Images of the bulbous bow being fitted into EXPLORA IV at Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo have been revealed – a fascinating glimpse of the progress being made on Explora Journey’s latest vessel.

The fourth of six vessels in the fleet, the latest ship is scheduled to launch in 2027 with the fifth ship also debuting in 2027 and the final one in 2028 as MSC Group continues to invest in the luxury ocean brand.

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Like sister ship EXPLORA III, which will launch in 2026, Explora IV will use liquefied natural gas (LNG) with its design expected to also be similar.

Scheduled to debut in the (northern) Summer of 2026, the 463-suite EXPLORA III will have two additional suites compared to fleet-mates, EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II, despite its larger overall footprint.