A Week Aboard Explora III
Southampton to Copenhagen via the Norwegian Fjords
Explora III was launched in July 2026
I knew I wouldn’t want to get off the moment I stepped aboard Explora III. But what’s even more impressive is that she won over my ‘I’ll never go on a cruise, they’re for old people’ husband and kids.
I've just spent eight days aboard Explora III, the brand new ship in the Explora Journeys fleet, sailing from Southampton up through the Norwegian fjords and finishing in Copenhagen. I travelled with my husband and our two teenage boys, and I came home ready to recommend her without hesitation. Here's what a week on board looks like, from someone who was there (and wishes she still was)!
First, what is Explora III?
Explora Journeys is the luxury ocean cruise brand from the MSC Group, and Explora III is the third of six ships custom-built in Italy by Fincantieri (Explora IV, V and VI will be built and deployed over the next few years). The whole fleet is designed to feel more like a private superyacht than a traditional cruise ship with just 900 passengers and around 800 crew onboard.
Having now sailed her, I really understand why they lead with that. She never once felt crowded or busy, even on sea days, and the crew were so warm and easy to be around that by Copenhagen I was sad to leave.
If you've dismissed cruising in the past because it felt too big, too cramped, too packed or too impersonal, this is the ship that will change your mind.
The suites
The Ocean Terrace Suite - every suite on Explora Journeys’ ships is ocean-facing with a terrace
We booked two of the lead-in Ocean Terrace Suites, side by side, one with a walk-in shower and one with a bathtub. For families there are also interconnecting configurations, which are worth asking about if you’re travelling with younger children. And if you’ve got serious cash to splash, there are way larger suites with huge terraces and private whirlpools, right up to the huge Owners’ Suite.
The word that kept coming up was space. The entry-level suites are incredibly generous, with a surprising amount of storage and living space so nobody was living out of a suitcase. Every suite is oceanfront with its own terrace, which on this itinerary meant waking up to a new view of the fjords every morning.
The details also impressed me:
Chocolates and champagne waiting on arrival
A proper little book collection in the room
A Dyson hairdryer and a clothes steamer as standard
That huge shower head, which was easily better than a lot of five-star hotels
Starlink wifi, so no lag and no frustration, which the teens rated almost as highly as the beds!
And speaking of beds, my early-bird older son didn't want to get up in the morning, which tells you everything.
Special mention to our suite attendant, Joshi, who was attentive without ever being intrusive. When he realised on the first night we were turning in early, he quietly shifted our turndown time to suit us without anyone needing to mention it. That's the level of intuitive service we got to experience on this trip.
The food
Dining is where Explora III really shows off. We worked our way through every restaurant except Anthology (a tasting menu only fine dining option that we thought wouldn’t suit the kids), and there wasn't a weak meal all week.
Emporium Marketplace was our go-to for breakfast, and the closest thing to a buffet, except nothing sits under a heat lamp or gets handled by all the guests as dishes are cooked live and served to you. There were breads, pastries, omelettes, beautiful fresh fruit and a squillion other things. Son #1 worked his way through the blueberry pancakes, son #2 ordered eggs benedict most mornings. We often came back for lunch too, where my picks were the sushi and the grilled lobster tails, while the boys went for burgers cooked to order or the house-made fresh pasta.
Sakura served up a pan-Asian menu that was a real highlight. The wagyu and beef teriyaki, the lobster pad thai and the sushi all stood out, but everything we tried (and we tried a LOT!) was excellent.
Marble & Co. Grill delivered fantastic steaks and a caviar and potato concoction I'm still dreaming about.
Fil Rouge we visited twice, once for an à la carte breakfast and once for dinner. The kids loved the hanger steak and my husband's soufflé arrived impressively tall.
Med Yacht Club was unstuffy and relaxed with lovely service. I had the osso buco and a squid ink pasta, and the boys were treated to custom-made mocktails.
My top tip: book Sakura and Marble & Co. Grill before you sail. They're popular and can be reserved in advance, so there's no reason to leave it to chance. The others can be booked onboard easily and all restaurants offer some walk-ins if you’re flexible.
