Latest news about Explora Journeys

[AtA]

On 1/21/2023 at 9:44 PM, daleandrews said:

Great!  (My brother and his wife live in Palm Bay!  Great area.)

We will be on the Iceland-NY portion. 16 days.

[Dr. Cocktail]

An interesting interview with Explora's first captain ....

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/people-opinions/master-explora-i-serena-melani-waving-flag-female-captains

[Hlitner]

Ok, so I read it.  We have no issues with female, male, or any gender masters as long as they have their license and experience.  DW said she would even be happy with a Vulcan Captain as long as they were qualified, 

 

An environmentally ship is certainly a good thing, and we hope that Explora Journeys is environmentally great!  But now that we are past that stuff, as cruisers booking a luxury line we expect a luxury line in terms of cuisine, service, staff, etc.  Bottom line (for us) is can they compete in this competitive industry, Are they going to offer an experience equal or better to what we get on lines like Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent, etc.  If the food is not up to the competition, a female Captain (or any other Captain) is meaningless.  We have no doubt that Explora will have a competent Marine Department, but the big question mark is the hotel department.  We like what see, in terms of senior staff, but the proof will be in what we experience when aboard.

 

Hank

[uktog]

My take on that is that their first appointment in that area snagging Heike Berdos from Azamara and have her working for them for many months pre sailing in the set up team gives me great comfort. I’m hoping soon they start drip feeding more communication about onboard life to further reassure everyone. 

[Dr. Cocktail]

I think that you can get a pretty good idea of F & B when you see who they've hired...

 

https://explorajourneys.com/ca/en/life-on-explora/dining

 

They are hiring/hiring away the best they can get. 

[FlyerTalker]

4 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

I think that you can get a pretty good idea of F & B when you see who they've hired...

 

https://explorajourneys.com/ca/en/life-on-explora/dining

 

They are hiring/hiring away the best they can get. 

 

It still comes down to the expertise of the actual people in the ship's kitchen.

 

Seabourn touts Thomas Keller.  Oceania touts Jacques Pepin.  Fact of the matter is that neither is in the back, putting out the actual food.

 

The verdict will be when dishes come out of the kitchen -- are they a match to the plans of those "names" that Explora is promoting, or is the execution a shadow of the expectation?  And no one will know the answer until the ship is operating.

 

 

[ctjon]

And what management is willing to pay for food supplies, etc. 

[Azulann]

5 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

I think that you can get a pretty good idea of F & B when you see who they've hired...

 

https://explorajourneys.com/ca/en/life-on-explora/dining

 

They are hiring/hiring away the best they can get. 

I am excited that a new cruise line with an European flair will be up and running in 2023. I am interested trying it on its own terms and not compare it to others. Also all will be new passengers  without the tired old history of “I remember when..,”

[Dr. Cocktail]

21 minutes ago, Azulann said:

I am excited that a new cruise line with an European flair will be up and running in 2023. I am interested trying it on its own terms and not compare it to others. Also all will be new passengers  without the tired old history of “I remember when..,”

It's interesting .... I just don't have the same reticence or skepticism expressed by many here!

 

I'm willing to be an early adaptor and have booked a couple of cruises at the initial pricing.

 

I love the ship's design with vast amounts of deck space and the absence of a show lounge!  The entertainment could be interesting but the partnership with Steinway  looks especially promising.

 

The dining venues look beautiful and someone like Franck Garanger ain't leaving Oceania  after 19 years (after heading up Silverseas for the 4 years before that) unless he thinks that there's something that he can accomplish.

 

MSC, unlike RCI, NCLHI and Carnival is awash in cash and ready to start exerting their power across different cruise categories.

 

Worst case scenario for me? I have some less than ideal cruises. I'm willing to take the risk!

 

 

[Azulann]

Dr. Cocktail,

Please do a review or live report when you sail.

I have a Viking cruise in June,  then  would love to plan an Explora cruise for 2024.

 Also love what I see on the web site and their common space and multiple dining options.  But want to hear from the first passengers, like you., aobut your experience on Explora Journeys.  

[daleandrews]

We booked early also, Glasgow to NYC in September.  I like the plans as reflected in the renderings of rooms and common areas as depicted on the Explora website.  I'm particularly anxious to see photos showing how the actual product looks.  It's a bit frustrating having so little information out there -- I'm used to lines that have been around for a while and that have lots of posted videos by the lines themselves and by TAs.  I imagine there will be an influx of such information long about the time of the naming ceremony in early July.

[FlyerTalker]

49 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

The dining venues look beautiful and someone like Franck Garanger ain't leaving Oceania  after 19 years (after heading up Silverseas for the 4 years before that) unless he thinks that there's something that he can accomplish.

 

Or a pile of cash was dangled in front of his face.

 

49 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

MSC, unlike RCI, NCLHI and Carnival is awash in cash and ready to start exerting their power across different cruise categories.

 

You mean the NCLHI that doesn't have cash and is cutting back?  Like on their Oceania brand?  Where Garanger is leaving.

 

Perhaps he saw the writing on the wall.

[Dr. Cocktail]

36 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Or a pile of cash was dangled in front of his face.

 

 

You mean the NCLHI that doesn't have cash and is cutting back?  Like on their Oceania brand?  Where Garanger is leaving.

 

Perhaps he saw the writing on the wall.

Of course they dangled cash!  Good people don't come cheap!

