Explora Journeys has officially named its third ship, EXPLORA III, welcoming the brand’s first LNG-powered vessel into a fleet built around what it calls an “Ocean State of Mind.”
The naming marks the halfway point in the Swiss luxury line’s vision for six ships, and introduces its most spacious vessel yet, with an expanded set of design, dining and wellness credentials to match.
A Ship Built Around Space
EXPLORA III arrives 19.2 metres longer than sister ships EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II, and features a redesigned lobby, now positioned as the ship’s true living room, where a sculptural staircase in Perlato di Sicilia and Sahara Noir marble curves beneath a cascade of hand-blown Venini chandeliers from Murano.
The expanded suite categories culminate in two 315-square-metre Owner’s Residences, the newest of which, on Deck 7, was designed in collaboration with Patricia Urquiola and features a private steam room, bronze and Travertino marble finishes, and an ocean-facing terrace with its own whirlpool.
A contemporary art collection curated with Clarendon Fine Art runs throughout the ship’s public galleries.
New Dining, Wellness & Retail
EXPLORA III also introduces several new dining venues alongside returning favourites Anthology and Fil Rouge. The Cellar by Explora Journeys is an intimate wine room stocking nearly 350 labels, spanning established icons and emerging regions such as England, Japan, Lebanon and Romania, alongside three limited-edition labels from Sting’s Il Palagio winery, each capped at 100 signed bottles.
The Chef’s Table offers a fully bespoke, co-created dining experience built around individual guest preferences, while Shore Club on Deck 11 sits beside an expanded Conservatory Pool, which serves Mediterranean fare, crêpes and gelato under a retractable glass ceiling.
Wellness has been consolidated into a single Deck 5 sanctuary combining spa and fitness facilities, including a Sava Sound Pod, the Technogym Sandstone collection, Reform Pilates, an outdoor sports court and an extended running track.
Meanwhile, retail gets a comparable upgrade, with the debut of Swiss Maison Chopard at sea alongside Piaget, Cartier, a dedicated Rolex boutique, and the first outpost of Explora Journeys’ own jewellery line, Mandala by Ocean Atelier.
First LNG-Powered Ship in the Fleet
EXPLORA III is also a technical milestone, as the first LNG-powered vessel in the Explora Journeys fleet. Built to run on liquefied natural gas today, she’s also designed with a pathway toward bio-LNG and synthetic LNG as those fuels scale up, and comes equipped with shore power capability, letting her plug into onshore electricity in ports that support it rather than running her engines at berth.
What’s Next
Following the Barcelona celebrations, EXPLORA III departed on a seven-night Maiden Journey to Lisbon, ahead of an inaugural season through Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland and North America.
EXPLORA IV is due to join the fleet in early 2027, with EXPLORA V and EXPLORA VI following in 2027 and 2028 respectively, each bringing further advances in environmental technology as Explora Journeys works toward its six-ship vision.
