There’s a rather interesting new name heading for Europe’s rivers.
Explora Journeys, the luxury cruise brand from MSC Group, has confirmed plans to enter the river cruise market, taking its stylish “Ocean State of Mind” concept away from the open sea and onto some of Europe’s most famous waterways.
And for anyone who loves luxury cruising, this could be one of the most interesting developments in river cruising for quite some time.
Explora Journeys confirms plans for river cruises
Explora Journeys has signed a Letter of Intent with Dutch shipbuilder Den Breejen Shipyard to construct its first fleet of luxury river ships. Source.
It’s a significant move for a brand that, until now, has focused entirely on ocean cruising.
Explora says its aim is to bring the same philosophy found aboard its ocean ships to Europe’s rivers, combining relaxed luxury, European hospitality and contemporary design with the slower-paced style of river travel.
Sales for the new river cruises are expected to open in 2027.
For now, though, Explora is keeping quite a few cards close to its chest.
We don’t yet know how many river ships will be built, when the first one will launch or exactly which rivers and destinations they’ll visit.
Details about the ships themselves, including their design, onboard experiences, delivery dates and first itineraries, are all still to come.
What could an Explora river ship be like?
This is where things get particularly interesting.
If you’ve seen what Explora Journeys has created with its ocean ships, you’ll know this isn’t a traditional cruise experience.
The brand leans heavily towards spacious accommodation, elegant contemporary interiors, relaxed dining and a resort-style atmosphere rather than the more formal feel sometimes associated with luxury cruising.
Bringing that approach to a river ship could create something quite different.
River ships are obviously much smaller than ocean-going vessels and have to work within strict size limits to pass beneath bridges and through locks. That means Explora won’t simply be able to shrink one of its existing ships.
It will need to reinterpret its luxury concept for a completely different type of vessel.
That raises some fascinating questions.
Will we see unusually large suites? More outdoor space? Several restaurants rather than one main dining room? A stronger focus on wellness? Perhaps even some clever new ideas around indoor-outdoor living?
At this stage, it’s all speculation, but Explora certainly has an opportunity to shake things up.
An experienced shipyard is involved
Explora has chosen Den Breejen Shipyard in the Netherlands to build the new vessels.
That name might not mean much to the average cruiser, but the yard already has considerable experience with river ships and has constructed vessels for well-known brands including Avalon Waterways, Emerald Cruises and Scenic.
That experience matters.
European river ships operate within some very specific physical restrictions, so designing one is a very different challenge from building a large ocean cruise ship.
Pairing Explora’s luxury ambitions with an established European river-ship builder certainly makes this project worth watching.
Europe looks set to be the focus
Explora has confirmed that its river expansion will focus on some of Europe’s most iconic rivers.
Exactly which ones haven’t been announced yet.
The Rhine and Danube would seem like obvious candidates given their popularity, while rivers such as the Rhône, Main, Moselle and Douro could potentially fit the brand nicely too.
For the moment, however, Explora hasn’t confirmed any specific itineraries.
That means we’ll have to wait a little longer before we start dreaming about sipping something cold on deck while sailing past the vineyards of the Rhine.
River cruising is suddenly getting very competitive
Explora isn’t entering a quiet corner of the cruise industry.
River cruising already has some huge and well-established names, including Viking, Uniworld, AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways.
But perhaps more interestingly, several companies traditionally associated with other types of holidays are now looking towards the rivers too.
Celebrity Cruises, for example, is preparing to launch its own European river cruise operation in 2027.
So the next few years could bring a noticeably different river cruise market.
Instead of passengers choosing mainly between established river specialists, we could increasingly see familiar ocean cruise brands bringing their own personalities, dining styles and onboard experiences inland.
For cruisers, more competition could be very good news.
Why Explora could be a particularly good fit
There’s actually quite a natural crossover between Explora Journeys and river cruising.
Explora already promotes slower travel and spending more time connecting with destinations rather than rushing from port to port.
That philosophy makes a lot of sense on a river cruise.
River cruising is all about watching the scenery drift past, arriving right in the heart of historic towns and cities, and often being able to step straight off the ship and start exploring.
Combine that with Explora’s relaxed luxury approach and you could end up with something that feels halfway between a boutique hotel and a high-end cruise ship.
And that sounds rather appealing.
When can you book an Explora river cruise?
The important date to remember is 2027.
Explora Journeys says sales for its new river cruises are planned to open during 2027, although it hasn’t yet announced exactly when.
We also don’t yet have a date for the first sailing.
More information about the ships, destinations and onboard experience is expected to be revealed in due course.