Why Explora Journeys Is My New Favourite Cruise Line

Written By Kate Weiss

I don't chase volume when I travel. I'd rather have fewer, better experiences than a long list of ships I've sailed. So it takes something specific to move a line to the top of my own list. Explora Journeys did that after one sailing aboard Explora II, and I've spent the time since trying to put my finger on exactly why.

It isn't one thing. It's the accumulation of small decisions, onboard and behind the scenes, that add up to a cruise experience that feels carefully and thoughtfully considered. I sailed Explora II through the Greek Isles this summer, with calls at smaller ports including Nydri (Lefkada), Pylos, and Amorgos alongside Mykonos. The itinerary was excellent. But it's the onboard experience and the ship itself that made me a convert.

For anyone encountering the brand for the first time: Explora Journeys is a refined, all-suite ocean line. Explora II carries around 920 guests across 461 suites, with no main dining room in the traditional sense. Instead, dinner happens across several full-service restaurants, all included in the fare. It's a small-ship experience by cruise industry standards, and everything about how it's run reflects that scale.

Explora II: A Ship Designed to Face the Ocean

Before any of the service or dining, the ship itself sets the tone. It never once felt crowded. The Lobby Bar is the beautiful central gathering space you pass through often, and it sets expectations early. Beyond that, Explora II is genuinely designed around ocean views: large windows and expansive terraces throughout, so wherever you are onboard, you're rarely far from the water.

There are four pools to choose from, each with its own personality. The Conservatory is a weather-protected, all-day space with a retractable roof, so it works regardless of what the sky is doing. The Astern Pool sits at the stern with an infinity edge that seems to merge with the ocean behind it. The Atoll Pool is smaller and quieter, tucked at the aft of a lower deck. Helios, the adults-only pool, is the sunniest spot on the ship. A large fitness centre rounds out the wellness side of the ship, well-equipped enough for a proper workout on a sea day.

My favourite spot on the entire ship, though, was the indoor whirlpools at the Conservatory: long, narrow rectangles, gently heated and fully protected, with windows running from the pool's edge up to the ceiling so you're soaking while still facing the ocean. There are two more of the same rectangular whirlpools tucked beside the running track for a quieter soak after a workout, and a fifth, round whirlpool on the Sports Court deck, right where guests can also try their hand at pickleball.

Throughout, the finishes lean elegant and refined without ever tipping into ornate. Nothing feels overdone; it feels edited.

Life Inside an Ocean Terrace Suite

explora journeys ocean terrace suite

My Ocean Terrace Suite was a highlight in its own right, genuinely spacious and thoughtfully laid out, with a walk-in closet, a proper vanity table, a chaise on the veranda for reading with a view, and a walk-in shower. It's the entry suite category; above it sit Penthouses and Residences, each adding more space and more included service, but even at the entry level, nothing felt like a starting point.

It's the small details that stayed with me, though. The clothes hanging bar is topped with velour, so hangers don't clank against each other with any ocean movement. There's a nightlight in the bathroom, so a middle-of-the-night trip doesn't mean flipping on full brightness. And there's a clothes steamer in the suite, which is a small thing until you actually need it.

It Starts With the Things Nobody Had to Do

The moment that stayed with me most had nothing to do with the itinerary. Early in the sailing, I mentioned a small custom breakfast order, nothing complicated, just a preference. The sous chef changed his shifts for the rest of the week so he could be there to make it himself, every morning, unprompted.

A few nights later, a conversation with one of the bartenders turned to his background and how he'd come to bartending. The next evening, he'd made a special infusion overnight, just so he could share the recipe with us properly. Neither of these was requested. Both came from genuine interest rather than a service script.

What struck me just as much was how consistent that attentiveness was, across the entire crew, not just the two people who went furthest out of their way. A smile and a genuine greeting at every opportunity, whether you'd crossed paths with that crew member once or a dozen times. A cooling towel offered poolside without needing to ask. A pizza prepared just the way you like it. A favourite beverage remembered and simply appearing the next time, no reminder required. The many thoughtful touches throughout the day.

