Just two months after the delivery of Explora I, which took place in Monfalcone on July 20, the construction of the fleet of Explora Journeys, the MSC Group's new luxury cruise brand destined to revolutionise the standards of high-end travel and exclusive cruising, continues with a double milestone, according to the company's release.
A double ceremony was held: the float out of Explora II and the steel cutting of Explora III. The two ships represent the second and third vessels out of a total of as many as four ordered by the MSC Group from Fincantieri. The total investment for the four ships is about 2.3 billion euros and is capable of generating a spillover effect on the Italian economy of more than 10 billion euros along with an extremely high employment impact, as the construction of each individual ship requires more than 7 million man-hours of work and the average employment of 2,500 people for more than two years.
After being launched into the water today with the technical launch, Explora II will be completed in the coming months and delivered in the summer of the next year, spending her first seasons in the Mediterranean discovering the most striking locations in the Mare Nostrum, including some enchanting Italian destinations such as Portofino, the Argentario, Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Palermo, Syracuse, Trapani, Lipari, Cagliari, Alghero and the Costa Smeralda. Explora I, which is successfully concluding its inaugural season in Europe and during the winter season will sail between the Caribbean and the East and West Coasts of the United States, will also return to the Mediterranean in the summer of 2024 to take its guests to discover destinations such as Puglia, Sicily and Venice.
Explora III, whose construction began today with traditional steel cutting ceremony, will enter service in the summer of 2026 and will be the first ship in the Explora fleet to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG)-one of the world's cleanest marine fuels available on a large scale-which is destined to play a crucial role in the decarbonisation path of shipping globally. Indeed, LNG is capable of substantially reducing sulfur oxide (99 percent) and nitrogen oxide (85 percent) emissions, and also plays a decisive role in climate change mitigation because it can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 percent and pave the way for the use of sustainable non-fossil fuels such as bio and synthetic forms of LNG.
In January 2024, construction will begin on EXPLORA IV, also powered by LNG, which will be completed in early 2027.
All of the Explora Journeys vessels will be equipped with the latest environmental and marine technologies, including selective catalytic reduction technology, shore power plug-in connectivity, underwater noise management systems to help protect marine life, and a comprehensive range of onboard energy efficient equipment to optimise engine use to further reduce emissions.