Explora Journeys takes delivery of Explora I

Explora Journeys has taken delivery of its first ship, Explora I.

The ceremony took place at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Italy on July 20.

MSC Group’s luxury brand was scheduled to deliver the ship on July 6, but cancelled the event due to an issue with materials used on the vessel, which also led to the cancellation of the ship’s maiden voyage.

The delivery ceremony was attended by executive chairman of MSC Group’s cruise division Pierfrancesco Vago, founder and chairman of the MSC Group Gianluigi Aponte, as well as managers and workers from the shipyard.

Explora I will take its maiden voyage from Copenhagen on August 1 and spend the rest of the summer in Northern Europe.

The ship will reposition to North America for the autumn, spend the winter in the Caribbean and the spring on the west coast of the US before returning to Europe in summer 2024 for a series of Mediterranean sailings.

Vago said: “Today is an historic day and represents a decisive step in our growth path because it marks the entry of the MSC Group into the luxury travel sector.

“This segment has strong growth prospects in which we strongly believe and whose standards we aim to redefine, focusing as always on excellence and luxury.”

Explora Journeys chief executive Michael Ungerer said: “This traditional maritime moment marks the most important milestone for Explora Journeys as we will finally be able to showcase our highly anticipated, extraordinary ship.

“We have pushed the boundaries of innovation and design to create a ship that embodies our commitment to excellence.

“With the delivery of Explora I, our vision to provide unparalleled luxury experiences has become an incredible reality.”