Every year a handful of new ships arrive with a press release promising to change cruising. Very few actually feel different once you are on board. Explora III, which was named in Barcelona on 1 August 2026, is one of the exceptions, not because it is bigger or louder than anything else at sea but because it is quieter, roomier and more deliberately paced than almost any ship of its size.
This is not a list of every sailing. Instead we have picked the two voyages from her first winter that we think show off the ship best, and explained who each one suits. If you are weighing up a first luxury cruise, or you have sailed Explora I or II and want to know what has changed, start here.
| Cruise line | Explora Journeys (the luxury ocean brand of the MSC Group) |
| Ship | Explora III, third of six planned ships |
| Named | Barcelona, 1 August 2026; maiden voyage Barcelona to Lisbon from 3 August 2026 |
| Guests | Around 900, all in ocean-front suites with terraces |
| Built by | Fincantieri, Genoa |
| Winter 2026–27 | Caribbean and Central America from Miami and San Juan, then the Panama Canal to the Pacific coast |
| 2027 | First Alaska season for Explora Journeys |
| Included | All dining, drinks including premium brands, in-suite minibar, Wi-Fi |
What is actually new on Explora III
On paper Explora III carries roughly the same number of guests as her two sisters, but she is 19.2 metres longer. Explora has spent that extra length on space rather than cabins, which is why the line calls her the most spacious ship in its fleet. In practice that means more room around the pools, more seats with a view and fewer moments where you notice anyone else.
She is also the first Explora ship designed to run on liquefied natural gas, and she can plug into shore power and switch off her engines in ports that have the connection. Neither is something you will feel as a guest, but both matter if the environmental side of cruising weighs on you.
The changes you will notice are in the public rooms and the top suites:
- Three new places to eat and drink. The Cellar is a wine-led space, The Chef’s Table is an intimate tasting-menu experience, and Shore Club on 11 is a new casual venue high on the ship. They sit alongside the restaurants already familiar from Explora I and II.
- A second Owner’s Residence, designed by the Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola, plus larger Ocean Penthouses and Ocean Residences for those who want a proper apartment at sea.
- A rethought Ocean Wellness area that brings the spa and fitness spaces together, and a Chopard boutique, the jeweller’s first on a ship.
None of this changes the core idea, which is that Explora feels closer to a calm private-members’ hotel than a traditional cruise. If you have sailed Explora before, think of Explora III as the same formula with more breathing room.
Voyage one: the Caribbean, slowly
Season: autumn 2026 to spring 2027
Sailing from: Miami or San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ports to look for: Gustavia (St Barts), St John’s (Antigua), Philipsburg (Sint Maarten), Port of Spain (Trinidad), Cartagena (Colombia)
Most Caribbean cruises are a dash: one island a day, back on board by late afternoon, with the best of each place seen from a tender queue. Explora’s winter programme works differently. The line has built in longer stays and overnights, and the places it has chosen to linger are telling: Gustavia on St Barts, Port of Spain in Trinidad and Cartagena on the Colombian coast.
That changes what a Caribbean cruise can be. In Gustavia, an overnight means you can have dinner ashore in one of the harbour restaurants and walk back to the ship rather than racing a sunset deadline. St Barts is small, expensive and at its best after the day visitors have gone, so staying late is exactly the right way to see it.
In Cartagena, the walled old town is one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the Americas, and it comes alive in the evening when the heat drops and the squares fill with music. On a typical one-day call you see it at its sweatiest. With extra time you can do a morning walking tour, retreat to the ship for lunch and a swim, then go back in for dinner.
Elsewhere, the mix leans towards islands with real character rather than the big cruise-port shopping streets: Antigua for its beaches and English Harbour, Sint Maarten for the Dutch and French sides of one small island, and Trinidad, which few mainstream ships visit, for its food, music and rainforest.
From the UK, Miami has the widest choice of direct flights, and arriving a day early is sensible on any cruise that starts after a long-haul flight. San Juan usually means a connection, but it rewards a pre-cruise night in the old town.
