New luxury ship delivered to MSC Cruises' Explora Journeys line

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri handed over the second in a series of four new cruise ships to Explora Journeys, MSC Cruises' luxury brand, on Thursday, September 12.

Like its Explora-class sisters, Explora II has an LOA of 248 metres, a beam of 32 metres, and 461 all-balcony guest cabins in various categories across 14 decks. One of the cabins is an owner's residence with 280 square metres of indoor and terrace space. Some of the other cabins even provide access for wheelchair-bound guests.

Onboard facilities include restaurants, bars, lounges, boutique shops, nine spa rooms, a beauty salon, 1,000 square metres of indoor and outdoor wellness facilities, and indoor and outdoor pools.

The vessel is equipped with selective catalytic reduction technology, shore power plug-in connectivity, a RINA-certified underwater noise management systems to help protect marine life, a smart HVAC system, LED lighting, and other energy-efficient equipment to optimise engine use to further reduce emissions.

Explora II and its sisters are also ready to use bio-LNG and renewable synthetic LNG once these fuels become widely available in the maritime sector.

The delivery of Explora II took place on the same day as Explora III's keel-laying ceremony and Explora IV's steel-cutting ceremony.