By Karen Quinn-Panzer
Travel Matters
Karen Quinn-Panzer
We were lucky enough to sail last month on the fabulous Explora Journeys. Forgive me for raving, but I love this ship – including all the dining venues, the four pools including two infinity pools and a lap pool, and most of all the crew members, who Explora aptly calls “hosts.”
Explora Journeys, owned by the Italian shipping magnate who owns MSC, found talented people from five-star hotels all over the world. These include the salon technician from The Edition Hotel in Abu Dhabi and the whiskey bar bartender from Dubai Waldorf Astoria. They also seem to hire the most personable and engaging people I’ve experienced anywhere – over 400 hosts from 58 nationalities.
The staterooms are all veranda suites, and “ocean residences” offer up to 3,014 square feet with the owner’s suite. While the entry level suite was roomy, at 377 square feet, the upgraded suites were more than spacious. Our suite had two bookcases filled with books to enjoy – some in English, others in various other languages – and a walk-in closet.
Food was some of the best we have had on a cruise. Other guests with luxury experience said the same. Explora offers a new concept in gourmet dining: Anthology, a 200-euro-per-guest dining experience with a traveling Michelin star chef. The food was so excellent at the included restaurants (Asian fusion, French, steakhouse, Mediterranean) that we did not find the time to try it. Wine and bar service was excellent. While seated in the various lounges, servers regularly checked on you. Wine/water glasses were never empty in restaurants.
For nightly entertainment, we loved the smaller cabaret-style shows including jazz and Broadway by candlelight. There were four guest artists on our eight-night cruise and an amazing resident show band. During the day, they offered luminary talks by experts on topics relevant to the itinerary (the history of Colombia and the Panama Canal) and environmental/scientific talks on the ocean and the wildlife and flora. The ship’s captain held an informal Q&A session.
We enjoyed the sauna, steam room, shower experience and salt cave in the thermal suite (included in every fare), and the oversized whirlpools that were located on multiple decks.
Explora is very much an all-inclusive cruise line. Everyone gets unlimited WiFi, gratuities and unlimited drinks, the above-mentioned thermal suite, a bottle of champagne waiting in your suite and two selected bottles for your in-suite bar. The only exception is shore excursions, which were not included. The quality of those experiences was outstanding (if not a bit pricey).
For us, the only comparison between MSC and Explora Journeys is the beauty of the ships. Strong investments have been made throughout the ship, including a $300,000 Steinway piano (per the pianist), a gyroscopic self-leveling pool table and a Dyson hair dryer in every suite. I believe anyone who enjoys the luxury cruise experience would very much enjoy Explora.
Karen Quinn-Panzer is the owner and vacation specialist at Dream Vacations Quinn Panzer Travel in Milford.