Explora I: a Western Mediterranean week for three generations
Barcelona to Rome with connecting suites, a real kids' programme and nobody dressing for dinner.
Cruise line
Explora Journeys
Modern, relaxed, generous with space, and genuinely happy to see children.
Explora Journeys is the newest of the big luxury fleets: large, light suites, nine or so places to eat, no fixed formality, and a family programme that means three generations can share a ship without compromise.
Explora is what happens when a very large cruise group decides to build a luxury brand from a blank page. The ships are new, the suites all have terraces, and the design language is contemporary hotel rather than ocean liner. There is no dress code worth the name, the pools are many and mostly adult-calm, and the restaurants work on a reserve-what-you-fancy basis rather than fixed seatings.
For families this is the line we reach for most often. The suites connect sensibly, the kids' spaces are real rather than an afterthought, and teenagers have somewhere to be that is not their parents' terrace. For couples who want quiet, the ships are big enough to hide in.
Where it is less of a fit: travellers who want a traditional small-ship atmosphere, a captain's table, and the feel of a floating country house. Explora is confident, polished and modern. It is not intimate.
What's included
- Dining across most venues
- Drinks and minibar
- Wi-Fi
- Gratuities
- Wellness facilities
Ships
- Explora I
- Explora II
- Explora III
The ships
Explora Journeys at sea
Licensed photographs of the actual ships, not brochure renders.
Explora I alongside in Monaco at dusk, with a terrace set for an evening reception in the foreground Photo: Matti Blume · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Explora II alongside in port in late-afternoon light, her dark hull and tiered decks catching the sun Photo: Jacopo Tofani · CC BY-SA 4.0
On board
What Explora Journeys is actually like
Four honest notes, in our words, on the things people ask us about most.
- Suites
- All-suite, every one with a terrace; the entry Ocean Terrace suites are around 35 square metres and connect in pairs. Residences and penthouses for grandparents hosting.
- Dining
- Nine or so venues from Mediterranean to pan-Asian and a chef's table; no fixed seating, no formal nights, and children are welcome everywhere at a sensible hour.
- Facilities
- Four pools including an adults-calm one, a large spa and gym, a running track, a cinema and plenty of deck space to lose a teenager on.
- Children
- Dedicated children's and teen spaces with a real programme in school holidays; the best in this segment for mixed ages in our view.
Who it's for
- Families with children of mixed ages who want real space
- Grandparents who want to host without organising
- Couples who like modern hotels more than classic ships
- First-time cruisers nervous about feeling 'cruisey'
Who it isn't for
- Anyone who wants a very small ship and knows every face by day three
- Travellers who enjoy formal nights and set dining
- Expedition-minded travellers; this is a resort at sea, not a landing craft
Cruise ideas
Sailings we'd consider with Explora Journeys
Planning figures per person; the final price depends on date, suite and availability.
Explora II: a Caribbean Christmas for the whole family
Barbados round trip over Christmas with the Grenadines, connecting suites and someone else cooking.
Not sure Explora Journeys is the right fit?
Tell us who's travelling and what matters most. We'll say honestly whether we'd book this line for you, or which one we'd choose instead.
Where they sail
Destinations
Mediterranean
The easiest great cruise there is: short flights, famous ports, and a ship for every kind of family.
Greek Islands
Small ships, island overnights, and a late season that runs into October.
Adriatic & Croatia
Venice, Dubrovnik and Kotor in a week, on ships small enough for the old harbours.
Caribbean
Winter sun for the whole family, on ships that make Christmas and half-term easy.
Norwegian Fjords
No long flight, dramatic scenery from your terrace, and a season made for grandparents.
Baltic & Northern Capitals
Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn and Helsinki in a week, with culture the whole way.
Compared
Explora Journeys against the alternatives
Explora Journeys vs Silversea: which is right for your family?
Explora and Silversea are both luxury, both largely inclusive, and suit quite different parties. We compare ship size, formality, children, food, destinations and price, then say which we would choose for whom.
Explora Journeys vs the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Both are relaxed, modern and welcome children — one is a ship of around 900 guests and the other a yacht of 300 to 450. We compare space, price, children's programmes and where each goes.
The best luxury cruises for grandparents and grandchildren
Which luxury cruise lines actually work when grandparents take the grandchildren: the ships with children's programmes and connecting suites, the ones to avoid, and how we would plan it.
Good to know
Explora Journeys: questions we're asked
Is Explora good for children?
Yes, in our view one of the best in the luxury segment. There are dedicated children's and teen spaces, suites that connect, and a relaxed dress code. Younger children are welcome; we would still check the specific sailing, as atmosphere varies with the season.
How formal is Explora?
Not formal. Smart-casual in the evenings is the practical norm, and there are no gala nights. Travellers who enjoy dressing up for dinner sometimes miss it.
Is Explora all-inclusive?
Largely. Most dining, drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities are in the fare. Some speciality experiences, excursions and spa treatments are extra. We set out exactly what is and is not included in your proposal.
Further reading
Before you decide on Explora Journeys
Our own planning notes: who a ship suits, how many cabins to book, when to go.
The best cruises to take with your grandchildren
Which ships work when the party spans seventy years, what to look for in a children's programme, and the itineraries we would start with.
How to plan a multigenerational cruise
The order to decide things in, the questions that save arguments later, and what a specialist does that a booking site cannot.
Seven luxury cruise myths, dispelled by people who sail them
Crowds, buffets, seasickness, feeling trapped, dressing for dinner, children underfoot and the price. What is true of a 3,000-guest ship is mostly untrue of a 300-guest one. Here is what we tell first-time guests.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us who's travelling, where you'd like to go and what matters most. A cruise specialist shortlists the two or three ships we'd actually recommend.