Following a two week delay due to safety concerns by a supplier of fire-resistant insulation, MSC's new luxury brand, Explora Journeys, has received delivery of EXPLORA I from the Fincantieri shipyard on 20JUL.
Top executives, including Gianluigi Aponte, Founder and Chairman of the MSC Group, and Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group's Cruise Division, attended the event, along with the ship's godmother, Zoe Africa Vago, and representatives from Fincantieri.
The ship's construction involved an investment of over €500 million (approximately $737 million CAD), as part of a total investment plan of €2.5 billion (approximately $3.7 billion CAD) for four ships.
EXPLORA I's maiden journey will begin on 01AUG, 2023, as Open Jaw reported, departing from Copenhagen, Denmark. The seven-night voyage will take guests Lerwick, Shetland Islands and Kirkwall, Orkney before heading to Reykjavik, Iceland.
“Today is a 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," said Vago.
EXPLORA II is currently being built at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Genoa Sestri Ponente, Italy and will come into service in August 2024. EXPLORA III will be the first of two LNG-powered vessels to join the Explora Journeys’ fleet with the ship due to be delivered in 2026 and EXPLORA IV in 2027.
All of the Explora Journeys’ vessels will be equipped with the latest environmental and marine technologies, including selective catalytic reduction technology, shore power plug-in connectivity, underwater noise management systems to help protect marine life, and a range of onboard energy efficient equipment to optimize engine use to further reduce emissions.
More information can be found on Explora Journeys' website.
