The “Explora III” was recently launched at the shipyard in Genau, and progress is also being made on the next two sister ships. MSC is investing billions in the project.
Two ships in the fleet are already in operation, and the fleet is set to grow to a total of six over the next three years. Fincantieri recently announced three milestones at the shipyard in Sestri Ponente: While the “Explora III” was being launched, the minting ceremony for the “Explora IV” and the steel cutting of the “Explora V” took place at the same time.
According to the schedule, the ships are to be delivered in quick succession, with the “Explora VI” being the last cruise ship in the series to set sail in 2028. They use LNG as fuel and have, among other things, cold water systems, selective catalytic reduction systems, and fuel cells that allow LNG to react to form hydrogen.
“Today we are celebrating a triple milestone in the growth of our luxury brand Explora Journeys, whose fleet will be fully operational with all six ships within three years,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive President of MSC Group’s Passenger Division. “We are very pleased with the results Explora Journeys has already achieved worldwide and the feedback from our guests. Sustainability continues to be a priority for our company. And these ships play a fundamental role in our decarbonization journey thanks to the new solutions and technologies on board.”
Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of Fincantieri‘s merchant ship division, said: “We are proud to accompany the MSC Group on this journey. It demonstrates Fincantieri’s ability to interpret and anticipate the evolution of the cruise market, in which we hold a global share of over 45%. The Explora Journeys fleet is a concrete example of how working with shipowners can lead to excellent results that combine innovation, sustainability and quality. Five of the six ships in this class are built here in Sestri Ponente – a strategic advantage of our production system and a symbol of an industrial vision focused on modern shipyards, green technologies and highly complex processes.”
For MSC, the Explora Journeys brand is a billion-dollar project that is having a huge impact in Italy: An investment of around €3.5 billion is expected to generate “economic, technological and labor market benefits” of €15 billion, it says – not including the tourism component. The supply chain is mainly concentrated in Italy, with each individual ship requiring around 7 million working hours and employing an average of 2,500 people over a period of two to three years.
Including the four ships ordered from Fincantieri in recent years and already delivered – “MSC Seaside”, “MSC Seaview”, “MSC Seashore” and “MSC Seascape” – MSC’s total investment amounts to around €7 billion.
