Fincantieri Delivers Explora III as Fleet’s First LNG Ship
The 72,810-gross-ton Explora III has 463 suites for about 922 guests and was built under RINA class surveillance with certification for polar regions.
Updated July 25, 2026
Explora III is sailing its five-night Mediterranean Prelude Journey after departing Genoa on July 24. The preview voyage, which concludes in Civitavecchia on July 29, is calling at Marseille, Saint-Tropez, Villefranche-sur-Mer and Livorno ahead of the ship's naming ceremony and maiden voyage.
Fincantieri delivered Explora III to Explora Journeys at its Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa on July 23, adding the third vessel to MSC Group's luxury ocean travel brand and the first LNG-capable ship in the Explora fleet. The handover brought the brand halfway through a six-ship construction program valued at more than €3.5 billion.
Naming and maiden voyage follow the preview sailing
Explora III is scheduled to arrive in Barcelona for its naming ceremony on August 1. The ship will then depart Barcelona on August 3 for a seven-night maiden voyage to Lisbon.
Its inaugural season will continue through Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland and North America, following a northern route that includes the Baltic, Norway, a transatlantic crossing via Greenland, the Canadian Maritimes and New England. Explora III is scheduled to operate the brand's first Alaska season in 2027.
More space and new onboard venues
The 72,810-gross-ton, 268-meter ship is configured with 463 suites and capacity for about 922 guests. It is 19.2 meters longer than Explora I and Explora II, which have a 63,900-gross-ton, 248-meter design, providing additional space while carrying a similar number of guests.
New onboard features include three dining concepts: The Cellar, The Chef's Table and Shore Club on 11. Explora III also has a second Owner's Residence, an expanded collection of Ocean Penthouses and Ocean Residences, redesigned Ocean Wellness facilities combining spa and fitness areas, and Chopard's first onboard boutique.
Delivery ceremony in Genoa
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group's Cruise Division, said the delivery "marks another important milestone in the realization of our vision for Explora Journeys." Each new ship, he said, expands the destinations and experiences the brand can offer guests.
Pierroberto Folgiero, Fincantieri chief executive officer and managing director, said: "The introduction of the first LNG-powered vessel into the fleet marks an important milestone in this journey and reflects our commitment to developing increasingly advanced and sustainable solutions."
MSC and Fincantieri leadership attended the ceremony, including Diego Aponte, chairman of MSC Group; Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys; Maya Aponte, the ship's godmother; Biagio Mazzotta, president of Fincantieri; Luigi Matarazzo, general manager of Fincantieri's Merchant Ships Division; and Massimo Canesin, director of the Sestri Ponente shipyard. Public officials included Marco Bucci, president of the Liguria Region; Genoa Mayor Silvia Salis; Admiral Inspector Antonio Ranieri; and Matteo Paroli, president of the Port System Authority of the Western Ligurian Sea.
LNG, shore power and class credentials
Fincantieri said Explora III's LNG system can reduce sulfur oxides by 99 percent, nitrogen oxides by 85 percent, particulate matter by 98 percent and greenhouse gases by up to 20 percent compared with conventional marine fuels. The vessel is also designed to operate on renewable and next-generation fuels, including bio-LNG, synthetic LNG and biofuels.
Explora III has shore power capability, allowing its engines to be switched off while connected to onshore electricity in ports where the infrastructure is available. This can reduce direct emissions in port and improve local air quality.
The ship was designed and built under RINA supervision. It received Green Plus notation for environmental standards, Comfort Noise and Vibration notation for onboard comfort, and Dolphin notation for efforts to minimize underwater radiated noise in environmentally sensitive areas. Its Polar Code C certification enables operations in polar regions.
LNG is not a zero-carbon fuel. Lifecycle analyses cited by the ICCT have found that, for cruise ships in some cases, LNG can produce 16 percent more lifecycle greenhouse gases than marine gas oil over 100 years and 70 percent to 82 percent more over 20 years because of upstream methane emissions and engine methane slip. Reuters has also reported measurable methane slip from cruise-ship LNG engines, including a cited estimate of 6.4 percent average methane slip compared with the IMO's 3.5 percent assumption.
Explora fleet construction continues
Before the handover, Cruise Industry News' global cruise ship orderbook listed Explora III as the next 2026 cruise ship due for delivery after seven vessels had already joined the world fleet. The same orderbook put the 2026 newbuild class at 13 ships with an average size of 94,715 tons, average capacity of 2,085 guests and estimated total value of $9.5 billion.
Explora III was one of several Fincantieri cruise deliveries in the 2026 class. The yard had already completed Norwegian Luna, Four Seasons I, Mein Schiff Flow and Viking Mira during the first half of the year. Seven Seas Prestige and Viking Libra remained scheduled from Fincantieri later in the year, while other major fourth-quarter additions included MSC World Asia from Chantiers de l'Atlantique and Adora Flora City from CSSC.
Explora IV and Explora V are scheduled for 2027, followed by Explora VI in 2028. All three are under construction at Fincantieri. Explora V and Explora VI will also feature fuel cells. Explora V is scheduled to begin sailing in Asia in 2028.
