Explora Journeys has flagged the likely introduction of voyages to Australia in the coming years, potentially over the summer of 2027/28, LATTE can reveal.

During a brand training and education session for luxury travel advisors at Virtuoso Travel Week last month in Las Vegas, Australia and New Zealand were identified as on the horizon by Aimee Price, VP/Head of Sales USA West and Canada for Explora Journeys.

Explora Journeys’ first vessel, EXPLORA I, launched in August 2023. EXPLORA II will be christened late next week and will commence service straight away.

Subscribe to LATTE Cruise’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury cruise space.

Discussing the future expansion of Explora Journeys’ fleet, Price told Virtuosos that “new itineraries will be released at the end of September, including the first journeys for EXPLORA III.”

“As we add more ships to our fleet we’ll be able to have a greater global footprint. So as we open up those itineraries in September, you’re going to see us back in Northern Europe – we’ve had a lot of requests for Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland, Canadian Maritime,” Price said.

“We’ll be then heading to the Caribbean in winter, but you’ll see us throwing some interesting stuff in the Americas. We’re going to go into the Amazon,” she teased.

“And in 2027, look for us to be in Alaska, and then as we grow, we anticipate going into Australia, New Zealand and more,” she said.

As former Explora Journeys’ CEO Michael Ungerer told LATTE in 2022 – also at Virtuoso Travel Week – any deployment Down Under could be determined based on the availability of LNG facilities.

Speaking exclusively with LATTE at VTW, Explora Journeys’ Chris Austin, President – Americas, added: “It’s no secret, with six ships in the future and itinerary planning, of course we’re going to go to Alaska, of course we’re going to go down to Australia, Hawaii, French Polynesia and the South Pacific. It’s obvious, it’s just the time relating to the launch of the ships.”

“Alaska will be 2027, Australia probably late our winter, your summer that year,” he hinted.

Austin also emphasised to travel advisors to remember that regardless of the geographical location, Explora Journeys’ ships “are the destination”, referring to EXPLORA I and II‘s vast array of restaurants and bars, public spaces and common areas – all with a very luxurious ‘hotel feel’.

And for clients who have already sailed to popular cruise destinations, Austin’s advise is:

“Don’t let any of your clients say they aren’t interested because they’ve been to the Mediterranean, or to the Caribbean… because they haven’t been there with Explora Journeys.”

This unique guest experience that is very, very different. It’s not classic, it’s not traditional. They’re going to actually thank you for recommending Explora Journeys.”

He added that Explora Journeys is offering ‘value pricing’ at the moment, “intentionally so, because we are a brand new brand. We want to attract your clients. We want them to become loyal. We want them to journey with us around the world for a long, long time. So lean into the value, lean into the destination.”

“Explora Journeys is a unique experience we have created for your clients.

“Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland – so the Swiss gold thread runs through our brand – with the key pillars: unparalleled space, choices that you would only ever find on the land in ultra-luxury hotels; design that is more of a boutique, cosmopolitan European resort; and very forward focused design to protect our oceans from a sustainability and environmental point of view.

“We are not just another traditional classic cruise brand. We are a unique experience. We have completely transformed our experience for your clients.”

Price added that another of Explora Journeys’ pillars is to sail “more immersively and deliver more of the destination”. Thats achieved by offering more overnights or longer stays and going to more off-the-beaten-path locations “because we want you to travel like you would on a super yacht.

“We want to get your guests into destinations they may have never heard of before,” Price added.

“With one ship we wanted to be in locations where we would get the most recommendation. When we introduce EXPLORA II they’ll be in the Mediterranean through October and November of this year before repositioning to the Caribbean this winter… and we still have space and we’re not ashamed to say that.”

Austin added: “We want to make sure that you have the confidence to put us in that subset of where they want to travel, and include Explora Journeys. Even if they’re looking at a hotel, throw us in there, because we have the space and you’re not going to have to hunt for the perfect suite on the land for them.”

LATTE attended Virtuoso Travel Week as a guest of Virtuoso.