Explora Journeys celebrated the delivery of Explora III at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa. The vessel is the third ship built by Fincantier for Explora Journeys, MSC Group’s luxury ocean travel brand.
Held in the presence of national, regional and local authorities, the ceremony marked a milestone in the development of the Explora Journeys fleet, which has now reached the halfway point of its planned growth. With the delivery of Explora III, three of the six vessels planned for the fleet are now in service, while the remaining three are all under construction and will enter service within the next two years (Explora IV and Explora V in 2027, followed by Explora VI in 2028), completing the fleet program entrusted to Fincantieri.
Among those attending the event were the President of the Liguria Region, Marco Bucci, the Mayor of Genoa, Silvia Salis, Admiral Inspector Antonio Ranieri, Maritime Director for Liguria and Commander of the Port of Genoa, the President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Matteo Paroli.
Guests were welcomed by Biagio Mazzotta, Chairman of Fincantieri; Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fincantieri; Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Merchant Ships Division; Massimo Canesin, Director of Genova Sestri Shipyard; together with Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division; Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys; Maya Aponte, Godmother of the vessel; and other senior executives from Fincantieri and MSC Group.
Explora III is the first vessel in the fleet, together with the ships to follow in the series, to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), a fuel capable of reducing sulphur oxide emissions by 99%, nitrogen oxide emissions by 85%, particulate matter emissions by 98% and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% compared with conventional marine fuels. The vessels are also capable of operating on renewable and next-generation fuels, including bio-LNG, synthetic LNG and biofuels. Explora V and Explora VI will additionally feature fuel cells, which are capable of generating energy more efficiently and supporting the industry’s pathway towards net-zero emissions, ahead of the industry’s 2050 target.
Designed and built under supervision of RINA Classification Society, Explora III has received a number of additional notations recognizing its environmental performance and passenger comfort. These include the “Green Plus” notation for high environmental standards and the “Comfort Noise and Vibration” notation for low onboard noise and vibration levels. The vessel has also received the “Dolphin” notation, recognizing efforts to minimize underwater radiated noise in environmentally sensitive marine areas, as well as Polar Code C certification, enabling operations in polar regions.