That's the thing about a roughly 1.5-to-1 guest-to-staff ratio: it isn't a number that shows up on a brochure so much as a feeling you notice by day two, when the crew already knows how you take your coffee.

The Dining Alone Would Be Enough to Recommend This Line

Explora II has no main dining room. Instead, dinner happens across several full-service restaurants, all included in the fare, which changes the rhythm of the evening entirely. You're not assigned a table and a time; you're choosing an experience. Each venue has its own distinct styling too, so moving between them for dinner on different nights feels like visiting a different room on a different ship, not just a different menu.

Sakura, the Pan-Asian restaurant, was the standout of the sailing (sushi and sashimi good enough that we booked it more than once, plus a wok special that changes daily). Fil Rouge, the French-inspired room, runs a daily-changing soufflé menu that isn't to be missed, good enough that some nights we dined at one restaurant entirely and walked over to Fil Rouge afterward just for dessert. Beyond those, Marble & Co. Grill brings dry-aged steaks in a wood-panelled room, Med Yacht Club serves shared-plate Mediterranean cooking, and Emporium Marketplace handles all-day dining plated to order rather than served buffet-style. Crema Café rounds things out for coffee between meals.

Reservations matter for Sakura and Marble & Co.; Fil Rouge and Med Yacht Club are walk-in. In practice, reservations were never an issue. We booked a guaranteed spot on the nights that mattered to us and walked in at our leisure on the others. With six venues serving a ship of this size, there's enough space that none of them ever felt crowded.

It isn't just my own impression, either. Explora Journeys' dining has been recognized industry-wide, including Cruise Critic's Best in Cruise award for Best Luxury Dining and recognition for Best Ocean Cruise Line for Food. Having eaten across all six venues, I understand why.

The only real upcharges on the food and beverage side are for guests who want to go further. Anthology, an Italian tasting menu, offers a special-occasion evening at an additional cost. The Chef's Kitchen offers hands-on culinary classes for a small group of up to 12, and the Malt Whisky Bar carries a fee for its rarer, ultra-premium pours; standard spirits, wine, and cocktails are part of what's already included.

What "All-Inclusive" Actually Means Here

I've learned to read that phrase carefully across different lines, because it means different things depending on who's using it. On Explora, it holds up: premium beverages, including wine, spirits, fresh juices, specialty coffees, and mocktails; gratuities built into the fare rather than added at the end; and wifi for up to four devices per guest.

That last one is worth dwelling on. The wifi is fast - fast enough that a few of us worked full remote days without issue, video calls included. For anyone who needs to stay connected at sea, that's a genuinely practical difference, not a marketing line.

The thermal spa follows a pattern: included for all guests on port days, included for suite guests on sea days, with select-time access for other guests on sea days. No day pass required, no upcharge to reserve a spot.

Shore excursions (called Destination Experiences on Explora) are a paid add-on across the fleet, not built into the fare. In several of the smaller ports, independent exploration was easy, and often just as rewarding, with no set itinerary needed. That said, I did book one Explora Journeys excursion, to Alberobello and Ostuni, and it was worth it: a carefully curated day that included a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.

Onboard Programming Worth Staying In For

The Luminary destination talks happened every day, each one focused on the next day's port of call, led by a speaker with a doctorate in social anthropology. These weren't the usual where-to-shop rundowns. One session spent real time on a local salami specific to the region, another on the differences between olive oils from neighbouring islands and why they varied, and there was consistent attention paid to what daily life actually looks like for the people who live in these places, not just what's worth photographing. It changed how I spent my time in port, not just what I saw.

The rest of the onboard programming followed the same instinct: give guests real options rather than fill a schedule. There was trivia if you wanted it, a solo travellers' get-together for anyone sailing alone, daily afternoon tea, learning opportunities, and live music most evenings, all there to be as busy or as relaxed as you wanted, never demanding a full day of participation. What I did not encounter was any hard sell. No pitches for paid photo packages, no prize-driven contests designed to sell something afterward. Everything on offer was there purely for enjoyment.