 

I think it's no secret that the "big three" are in financial doo-doo (highly technical, but it gets the point across...)

 

Carnival owes an ASTONISHING 32 billion, RCI 19 billion and NCLHI 12 billion (all numbers are approximate) while MSC owes about 11 billion.

 

All of the cruise lines are cutting back where they can - getting rid of older, inefficient ships and cutting down on operating costs (usually food) wherever possible.  Carnival has been trying to sell Seabourn for years....

 

It's hard to figure out how much profit MSC shipping makes as they're a private company but after some digging,  financial writers say a good starting number for 2022 would be 20 Billion USD ... but it could be much higher!  They can easily lend (and did) cash to their cruise division with plenty left over to fund a new luxury division.

 

TMI?!

Edited February 11, 2023 by Dr. Cocktail

[Dr. Cocktail]

3 hours ago, Azulann said:

Dr. Cocktail,

Please do a review or live report when you sail.

I have a Viking cruise in June,  then  would love to plan an Explora cruise for 2024.

 Also love what I see on the web site and their common space and multiple dining options.  But want to hear from the first passengers, like you., aobut your experience on Explora Journeys.  

Will do but I won't be on until November ....

 

I remember decades ago chatting with the Hotel Manager on Celebrity Zenith (Horizon?) outside while docked in Bermuda. I was soooooooo excited about the launch of their announced "megaship" Century (!) and was musing about sailing on the Inaugural in December of 1995. He said: "we'll see you in March". I responded: "no, the Inaugural is in December".

 

He repeated: "We'll see you in March!!!!".

 

My response?  "Ohhhhhhhhhhh, I seeeeeeeeeeeeee........."

 

He then went on to tell me that what can go wrong WILL go wrong on any new ship, let alone the first of a series....

 

I'm an early adaptor but not fully crazy!

 

ps .... at the time at 70 000 grt, Century was beautiful and spacious with 1800+ passengers ....

 

A fantastic size for a ship in that it can offer lots of choices but even better with 900 passengers!

Edited February 11, 2023 by Dr. Cocktail

[Azulann]

11 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

 

ps .... at the time at 70 000 grt, Century was beautiful and spacious with 1800+ passengers ....

 

A fantastic size for a ship in that it can offer lots of choices but even better with 900 passengers!

Oh ! My very first cruise was on the Celebrity Century. I  was smitten at first sight , as our taxi dropped us off on a pier in Barcelona.  Fell in love with cruising and the rest is history!  The Century had the coolest Martini Bar, the ice  chandelier that changed colors, the white rounded chairs and oh those Martini flights!

Looking forward to hearing more aobut Explora,  and the future

Cheers!

 

[Wheelhouse]

I just watched a very recently released 1/2 hour YouTube presentation sponsored by a travel agency, but 100% delivered by a spokesman for Explora.  There was some interesting new information. The Explora representative said that the best selling journeys so far are 1. the TA through Iceland, Greenland, and Canada and 2. the roundtrip Hawaii from Vancouver.  He also said there will never be any discounting of the fares.  If the bookings are not what the the were hoping for then then will just carry less guests. 

 

[AtA]

On 2/11/2023 at 1:44 PM, Dr. Cocktail said:

 

 

The dining venues look beautiful and someone like Franck Garanger ain't leaving Oceania  after 19 years (after heading up Silverseas for the 4 years before that) unless he thinks that there's something that he can accomplish.

 

I hope the food is better on Explora than what I experienced twice on Oceania. I would put their food close to the bottom of my list. Ok maybe HAL is lower.

[AtA]

On 6/13/2022 at 5:37 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Crystal is gone.  You need to find a cruise line that meets your needs.

 

I see trees of green

green trees there too

I see the trees

and they are green

and I think to myself

I am lost in these woods.  😢

I think you spoke too soon. 😄

[Host Jazzbeau]

25 minutes ago, AtA said:

I hope the food is better on Explora than what I experienced twice on Oceania. I would put their food close to the bottom of my list. Ok maybe HAL is lower.

And you are unanimous in that.  But also a party of one...

[morpheusofthesea]

On MSC Seascape at the moment. They removed Explora Journeys brochure from YC cabins 3 weeks ago. Guess those on board realized the competition and the loss of their best clients. Asked future cruise consultant about butlers on Explora. Only Residences get a butler exclusive to each residence. Not one butler for 10 cabins like YC.

[uktog]

I have no problem with no butler so long as the general support from cabin staff and others is attentive. I struggled to work out what value my Yacht Club butler added over the cabin attendant. But he was very visible last day and on disembarkation (tips were prepaid but that didn’t stop him😀)

[morpheusofthesea]

"Many of our (luxuries) are merely comparative, did we not see them in the possession of others." Samuel Johnson

[morpheusofthesea]

Spoke with 23 year veteran butler in the Yacht Club last week about Explora Journeys. MSC is treating hiring process as if entirely different cruise line. He would have to apply and start at the bottom and work his way up, no lateral employment opportunity.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 minute ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Spoke with 23 year veteran butler in the Yacht Club last week about Explora Journeys. MSC is treating hiring process as if entirely different cruise line. He would have to apply and start at the bottom and work his way up, no lateral employment opportunity.

So they won't be stealing the best Butlers from YC then...

[morpheusofthesea]

1 minute ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

So they won't be stealing the best Butlers from YC then...

Correct.