The Port of Barcelona today welcomed EXPLORA I, the first of a fleet of four luxury ships for the MSC Group's leisure and lifestyle brand. Following its delivery on July 20 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, EXPLORA I set sail for Barcelona ahead of its maiden voyage, departing from Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 1.
The maritime tradition of exchanging plaques—to celebrate a ship's first visit to a destination—took place aboard EXPLORA I between Captain Serena Melani and Lluís Salvadó, President of the Port Authority of Barcelona. Michael Ungerer, CEO of Explora Journeys, and local port authorities also attended the ceremony.
This stopover reinforces the commitment of the MSC Group's cruise division to both the Port of Barcelona and the city itself, one of the group's key destinations, where it is building a new cruise terminal that will be dedicated to both Explora Journeys and its sister company MSC Cruises when it is completed in 2024.
Michael Ungerer, CEO of Explora Journeys, stated: “Barcelona is one of the most important ports in the Western Mediterranean, and it is an honor for us to finally present our extraordinary and highly anticipated new ship, EXPLORA I.”.
Lluís Salvadó, president of the Port of Barcelona, emphasized: “The commissioning of ships like EXPLORA I is strategic for Barcelona and for the entire maritime sector. Incorporating innovative, pioneering ships equipped with systems to reduce NOx emissions by 90% and with equipment to connect to shore power, eliminating emissions when docked, is important for the ports and cities that host them because it demonstrates how the sector is working to achieve clean maritime activity.”.
EXPLORA I will set sail on its maiden voyage from Copenhagen (Denmark) on August 1, 2023. This seven-night journey will take guests through the landscapes of Lerwick (Shetland Islands) and Kirkwall (Orkney Islands) before heading to Reykjavik (Iceland).
The luxury ship will spend several weeks in northern Europe, offering a range of different itineraries, and then cross the Atlantic Ocean via Greenland to spend the fall in North America, the winter in the Caribbean, and the spring on the US West Coast and Hawaii before returning to Europe in the summer of 2024 for a collection of voyages in the Mediterranean Sea.
Explora Journeys' ships will be equipped with the latest environmental and marine technologies, including selective catalytic reduction technology, shore power connection, which will be available in the Port of Barcelona in the coming years, underwater noise management systems to help protect marine life, and a wide range of energy-efficient equipment on board to optimize engine use and further reduce emissions.
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