to be in Monaco.”
A first at the F1 Grand Prix
For its second visit to the Principality, Explora Journeys did not choose its dates at random. Its second boat Explora II will spend five days in the Principality during the Monaco Grand Prix at the end of May 2025.
“We market with the cruise before in addition to the five days in Monaco, with or without tickets for the GP since we are sponsors of Formula 1details Patrick Pourbaix. We have several formulas and it will be fantastic since we will also be able to admire the race from the boat”.
Allow at least 10,000 euros for 6 days on board without leaving Monaco, and up to more than 200,000 euros per person for the formula between Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, Italy and Monaco over 13 days.
