Cruises
The Art of Ocean Wellness
Explora III’s new design journey is a state-of-the-art 922-passenger all-suite luxury ship with a 1.25 guests-to-1 host ratio. Are you ready?
By ILONA KAUREMSZKY
There’s a space age-inspired soundtrack so uplifting the tones could mimic soaring above the Amazon rainforest. Ancient monk-like “oohm” chants are so soothing they seem to lower my pulse rate even as my body rocks to and fro inside a revolutionary sound pod so chi-chi US Air Force pilots are using it in their post training. Wrapped beneath a heavy weighted blanket, wearing cooling eye pads and lying flat in a darkened cocoon of calm inside this Sava Sound Pod, I’m told my nervous system is about to reset.
It sounds like something from a sci-fi wellness fantasy. Yet here I am, aboard Explora III, the newest addition to Explora Journeys, the luxury cruise brand that only made its splashy debut with Explora I in 2023. Italian family-owned, Swiss headquartered, its global parent company MSC Group boasts the world’s largest fleet of container ships, so the Aponte-Vago family knows a thing about the sea with their combined 300 year-old seafaring history.
Believe me, it’s a whole new journey. Perhaps, it’s the ocean state of mind. For the past four days, I have been sailing aboard a brand-new vessel—so new you could still smell the fresh coat of paint, a paint I learn from MSC Group Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago that has less acidity than usual marine paints. I and some industry guests were invited to cruise from Rome’s port Civitavecchia to Barcelona on this exclusive preview journey and naming celebration. And now, as the first guest of the day inside the Ocean Wellness Spa, I’m discovering that the future of luxury cruising may have as much to do with how you feel onboard as where the ship takes you.
Explora Journeys calls its philosophy “Ocean State of Mind.” On Explora III that idea extends into ocean wellness, where architecture, light, sound, movement and the thoughtful relationship between interior spaces and the sea outside are woven together. “We worked on a mystic spa fitness and wellness concept, bringing sleep, energy, mindfulness, relaxation and immunity (mental and physical) into our guest life. It’s all about balance,” says Explora Journeys Senior Lead Spa Director Julanda Marais.
It is a design approach that reflects a growing shift in luxury travel. Resonance Consultancy’s 2026 Future of Luxury Travel Report identifies wellness and longevity reshaping luxury cruise experiences. Travellers are seeking restoration, sensory experiences and emotional connection, not just indulgence—a mantra cruise guests often heard repeatedly by Explora Journeys executives.
On Explora III, wellness starts with the atmosphere. From the moment I see her sleek silhouette I understand she has been designed to feel more private yacht than traditional cruise ship. Her exterior palette with elegant “mandala blue” tones is accented by gold chrome details. Itineraries are bespoke made by the Vago family. “We know where to go, the authenticity of the food, the villages, we are Europeans,” says Pierfrancesco Vago in a video presentation.
One morning, I sailed on a heritage mahogany-teak boat along the tony Ligurian coast outside Positano, spying palatial villas owned by Dolce & Gabbana, and the Berlusconi family whose castle-like Villa San Sebastiano clings to the rockface.
Passionate about the sea, the sustainable liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ship (the first in the fleet) is a design innovation realized by the owners. “We have a great responsibility to find solutions for future generations. The ocean state of mind is not just philosophical, it is also to prove there is a solution,” says Pierfrancesco Vago during the MSC Foundation’s presentation on ocean sustainability. Even the ship’s godmother Cristina Ozores is a co-founder of a conservation group, Vellmarí to protect Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. “For me, being the Godmother of Explora III is about opening the door to a new kind of experience—one where people can truly discover the ocean in a deeper, more meaningful way,” she says.
The family affair continues in the ship’s details. Alexa Aponte-Vago designed the Explora Journeys mandala logo, whose lotus imagery has spiritual roots. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant has also played a significant role in the brand’s art and design direction.
Art is everywhere, and dining is equally design-conscious. Find a hunter green Verde Alpi from Italy, the marble showcased at French-inspired Fils Rouge (it’s Rafaela’s favourite marble colour, I’m told), as clusters of artful cherry blossoms adorn the Japanese staple, Sakura. For an additional cost, diners arrive to Anthology to secretly immerse in a sensory journey of a 7-course grand tasting menu, with wine pairings. I scoop up the Gambero Rosso Di Mazara Del Vallo—Sicilian red prawns bathed in a tomato coulis and creamy burrata. It’s highly tactile dining. On board, you’ll find ingredients from the finest estate purveyors like the Sicilian Bronte pistachios in the signature pestos, and premium cuts featuring Jersey beef from France, Sashi beef from Sweden, and Fassona beef from Italy.
Rather than simply adding more suites, Explora III uses her additional length of 19.2 metres to create more breathing room dedicated to public areas. The re-envisioned lobby with its 2-storey soaring atrium, cascading Venini chandeliers, hand-blown in Murano, a sculpted staircase in pale Perlato di Sicilia and dark Sahara Noir marble curves, leads to the circular bar where a grand Steinway piano sits to the side of this living room. A fireplace crackles amid artwork by Yves Dana and Nena as guests sip cocktails on plump white seating by Italian luxury design houses Paolo Castelli and Molteni.
In the world of luxury travel, space has become the ultimate status symbol. My Premier Penthouse Suite captures this approach perfectly. The design is refined: natural textures, calming gray tones, contemporary European furnishings and sprawling windows that frame the ever-changing ocean like a living artwork.
A welcome bottle of Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage chills in a silver ice bucket. My private mini bar is replenished daily, care of my hospitality host. Binoculars wait shelf-side for celestial gazing. I love my Dyson Supersonic hairdryer. Not only a spacious walk-in closet but a spacious walk-in shower and heated floors with custom toiletries add to the luxury. My terrace becomes an outdoor room for morning routines, followed by a morning dip at the Atoll Pool and Bar on my deck.
Outside, Explora III has five heated pools, including the Conservatory Pool & Bar, centred around a 14.7-metre pool beneath a retractable glass roof. The Helios adults-only pool on deck 12 overlooks the ship’s front, while the back has the Astern Pool and Bar.
While Explora I and II offer one Owner’s Residence, Explora III offers a second Owner’s Residence, designed by acclaimed designer Patricia Urquiola. Spanning 315 sq. m., it features a warm palette of bronze, Cipollino and Travertino marble with thoughtful wooden features that include a private steam room and ocean-facing terrace with a whirlpool.
Even movement and fitness have been incorporated into the overall design narrative. A new padel court, the biggest craze moving past pickleball, reflects how luxury travellers want wellness to include play and activity.
As for me, I steal away from the day-trippers settling into steamy Barcelona and shift my gears to low and slow at the Ocean Wellness Spa. Button pushed, I slip into the hydrotherapy pool, surrendering to the swirling waves. Somewhere nearby, the ice fall and Himalayan salt cave are calling me.
It’s an ocean state of mind.
Explora Journeys Include
- 9 dining experiences, unlimited beverages of the finest wines, premium spirits, champagne, specialty coffees and teas available anytime
- One in-suite welcome bottle of champagne
- Ocean Wellness Spa access
- Group wellness, fitness and mindfulness activities
- Hi-speed Wi-Fi and more.
For more information about Explora Journeys and Explora III, visit explorajourneys.com
