Explora Journeys Floats Out Explora V at Fincantieri
Explora V is set to sail the Mediterranean, calling at 27 destinations across nine countries, while Explora VI will incorporate fuel-cell technology to improve energy-generation efficiency.
Updated October 27, 2026
Explora III was delivered in July 2026 as Explora Journeys’ first LNG-powered ship. Explora IV is set to join the fleet in spring 2027, followed by Explora V at the end of 2027 and Explora VI in summer 2028.
On October 26, Explora Journeys floated out Explora V and held a coin ceremony for Explora VI at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy.
The line’s construction program originally called for four ships. Explora I entered service in 2023, followed by Explora II in 2024.
“Explora VI may mark the completion of our first six ships, but it is by no means the final chapter,” said Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys.
Nash and Camilla Ronco, PRS workshop manager at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente yard, served as godmothers for Explora VI’s coin ceremony. They placed commemorative coins inside the vessel. Fincantieri production planner Consuelo Brunelli served as godmother for the ribbon-cutting associated with Explora V’s float-out.
Other executives attending included Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division; Pierroberto Folgiero, Fincantieri’s chief executive officer and managing director; and Luigi Matarazzo, general manager of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division. Representatives of national and local institutions also attended, along with maritime authorities and the maritime industry.
Vessel design and Mediterranean deployment
Provisional specifications put Explora V and Explora VI at 72,810 gross tons, with 463 suites apiece. The vessels are expected to use the larger platform introduced with Explora III. The first two ships each measure 63,900 gross tons and have 461 suites.
Both newbuilds will be LNG-powered and are being designed to use fuels including bio-LNG, synthetic LNG and biofuels. Explora Journeys said Explora VI will also incorporate fuel-cell technology to improve energy-generation efficiency, while Explora V’s design will allow that technology to be installed in the future.
Explora V is set to sail the Mediterranean, calling at 27 destinations across nine countries.
