Explora Journeys marked two shipbuilding milestones in one day: on 26 October 2026, at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente yard in Genoa, EXPLORA V was floated out and EXPLORA VI had her coin ceremony. EXPLORA V now moves into interior outfitting ahead of entering service toward the end of 2027, opening with a Mediterranean winter collection from December 2027. EXPLORA VI follows in summer 2028 and completes a six-ship fleet, according to Explora’s official release.
The fleet is filling out quickly. EXPLORA III, delivered in July 2026 and in service since 3 August, was scheduled to leave Quebec City on 15 October and open her first Caribbean season from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 1 November. EXPLORA IV, floated out in March 2026, is next in line for spring 2027.
EXPLORA V and EXPLORA VI: Key Facts
- Operator: Explora Journeys (MSC Group)
- Built by: Fincantieri, Sestri Ponente yard, Genoa, Italy
- Milestones: EXPLORA V float-out and EXPLORA VI coin ceremony, 26 October 2026
- Fuel: LNG, with both ships designed to run on bio-LNG, synthetic LNG and biofuels
- Fuel cells: planned for EXPLORA VI; EXPLORA V designed to take them later
- Shore power: on every Explora ship
- EXPLORA IV: floated out March 2026, enters service spring 2027
- EXPLORA V: enters service toward the end of 2027; inaugural Winter Collection of 21 Journeys, December 2027 to April 2028
- EXPLORA VI: enters service summer 2028 with the Summer 2028 Collection, on sale since 17 May 2026
- Specs: tonnage, suites and guest numbers not yet published by Explora
Inside the Double Ceremony in Genoa
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division, and Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys, joined Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division, at Sestri Ponente, with Marina Minetti hosting.
The ceremony’s honors went largely to the yard’s own people. Anna Nash and Camilla Ronco, a PRS Workshop Manager at Fincantieri, stood as godmothers for EXPLORA VI’s coin ceremony, and Fincantieri Production Planner Consuelo Brunelli cut the ribbon for EXPLORA V’s float-out. Explora gives each of its six ships a godmother at naming (EXPLORA III’s was Maya Aponte), but has not yet announced who will name EXPLORA V or VI.
Nash framed EXPLORA VI as the close of a first phase rather than an ending, calling it “by no means the final chapter.”
Sestri Ponente has kept a steady rhythm. A triple ceremony on 12 March 2026 floated out EXPLORA IV, held EXPLORA V’s coin ceremony and cut the first steel for EXPLORA VI. All six ships are Italian-built, and trade press puts MSC’s investment at more than EUR 3.5 billion.
LNG Now, Fuel Cells on EXPLORA VI
EXPLORA III was the fleet’s first LNG-powered ship, and EXPLORA V and VI follow her: both burn LNG and are designed to run on bio-LNG, synthetic LNG and biofuels.
EXPLORA VI goes a step further and will carry fuel cell technology, while EXPLORA V is designed to accommodate fuel cells later. Every Explora ship can plug into shore power in port.
Explora’s release gives no tonnage, length or suite count for either ship. A trade report describes both as built on the larger platform introduced with EXPLORA III, whose 19.2-meter stretch I covered in my EXPLORA III delivery and maiden voyage preview. I’ll publish figures for V and VI once Explora confirms them.
Where EXPLORA V Sails First
EXPLORA V’s inaugural Winter Collection runs from December 2027 to April 2028: 21 Journeys in three chapters, opening in the western and central Mediterranean and North Africa, crossing to the Atlantic in January and returning to the Mediterranean in March.
The port list is where it gets interesting. EXPLORA V makes a maiden call at Crotone, stays late in Salerno, Livorno, Palma, Kotor and Ibiza, overnights in Casablanca and Lisbon, and calls at Istanbul, Pauillac for Bordeaux, Los Cristianos on Tenerife, the Canaries and Madeira.
Christmas is spent at sea and New Year’s Eve off Naples. If December 2027 is too long to wait, EXPLORA III’s Caribbean winter takes in St Barthélemy, Saint Lucia and the British Virgin Islands, with New Year’s Eve fireworks over San Juan, and EXPLORA I sails from Miami on 17 November.
Why It Matters
The fuel cell on EXPLORA VI is the real story here: Explora is building it into the sixth ship, rather than leaving space for one as it has on EXPLORA V. The second takeaway is EXPLORA V’s winter program, where late departures in Salerno, Palma and Kotor and overnights in Casablanca and Lisbon give each port day room to breathe.
This fleet is not for travelers who want small-ship intimacy, and it is not for anyone set on a summer Mediterranean aboard the newest hull: EXPLORA V’s first season is winter-only. If fuel cells matter to your choice, wait for EXPLORA VI in summer 2028.
Prices and How to Book
Explora Journeys does not publish fares on its own website, and the 26 October 2026 release did not include any. EXPLORA V’s Winter 2027–2028 Collection was announced in September 2026, and EXPLORA VI’s Summer 2028 Collection opened for sale on 17 May 2026.
Listed fares for EXPLORA III’s current Caribbean sailings vary widely by sailing and by seller, so I’m not quoting a figure until I can confirm one against Explora (checked 2 November 2026). Voyages are bookable through Explora Journeys and cruise specialists.
The Lens I’m Reading This Through
My references for luxury at sea are smaller ships. On Le Ponant in Greece, which I rated 4/5, 32 guests in 16 staterooms and a 30-square-meter Owner’s Suite made a lovely week from Lavrio, but the entry-cabin fare ran about twice a comparable Ponant Explorer sailing. On Le Bougainville from Venice to Malta, rated 4.5/5, I praised the food, the Blue Eye lounge and the ship’s stability, but sun loungers were scarce and tender waits ran 20 to 50 minutes.
Those are the two things I’d test on EXPLORA V: whether a much larger ship keeps deck space generous, and how smoothly tenders run at small ports like Crotone and Kotor.
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This preview is based on official announcements — I haven’t sailed with Explora Journeys yet. Read more about how I review or visit my Work With Me page.
