Cruise on the Explora Journey (page 3 of 3)

I have the same quote. Looks like the sale really took off.

Hi Nathalie,

Just to confirm, I didn’t go ahead with this quote because I’m not doing this cruise.

Sure, the price is great, but the itinerary isn’t exactly thrilling, and on top of that, there are too many sea days. The worst part is the stopover time in Bermuda (around 10 hours), which I think is just ridiculous. You should know that if you go to Bermuda, you *have* to visit St. George’s, and the travel time between Hamilton and St. George’s is really long. Anyway,

Let us know if you’ve confirmed your quote or not.

Alfred

Hello,

Gorgeous photo report and descriptions.

What’s available in French on board?

What are the extra charges?

Thanks so much, have a great Sunday

Hi Claudine,

That’s really interesting, and it’s great news if there’s nothing for kids on board.

Between the YC and Explora, which did you prefer?

See you soon, Alexandre

Hi Alexandre,

We really loved Explora. Our next cruise is already booked with them.

The biggest plus is the food—even Oceania doesn’t compare.

Explora’s basic cabin is similar to YC’s.

The service is very attentive, maybe a bit above YC, especially in terms of crew numbers. However, for those who often make requests to their butler, they might miss having one. You don’t need a butler to get on and off the ship—there’s never a line. Even with one in YC, it’s not always smooth.

On the other hand, the shows are simpler on Explora. MSC does much better.

WiFi is free and really high-performing on Explora.

As for kids, there were few on Explora (5 or 6 on our cruise). They were very well-behaved. I think there are some activities for them, but I didn’t look into it.

In summary, our current cruise preferences would be: Explora first, then Oceania (Marina or Riviera), and MSC in YC—but only on the Fantasia-class ships. We didn’t like the Seashore-class ones; the YC is too big.

However, Explora only has 2 ships, and the itineraries are limited to either the Mediterranean or the Caribbean.

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to try and answer them.

Happy New Year and happy cruising! Claudine

Hello, I completely agree with you. It's a fantastic ship with exceptional service. Right now, there are fewer passengers than crew members. And the dining is excellent. It's going to be hard to go back to other cruises after this.

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Hi Clau05, No problem with French? Menus translated, majority nationality Italian? American? Any French passengers? 🤔

Hi Ondine

The official language on Explora is English. There’s no translation into multiple languages like on MSC and Costa. But you can get menus in French. Basic English is enough, especially if you’re used to cruises.

The nationalities on board are mostly Americans, English, Canadians (Quebecers speak French), and Australians. Few French people, and I don’t remember seeing any Italians.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share these details! I’m finalizing everything tomorrow for a cruise on EXPLORA 2, departing Venice on May 18, 2026. The ship looks absolutely stunning! The "basic" suite cabin is already really, really nice 😉

True, the "standard" cabins are really nice. They’re quite similar to the MSC Yacht Club cabins. For us, it’s not worth paying extra, especially since the prices climb fast. You’ll probably love this cruise.