The point of this voyage is not how many islands you tick off. It is how much time you get in the few that really reward it.
Voyage two: through the Panama Canal
Season: spring 2027, as the ship moves from the Caribbean to the Pacific
Highlights: a full Panama Canal transit, Gatún Lake, an extended stay at Amador (Panama City), Central America including Costa Rica
Then: the Central and North American Pacific coast from May 2027, ahead of Explora’s first Alaska season
A Panama Canal transit is one of those cruise experiences that is genuinely hard to replicate any other way. Over the best part of a day the ship is lifted through the locks, crosses the freshwater Gatún Lake and is lowered again to the other ocean. On a big ship you watch it from a crowded rail. On a ship of Explora’s size, with every suite on the outside and plenty of open deck, it is easier to find your own spot and simply watch the jungle slide past.
What makes Explora’s version stand out is the time it gives Panama itself. An extended stay at Amador, the causeway at the Pacific entrance to the canal, puts you within easy reach of Panama City’s old quarter, Casco Viejo, which has been restored into one of the most enjoyable neighbourhoods in Central America. Combined with calls in Costa Rica, it turns a transit into a proper Central American trip.
This is the itinerary for travellers who have done the Caribbean and want something with more of a sense of journey. It is also a natural first leg if you are drawn to Explora’s 2027 plans on the Pacific coast and in Alaska.
How it compares with Explora I and II
If you have sailed with Explora before, the honest answer is that the experience will feel familiar, which is a compliment. The service style, the all-suite layout and the inclusive pricing are the same. The differences are the extra space, the new restaurants and the larger top-tier suites. If you are choosing between ships for the same dates, Explora III is the one we would pick, simply for the space. If your dates only work on an older sister, you are not missing the essence of the brand.
Against other luxury lines, Explora sits in an interesting spot. It is more contemporary in design than the classic luxury brands and its ships are larger than the very smallest yachts, but it is still small enough to reach ports like Gustavia without feeling like an invasion. Our guide to the best luxury cruise lines sets it against Regent, Silversea and Seabourn if you want the wider picture.
Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere
Book it if
- You want a calm, adult atmosphere with no theme-park features
- You prefer fewer ports done properly to one island a day
- You like contemporary design and good food more than formal traditions
- You want drinks, dining and Wi-Fi included without reading the small print
Think twice if
- You are travelling with young children who need a kids’ club
- You want big production shows, waterslides and lots of nightlife
- You are looking for the lowest fare on the Caribbean
- You want included flights and every excursion bundled into the fare
Frequently asked questions
When did Explora III launch?
Explora III was delivered by Fincantieri in July 2026, named in Barcelona on 1 August 2026 and set off on her maiden voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon on 3 August 2026.
How many guests does Explora III carry?
Around 900 guests, much the same as Explora I and II, but the ship is 19.2 metres longer, so there is noticeably more space per guest.
Where does Explora III sail in winter 2026–27?
She spends the winter in the Caribbean and Central America, sailing from Miami and San Juan, then transits the Panama Canal and moves to the Pacific coast of Central and North America from May 2027.
Is Explora III suitable for children?
Children are allowed, but there is no dedicated kids’ programme on the scale of family-focused lines. It is best suited to adults and older teenagers.
What is included in an Explora Journeys fare?
Dining in most restaurants, drinks including premium brands, the in-suite minibar and Wi-Fi are included. Some speciality dining experiences, spa treatments and shore excursions cost extra. We can confirm exactly what applies to your sailing.
Plan this voyage with us
Our Travel Designers can check live availability, compare suites and add flights and hotels before or after you sail.
Keep planning
- All the cruise lines we sell
- The best luxury cruise lines compared
- The best Caribbean cruises from the UK
- Regent vs Silversea vs Seabourn
Ship and itinerary details are taken from Explora Journeys’s own announcements and were correct when we wrote this in October 2026. Cruise lines do change ports, dates and ships, so we confirm everything with you before you book.
