ALL ABOARD EXPLORA III : LUXURY REDEFINED
Think cruises aren’t for you? Let me change your mind.
If you’ve ever said, “Cruises aren’t for me!”, I completely understand. But before you rule it out, I’d love you to take a look at EXPLORA JOURNEYS.
They are described as a luxury floating hotels and that is exactly what they are!
You will be blown away by the homes (not cabins) and the hosts (staff) are some of the friendliest I have ever experienced.
The first thing I noticed was the space. The corridors are extremely wide, there’s a vast amount of room around the sun loungers, and I can’t imagine EXPLORA III ever feeling full, even with her 800 guests on board.
She is 20 metres longer than EXPLORA I and II, as she’s the first LNG-powered vessel in the fleet. In that extra length, they’ve added just one owner’s suite and room for only three additional guests, which means even more space for everyone on board.
Everything you need, included
Every home has a veranda as a minimum. There are no inside or outside accommodations here. Everything on board is included, apart from dining at the Chef’s Table, which carries a supplement due to the limited number of seats. Excursions are not included, as this is such a personal choice for each guest.

Dining without limits
Dining is included, no matter which restaurant you choose, and you can eat whenever suits you. Even in-home dining is included!
The Marketplace is the buffet-style restaurant, but I have never seen a buffet like it.
Every section offers freshly prepared food, from freshly baked pizza and freshly made pasta to the most amazing sushi bar, with everything hand-rolled in front of you. What I found refreshing is that everything is served to you by the hosts, so there are no fingers in the food!

Perfect for families too
EXPLORA is not an adults-only brand, and there is an amazing kids’ and teenage area on board. Children’s activities are scheduled earlier in the day, so they don’t affect the adults’ enjoyment around the pool area. I asked how many children sail on board and was told that at peak school holiday dates it can be up to 70. On the voyage the ship had just come off, Copenhagen to Southampton, there were only 12.
The homes
Onto the homes, which were gorgeous. I know I would be very happy to spend a few nights in one of them. I was shown three types. The lead-in home is the Ocean Terrace suite, which is the same as the Ocean Grand Terrace but with a smaller terrace. All homes come stocked with your choice of drinks in the mini bar, and every one has a coffee machine and kettle as standard.





Pools and outdoor spaces
The outside deck areas were very luxurious, and once again there was plenty of space for every guest to enjoy.
There are five heated pools, including the conservatory pool, which has a retractable roof so that whatever the weather, you can enjoy a lovely swim.
The Astern pool and bar sits at the aft of Deck 5 and is a wonderful place to relax, so grab a cocktail and watch the world go by.
Another beautiful spot is the Atoll pool and bar, at the aft of Deck 10.
Visit me at our Tunbridge Wells branch, call 01892 357500, or email tw@ashdowntravel.co.uk if you would like to find out more about Explora Journeys III.

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