MSC's Luxury Line Explora Journeys to Launch European River Cruises
If you're interested in Explora Journeys' new river cruises, mark your calendar for 2027, when bookings open. Details on ship design, itineraries, and specific rivers haven't been released yet, so watch for future announcements from the line. If you're also considering river cruising, note that Celebrity Cruises' first river ship, Celebrity Compass, is set to debut in August 2027 as another option.
Explora Journeys signing a letter of intent with Den Breejen Shipyard tells me MSC is serious about extending its "Ocean State of Mind" brand to rivers, but a letter of intent isn't a contract — details on ship count, design, and specific itineraries are still unannounced, with bookings not opening until 2027. My read is MSC is chasing the same premium river demand that's pulled Celebrity into building Celebrity Compass, also debuting in 2027, so the two lines will be racing for the same luxury river customer at nearly the same time. Early movers who book in 2027 may get better cabin selection, but I'd wait for actual ship specs before committing money to a program this undefined. Worth watching: whether Explora can translate an ocean luxury philosophy onto a river vessel's smaller footprint.