The wine and cocktails
The drinks were a high point too. The included wines by the glass were delicious, well chosen and thoroughly drinkable. The cocktails were also fantastic, though I'll confess I mostly settled happily on a bellini once the novelty of choosing a different one every time wore off!
There are also more exclusive wines by bottle (we saw one family enjoying some Chateau Qyem) which can be paid for on top of the all-inclusive fare. The Cellar also hosts tastings.
Sea days done right
We had two sea days across the eight, which felt just right. Enough time to slow down without ever feeling like we were killing time.
The pools and whirlpools were a big part of that. Sometimes we swam open-air, sometimes indoors, depending on the Norwegian weather. There was an F1 watch party by the pool, plenty of quiet corners to read in and a programme of lectures by visiting "luminaries." I went to a photography talk and a rewilding session with National Geographic photographer Huw James, both brilliant.
Son #2 made great use of the top deck running track and I managed to avoid the gym for the entire week.
And yes, I did find time for a facial in the spa and to browse the Rolex and Cartier boutiques. It would be rude not to!
Evening entertainment
While Explora isn’t large enough to have full-cast broadway shows, it does have incredible calibre of performers. During our trip we saw outstanding live performances from West End leading lady Shanay Holmes and Matthew Croke of The Voice and Aladdin, plus DJ sets in the Sky Bar on the top deck and numerous other live music performances at the various bars across the ship.
The fjords themselves
The Norwegian Fjords were the perfect destination for a first-time cruise as there were so many fantastic views to be taken in from the ship. Explora III’s smaller size meant we could sail right in to the ports and only had to take a tender to shore at one stop (Mandal).
The itinerary was a proper mix, and every stop had its own character:
Mandal, a lesser known cruise stop (it didn’t even feature in my guide book index!) Norway’s most Southern city is where well-heeled Norwegians have their holiday homes, and where we took an adrenaline-fuelled RIB tour along the coast
Olden, where we went crayfishing in the ‘traditional Norwegian weather’ (rain) and hauled up two sea urchins and a starfish, but sadly no crayfish!
Bergen, where we rode the funicular, met some very friendly goats and visited the Troll Museum
Flåm, a beautiful little spot with a population of just 400, and home to the famous scenic railway, which lives up to every bit of its reputation
Stavanger, where we did our own thing, wandered the pretty streets and went to the Canning Museum (yes, a museum dedicated to sardines). I do love a small, strange museum, and here's my fun fact of the trip: sardines are still packed into cans by hand, because no one has yet built a machine that can do it.
We disembarked in Copenhagen and I was genuinely sad to leave this beautiful ship and beautiful Norway behind.
Who is Explora III for?
If you're after understated luxury without being overly formal, exceptional food and space to breathe, this is the one.
Having sailed her with teenagers in tow, I'd say she's a ship that works beautifully for couples and families alike (the clientele was a lovely mix of older couples, a small number of families, plus younger couples, LGBTQ+ and solos, who are well catered for by Explora Journeys).
Children are well-accommodated without taking over or ruining the atmosphere for the grown ups (Explora actually caps the child proportion at 10%, although it was far lower than this on our cruise). There are kids and teens clubs, and any of the restaurants can rustle up an off-menu spaghetti bolognese if the selection is too sophisticated for mini-diner tastes.
There's more than enough to keep teens happy outside the organised clubs, from the food to the Starlink wifi to the pools, without any of the waterslide-and-mascot energy that puts off travellers wanting something more refined.
And for adults wanting to avoid children completely, there are several adult-only spaces and pools and enough room so that no-one treads on each others’ toes.
A final note - if your ideal holiday is a jam-packed, high-energy mega-ship, Explora Journeys isn't it. And I mean that as a compliment of the highest order.
Ready to sail?
Explora III is spending her first seasons across Northern Europe before moving on to the Caribbean and then Alaska in 2027. If you'd like to talk through whether she suits your travel style, find the right itinerary for you or put together a sailing with a few days on land at either end, get in touch and I'll help you plan it properly.
