Guides
Explora I and Explora II: The PerkJolt Ship Guide
Explora I and Explora II in plain English. These are the first two ships of Explora Journeys, the luxury brand from the MSC Group. Both are built around ocean-front suites rather than inside cabins, with a high crew-to-guest ratio and a lot of included food and drink. This free section gives you the shape of the ships. The full guide goes deck by deck. For the cruise line itself (who it suits, fees, loyalty), read our line guide at /guides/cruise-explora-journeys/ first; we do not repeat it here.
At a glance
- Ships covered: Explora I (the fleet's first ship) and Explora II (the second). (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Suites: the ship pages list 456 ocean-front suites on each ship. The Explora I page also says 461 in one place, so treat the exact count as "about 456, confirm on the ship page." (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Pools, restaurants, bars: 5 heated pools, 6 restaurants and 12 bars and lounges are listed for each ship. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Decks open to guests: deck plans run from deck 3 to deck 14. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Guest-to-host ratio: 1.25 to 1, as the line states it. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Dress: resort-casual after 18:00, no formal nights, no dress hire. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Wi-Fi: complimentary in suites and public areas, but quality depends on satellite position and weather. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Where they sail: the line's regions include the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Northern Europe and more; Explora II has a published Mediterranean winter from November 2026. Check the line's journey search for your exact ship and date. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
Three free things to do before you spend a dollar
- Download the ship guide. The Explora I page offers a downloadable ship guide with the official deck plan. Open it and find the deck your suite would sit on before you pay a deposit. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Check the advisory for each country. The State Department's advisory page lists a level and issue date per country. As of 2026-10-20 it showed Italy at Level 2 (issued 09/10/2026), France at Level 2, Greece, Norway, Iceland, Croatia, Portugal and Malta at Level 1, and Mexico and the Bahamas at Level 2. Re-check before you go. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Price your flights with points. Open your airline and bank portals and see what the flight to the embarkation city costs in cash versus points. Do this before the fare, because flights are where points do the most work. The full guide has the transfer chart.
Rough cost, three ways
These are blanks on purpose. Cruise fares change by sailing, suite and date, and we never quote a specific sailing. Fill them in from the official page for your own journey.
| Line | Cash trip | Points-heavy trip | Splurge trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suite fare (official journey page, your suite category) | $____ | $____ | $____ |
| Taxes, fees and port charges (shown at booking) | $____ | $____ | $____ |
| Flights in and out | $____ | ____ points + $____ taxes | $____ |
| Hotel night before / after | $____ | ____ points | $____ |
| Excursions (ship-booked or DIY) | $____ | $____ | $____ |
| Specialty extras (for example the Anthology tasting menu) | $____ | $____ | $____ |
| Travel insurance | $____ | $____ | $____ |
| Total | $____ | $____ | $____ |
One dining price we can give you: Anthology's tasting menu was listed at €165 ≈ $186 per person with a €70 ≈ $79 wine pairing, as of 2026-10-20; confirm on https://explorajourneys.com/us/en/life-on-explora/dining or in your booking. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
What the ships are like
Explora I and II are sister ships, and most of what you read about one applies to the other. Both are suite-only: the suite types run from Ocean Terrace Suites with a 7 square metre terrace, through Ocean Grand Terrace Suites with an 11 square metre terrace on decks 6 and 7, up to Penthouses and the named Residences, with the Owner's Residence the largest living space aboard. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
Dining is mostly included. The line says every journey has nine distinct culinary experiences, including in-suite dining, and names venues such as Sakura (Pan-Asian), Marble & Co. Grill (European steakhouse), Med Yacht Club (Mediterranean), Emporium Marketplace (all-day global) and Fil Rouge (French-inspired). Anthology, the refined Italian restaurant, carries a charge. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
Evenings are built around live music and variety rather than big theatre production numbers: guest performers, headline acts with the house orchestra, karaoke, and Silent Sweet Cinema with headphones. Daytime has sports, photography workshops and dance classes. (checked Oct 20, 2026)
Who should book, who should skip
Book if you want a quiet, adult-leaning, all-suite ship and you will actually use the included dining. Skip if you want waterslides, a casino-style party deck or a low fare: this is a premium product, and our guide is about getting the most from it, with points helping on the flights and hotels around it.
What's not worth it: buying a high suite category just for the terrace on a cold-weather itinerary; check the sailing region first.
Unlock the full guide
The full guide covers 16 chapters: the ships in one page, deck by deck, cabins to book and avoid, dining and day-one reservations, activities, pools and quiet spaces, ports, embarkation and disembarkation hour by hour, choosing a sailing, points and booking, a call script for your advisor, printable day cards, the cost sheet, packing and update notes. Get it for $4.99.
One more tip for the lite reader: if you only remember one thing, remember that the exact ship matters less than the exact sailing. Explora I and II are close sisters, so choose by itinerary, date and suite price, then use the deck plan to pick a suite you will enjoy waking up in.
This is the free lite guide. The full day-by-day guide, with maps, photo stops, rain plans and the points playbook, is part of PerkJolt All-Access.