Coins for luck, a ribbon for the launch
Shipyards keep their superstitions close. Before a new vessel ever welcomes a guest, someone places coins inside her for good fortune, and someone else cuts a ribbon as she floats for the first time. At Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa this week, Explora Journeys did both in a single ceremony.
The luxury ocean travel brand of MSC Group marked the float out of Explora V and the coin ceremony of Explora VI, the fifth and sixth ships in a fleet due for completion in 2028. Neither is ready to sail with guests. Both moved a step closer.
Godmothers with a hand in the build
Explora Journeys has named a godmother for each of its six ships, choosing women in recognition of their contribution to the fleet’s development while also honoring the many people whose skill went into each vessel. Explora VI had two. Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys, and Camilla Ronco, PRS Workshop Manager at the Sestri Ponente yard, placed commemorative coins inside the ship, a long-standing maritime custom meant to bring good fortune during construction and through her working life at sea.
Consuelo Brunelli, a Production Planner at Fincantieri, served as godmother for Explora V, cutting the ribbon that marked her float out. Marina Minetti, a presenter, writer and actress born and raised in Genoa, hosted proceedings.
The final ship, and a personal one for Nash
For Nash, this one carried added weight. Explora VI is the last of the brand’s founding six, and she sees it as a measure of the distance the company has covered.
“Explora VI marks an important milestone in our journey and represents how far we have come in bringing a new category of ultra-elegant ocean travel to life.”
Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys.
She also made clear that six is not meant as a ceiling. “Explora VI may mark the completion of our first six ships, but it is by no means the final chapter.”
Three down, three to go
Explora I arrived in 2023 and Explora II in 2024. Explora III followed with her delivery in July 2026. Next comes Explora IV, scheduled to enter service in spring 2027, with Explora V due toward the end of that year. Explora VI should join in summer 2028, doubling the fleet in roughly two years.
Cleaner power, with the fine print
Every Explora ship is fitted for shore power. In ports that offer the connection, a ship can draw from the local electricity grid and switch off her engines, eliminating direct emissions from onboard power generation for as long as she stays plugged in.
Explora III was the fleet’s first ship to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), and Explora V and Explora VI will follow her lead. Both are designed to use renewable and next-generation fuels as well, including bio-LNG, synthetic LNG and biofuels. Designed is the key word; Explora Journeys has not said when those alternative fuels will go into regular use. Explora VI will also carry fuel cell technology to make energy generation more efficient, while Explora V is being built so the same system can be added later.
The approach sits within MSC Group’s long-term energy transition strategy, which pairs advanced marine engineering with greater use of lower-emission and renewable fuels.
What it means for the voyages ahead
For travelers drawn to the brand’s oceanfront Suites, Penthouses and Residences, its heated all-season pools and itineraries that mix famous harbors with lesser-traveled ports, the immediate news is that choice is widening. Explora IV’s spring 2027 debut is the next date worth watching, with two further ships close behind.
As for Explora VI, her coins are already sealed inside. By summer 2028, the ship built around them is due to be at sea with guests aboard.
About the Author: Jason Kerr
