Six Explora ships are planned, two are sailing, four arrive between now and 2028. Choosing which one to book is choosing which generation of the brand to buy into.
The two ships in service today — Explora I (2023) and Explora II (2024) — share a hull, a suite roster, and a service model. Starting with Explora III in summer 2026, the brand evolved: more restaurants, the first LNG-powered hull, an Owner's Residence redesigned by Patricia Urquiola, and three venues that exist nowhere else in the fleet. Explora V and VI add a Grand Penthouse with Whirlpool that III and IV don't get. Below: every difference, in one table, with a take on who should pick which.
All six ships, every spec
| EXPLORA I Sailing now | EXPLORA II Sailing now | EXPLORA III Launches 2026 | EXPLORA IV Launches 2027 | EXPLORA V Launches 2027 | EXPLORA VI Launches 2028 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suites | 461 | 461 | 463 | 463 | 457 | 457 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Bars & lounges | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Pools | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Guest : Host ratio | 1.25:1 | 1.25:1 | 1.25:1 | 1.25:1 | 1.25:1 | 1.25:1 |
| Launched / launches | 2023 | 2024 | 2026 · summer | 2027 · summer | 2027 · December | 2028 · August |
| LNG-powered | No | No | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Owner's Residence by Patricia Urquiola | Standard | Standard | Yes | Yes | Standard | Standard |
| Godmother | Sylvia Earle | Rosalba Giugni | — | — | — | — |
| Bookable voyages today | 197 | 192 | 161 | 116 | 64 | 24 |
Three generations, three different ships
Easier to think about Explora's fleet in pairs than as six independent products. Each pair shares the decisions that came out of the same shipyard cycle.
Explora I & II
In service. 461 suites. 6 restaurants. Standard Owner's Residence. Diesel-electric.
The two original hulls. Most of the brand's voyage volume runs through these — 159 and 157 bookable journeys respectively as of today. The dining lineup is one venue shorter (no Shore Club, no Chef's Table, no Cellar) and the Owner's Residence interior is the original design, not Patricia Urquiola's. For most buyers, this difference is invisible — you don't book Explora to live in the Owner's Residence, and the eight included dining venues are more than you'll eat through on a 7-night sailing.
Pick I or II if: your itinerary fits one of these two ships, you want to sail Explora sooner rather than later, or you're testing the brand before scaling up.
Explora III & IV
Summer 2026 / spring 2027. 463 suites. 7 restaurants. Patricia Urquiola Owner's Residence. First LNG-powered hulls.
Three venues that don't exist on I or II: Shore Club on 11 (a beach-club-style restaurant inspired by carefree summers), The Chef's Table (private dining written from scratch around your preferences, paid extra), and The Cellar (a relaxed wine room with Cellar Masters guiding the pours). The Wine Curator consultation — a perk tied to Ocean Residence and above — only runs on III and IV. The Owner's Residence on these two is Patricia Urquiola's reinterpretation, and on most rooms-by-design metrics it's the most architecturally distinct top-suite at sea.
Pick III or IV if: you have any flexibility on date and you're deciding which Explora to book first. III in particular is where the brand fixes the things people noticed about I and II — and once it sails, the older ships will look like first-generation product even though they're mechanically identical.
Explora V & VI
December 2027 / August 2028. 457 suites. 7 restaurants. Grand Penthouse with Whirlpool (exclusive to V and VI).
Smaller suite count (457 vs 461/463) and an additional sub-category Generation 2 doesn't have: the Grand Penthouse with Whirlpool, which adds a private outdoor whirlpool to the largest of the Penthouses. New venue references in the marketing — Sakura (Japanese), Fil Rouge — that aren't unique to V/VI but signal the dining program is still iterating. LNG status not yet declared by Explora.
Pick V or VI if: your departure window is late 2027 or 2028, you want the Whirlpool Penthouse specifically, or you're booking the inaugural season for one of the new hulls. Inaugural seasons tend to come with the most aggressive launch pricing — for V, that's roughly $666–$700 per guest per night on the Dec 2027 / Jan 2028 Med-shoulder routes.
Venues that don't exist on every ship
Explora doesn't surface this clearly on their own site. Below: every venue that's exclusive to a subset of the fleet, with the rationale Explora gives.
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Shore Club on 11 at The Conservatory
Explora III, IV, V, VI
A beach-club-style restaurant inspired by carefree summer days by the sea. Replaces the Gelateria & Crêperie that occupies the same Conservatory space on Explora I and II.
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The Chef's Table by Explora Journeys
Explora III, IV (paid extra)
Private dining experience where you collaborate with the chefs on a fully custom menu. Sized for a small group; usually booked for a particular celebration.
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The Cellar by Explora Journeys
Explora III, IV (paid extra)
Wine room. Old World classics, New World favourites, rare vintages. Pours roughly $15–20 per glass; rare vintages priced separately. Cellar Masters on the floor.
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Owner's Residence by Patricia Urquiola
Explora III, IV
Different layout and finish program than the standard Owner's Residence on I, II, V, VI. Urquiola is one of the most-recognized architects working in hospitality interiors today; this is the only suite at sea currently designed by her.
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Wine Curator consultation
Explora III, IV (Ocean Residence tier and above)
Service perk: a tailored consultation with the ship's Wine Curator. Available only on III and IV; not extended to I, II, V, or VI in the published Inclusions schedule.
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Grand Penthouse with Whirlpool
Explora V, VI
All the space of a Grand Penthouse plus a private outdoor whirlpool on a more spacious terrace. Does not exist on I, II, III, IV.
Tell me when you want to sail. I'll tell you which ship.
If your dates are flexible and you're choosing between current inventory and the III/IV launch window, the calculus changes by itinerary. Send the destinations you're considering and the rough departure month — live availability on every ship that fits comes back in two hours.