The theatre programming follows the same philosophy of quality over flashiness. Rather than large-scale production shows, Explora brings on guest performers with real pedigree. On our sailing alone, that meant an evening with a singer who had toured with Andrew Lloyd Webber, a set from a jazz musician, and a performance from two classical musicians: intimate, well-programmed evenings rather than spectacle for its own sake. The onboard dancers also teach classes for guests who want to join in rather than just watch, and there's a full schedule of fitness classes for anyone who wants to keep moving between ports.

Multigenerational, Without Losing the Adult Feel

Worth noting for multigenerational planning: there were kids onboard, and it never once changed the atmosphere for guests travelling without them. Nautilus Club, the dedicated kids' and teens' space, welcomes children ages 6 to 17, open daily from 9 a.m. to midnight, with separate time slots for ages 3 to 5 when accompanied by a parent. It has its own dedicated area, so young guests have somewhere that's genuinely theirs rather than a corner of an adult space.

The pools reflect the same balance. Of the four onboard, three are open to everyone, including families, while Helios is reserved as an adults-only space. There were no noisy pool parties spilling into adult areas, no interference with the quieter experience guests come for. Families and solo or couple travellers were simply sharing the same ship without getting in each other's way, which makes Explora a genuine option for travellers planning a multigenerational trip, not just those travelling without kids.

Smaller Ports, More Time Ashore

The itinerary itself leaned toward smaller calls alongside the well-known stops, which meant more time ashore with fewer crowds. A full day in a place like Pylos or Nydri feels entirely different from a few rushed hours in a port everyone else is visiting at the same time. That pattern isn't unique to the Greek Isles. Explora Journeys' fleet is growing quickly, with Explora I, II, and III each covering different regions across the year, and I'll be writing separately about where each ship sails and what to expect region by region.

Why I'm Recommending This to Travellers I Work With

I keep coming back to who this actually suits. Travellers used to all-suite ships and genuinely inclusive fares will recognize the shape of it immediately, but the atmosphere onboard is quieter and more relaxed than that shape usually implies, closer to a well-run private retreat than a traditional cruise.

It's also an easy recommendation for solo travellers, and it reaffirmed for me just how well this format suits solo travel. The open dining format means there's no fixed seating to navigate, the smaller ship size keeps things easy to move around, and the high service ratio means solo guests are looked after without ever feeling managed. Dining alone at Sakura or Med Yacht Club never once felt conspicuous.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Explora Journeys? Explora Journeys is a refined, all-suite ocean cruise line, known for small-ship scale, restaurant-style dining instead of a main dining room, and genuinely all-inclusive fares.

How many guests does Explora II carry? Explora II carries around 920 guests across 461 all-suite accommodations, small by cruise industry standards, which is part of why the onboard experience feels unhurried.

Is Explora Journeys all-inclusive? Yes: dining, premium beverages (including fresh juices and mocktails), gratuities, and wifi for up to four devices are included in the fare. Destination experiences are paid options.

Do I need reservations for dinner on Explora II? Only for Sakura and Marble & Co. Grill. Fil Rouge and Med Yacht Club are walk-in.

Is the thermal spa included on Explora II? It's included for all guests on port days, and included for suite guests on sea days, with select-time access for other guests.

Is Explora Journeys a good fit for solo travellers? Yes: the open dining format and high staff ratio make solo travel onboard feel easy rather than accommodated.

What is onboard programming like on Explora Journeys? Flexible and low-pressure: trivia, a solo travellers' get-together, afternoon tea, live music, and daily Luminary destination talks led by a social anthropologist, with no hard sells for paid extras or prizes.

Is Explora Journeys good for multigenerational family travel? Yes: Nautilus Club welcomes kids ages 6 to 17 (with separate time slots for ages 3 to 5), and Helios, one of the four onboard pools, is reserved as an adults-only space, so families and adult-only travellers share the ship without either group crowding the other.

What kind of itineraries does Explora Journeys sail? Destination-led routes that mix well-known ports with smaller, less-visited calls. My own Greek Isles sailing included stops in Brindisi, Nydri, Pylos, and Amorgos alongside Mykonos.

Ready to Start Planning?

If you're wondering whether Explora Journeys fits the way you like to travel, let's talk. I'm happy to walk through how it compares to what you already know.

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Kate Weiss
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