The Cruise Division of the MSC Group and Fincantieri today celebrated three significant events in Genoa related to the Explora Journeys fleet, the luxury lifestyle brand recently launched by the MSC Group: the delivery of EXPLORA II, the coin ceremony for EXPLORA III, and the steel cutting for EXPLORA IV, according to the company's release.
The event celebrated three key moments in maritime tradition and, above all, in the construction of the Explora Journeys fleet, which currently includes six ships, with the first delivered in July 2023. All vessels are built in Italy by Fincantieri, with a total MSC investment exceeding 3.5 billion euros, of which around 500 million euros was allocated for EXPLORA II. This investment has an economic impact of over 15 billion euros on the country, with significant downstream effects and the creation of thousands of jobs. The construction of each ship requires over seven million work hours and provides employment for an average of 2,500 people for two to three years.
Four of them – including Explora III and Explora IV, currently under construction at the Sestri Ponente yard – will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
All ships are also ready to use bio-LNG and renewable synthetic LNG once they become widely available in the maritime sector. The last two ships – Explora V and Explora VI, to be delivered in 2027 and 2028 – will also be LNG-powered. Additionally, there is a project underway for both to have large fuel cell capacity capable of transforming renewable LNG into hydrogen and significantly reducing emissions.
Explora II, designed and built under RINA Class, has earned several additional voluntary notations due to innovative design and construction focused on environmental sustainability and passenger comfort. It received RINA's "Green Plus" notation for comprehensive environmental performance. The ship was also awarded the "Comfort Noise and Vibration" notation for its low noise and vibration levels, enhancing onboard comfort. Additionally, it received the "Dolphin" notation for minimizing noise impact in ecologically sensitive marine areas and is certified under the Polar Code C, enabling safe navigation in Polar waters.