Explora Journeys Celebrates Two Major Construction Milestones
Explora Journeys and Fincantieri are celebrating two major construction milestones as the cruise line continues to grow its fleet. Today at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy, the companies held a double ceremony for the float out of Explora V and the coin ceremony of Explora VI.
The ceremonies brought together representatives of national and local institutions, maritime authorities, and the wider maritime industry, alongside executives from MSC Group, Explora Journeys, and Fincantieri.
During the coin ceremony, commemorative coins were placed inside the ship as a longstanding symbol of good fortune during construction and throughout the ship’s future at sea. Explora president Anna Nash and PRS Workshop Manager at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard served as godmothers for the coin ceremony.
For the float out of Explora V, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the special occasion. Consuelo Brunelli, Production Planner at Fincantieri, served as godmother for the ribbon-cutting.
“Explora VI marks an important milestone in our journey and represents how far we have come in bringing a new category of ultra-elegant ocean travel to life,” said Anna Nash.
“Having joined Explora Journeys at such a pivotal stage in its development, becoming godmother to the sixth ship in our fleet is an extraordinary honour and a deeply personal moment for me. I am immensely proud of what we have built together, and excited by what lies ahead as we continue to shape the future of ocean travel and create even more meaningful experiences for our guests. Explora VI may mark the completion of our first six ships, but it is by no means the final chapter.”
Explora Journeys’ first ship, Explora I, debuted in August 2023. Since then, the luxury cruise brand — part of MSC Group — has been growing steadily. The second vessel began sailing in 2024, and the third ship was delivered this past July.
Explora IV is scheduled to enter service in spring 2027, followed by Explora V toward the end of 2027. Explora VI is expected to enter service in summer 2028, bringing the ship’s fleet to six total vessels.
