Explora III: A Beautiful Ship & A Lunch to Remember

New York offers plenty of places to have a memorable lunch.

This week, mine happened to be aboard Explora Journeys’ Explora III.

Visiting the ship in New York Harbor, I was struck by its beauty, but what made the occasion especially enjoyable was the hospitality. Our hosts had arranged a visit that gave us time to appreciate the surroundings, followed by a wine-paired lunch at Le Fil Rouge, the ship’s French restaurant. It was a generous introduction to a ship that gave me plenty of reasons to reach for my camera.

Having spent considerable time aboard luxury cruise ships, I am always interested in how a line gives its surroundings a distinct personality. There are only so many ways to announce luxury with marble, glass, and a handsome chair. The more revealing question is how those elements work together—and how welcome you feel once you sit down.

Explora III made a very good first impression on both counts. And it was accompanied by a glass of Champagne, always a good idea when one is being welcomed aboard.

A Ship Worth Looking Around

One of the most striking spaces is the lofty lobby beneath a dramatic installation of suspended glass. Clear and amber-toned pieces catch the light above groupings of cream chairs and dark sofas. Seen from the level above, the installation frames a circular marble table and the sweeping patterns of the floor below. From downstairs, its scale becomes even more apparent.

It is a space that rewards more than a passing glance. My photographs include several views because a single frame could hardly convey the relationship between the lighting, the seating, and the room’s height.

Elsewhere, the interiors change mood. There are intimate seating areas with warm colors and patterned carpets, restaurant tables set beneath distinctive ceiling treatments.

Sakura, the ship’s Asian Fusion restaurant with a Japanese name, is particularly stunning:

It is enlivened by flowering branches, orange banquettes, and a colorful bird mural. Wine displays, a pastry counter, and polished bars provide further evidence that eating and drinking occupy a prominent place in the ship’s life.

These variations help give a tour its rhythm. Each room offers something different to notice, while the attention to materials and furnishings ties the experience together.

Pools, Daybeds, and a New York View

The pool beneath its great glass roof was another highlight. Sunlight streamed through the overhead structure, illuminating the water and the surrounding loungers.

Viewed from above, the geometry of the roof becomes part of the spectacle.

Outside, other pool areas offer a different setting: open sky, pale cushions, daybeds, and the harbor beyond the railings. On the day of our visit, the clear blue sky made those spaces particularly inviting. New York supplied a rather good backdrop, although I suspect the arrangements would be equally persuasive somewhere with fewer office buildings.

Of particular note were the number of “Cabanas” for 2. They total 68. These are supplemented by an extraordinarily large number of daybeds and lounge chairs. It’s perfectly obvious that no one ever has to ‘reserve’ a deck chair aboard Explora III.

Our tour also took in wellness spaces, including a treatment room and a softly illuminated pool area, along with a sports court, a children’s activity space, and a lounge with a billiard table. Together, they suggested several ways to spend a day aboard, whether one’s ambitions involved activity, relaxation, or simply finding a comfortable seat with a view.

For me, however, the day’s most memorable seat was waiting at lunch.

Le Fil Rouge: The Red Thread

Le Fil Rouge translates as “the red thread,” an apt name for the restaurant that provided the culinary thread running through our visit. The wine-paired lunch was a highlight of the occasion, and an opportunity to experience the hospitality that had impressed me throughout the day.

We began with caviar atop a bed of potatoes. It was an appealing combination: the salty richness of the caviar against the comforting simplicity of the potatoes. Served in a glass coupe, the dish also made a handsome photograph—one I was pleased to have taken before turning my attention to eating it.

The main course offered a choice of 72-hour beef with gravy or a vegetable tian for those who are not meat eaters. The beef brought a substantial, savory turn to the meal, while the vegetable option ensured that the menu accommodated different preferences.

I did not photograph the beef. This is an occupational hazard when a food writer encounters lunch: occasionally, lunch wins.

The meal concluded with an extraordinary dessert: a boule of burrata surrounded by strawberries and tiny grape tomatoes with a basil sauce. It brought the occasion to a memorable finish.  The accompanying wine pairings made the lunch feel especially considered, and the pleasure of it extended beyond any individual course. It was the combination of the food, the setting, and the welcome that stayed with me.

Hospitality Makes the Impression Last

A ship visit gives a writer a useful introduction, though it cannot provide the full experience of sailing aboard. You can examine the public spaces, look at the facilities, and enjoy a meal. A voyage reveals how those impressions develop over successive days at sea.

What this visit established was that Explora III is a beautiful ship, with considerable variety in its spaces and a culinary experience I thoroughly enjoyed. Just as significant was the care with which the event had been arranged. I left appreciative of our hosts and of the opportunity to see the ship at close quarters.

My camera came home with ample evidence of the surroundings. The lunch supplied another kind of evidence, equally persuasive.

The only difficulty with a visit like this is that, eventually, you have to get off. After lunch at Le Fil Rouge, I would happily have stayed to see what they were serving for dinner.