Redefining the future of ultra-luxury cruising Anna Nash explains to Rebecca Gibson how Explora Journeys is creating ocean travel experiences that challenge conventions COVER STORY When MSC Group established Explora Journeys, its aim was to redefine the concept of ultra-luxury ocean travel. “We were never trying to create just another cruise line,” says Anna Nash, the brand’s president. “From the outset, our ambition was to develop an experience that would resonate equally with experienced cruise guests seeking something different and with a new generation of luxury travellers who may never have considered an ocean journey.” Explora Journeys set out to challenge many of the conventions the cruise industry has long been built around: rigid schedules, fixed dining times, formal dress codes and the idea that every moment needs to be programmed. “Being a challenger brand means having the confidence to question longheld assumptions and ask whether there is a better way to experience the ocean,” says Nash. “Luxury today is defined less by formality and excess, and more by time, space, privacy and genuine human connection. We’ve created an experience centred on freedom and choice. Guests can dine when and where they wish, spend time entirely at their own pace and enjoy an environment that feels spacious, relaxed and deeply personal.” Every aspect of the Explora Journeys experience – from the design of the vessels to the intuitive service, dining and wellness offerings, and the carefully curated destination portfolio – is shaped around its ‘Ocean State of Mind’ philosophy. “Everything begins with our belief that true luxury is about how something makes you feel,” explains Nash. “We describe this as the ‘Ocean State of Mind’ – a feeling of calm, space and perspective that stays with our guests long after they return home.” Guests are immediately immersed in this state of mind when they board Explora I and Explora II, which began sailing in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and accommodate around 900 guests each. Both ships were designed to “feel 32
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