The Cruise Division of the MSC Group and Fincantieri today celebrated three significant events in Genoa related to the Explora Journeys fleet, the luxury lifestyle brand recently launched by the MSC Group: the delivery of EXPLORA II, the coin ceremony for EXPLORA III, and the steel cutting for EXPLORA IV.
The ceremony, held at the historic Sestri Ponente shipyard, was attended by Edoardo Rixi, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, the Mayor of Genoa, Marco Bucci, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of the MSC Group, Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri, Pierroberto Folgiero, Chairman Biagio Mazzotta, and General Manager of the Merchant Ships Division, Luigi Matarazzo.
The event celebrated three key moments in maritime tradition and, above all, in the construction of the Explora Journeys fleet, which currently includes six ships, with the first delivered in July 2023. All vessels are built in Italy by Fincantieri, with a total MSC investment exceeding 3.5 billion euros, of which around 500 million euros was allocated for EXPLORA II. This investment has an economic impact of over 15 billion euros on the country, with significant downstream effects and the creation of thousands of jobs. The construction of each ship requires over seven million work hours and provides employment for an average of 2,500 people for two to three years.
The Explora Journeys ships are highly innovative and cutting-edge in terms of design and naval technology. They represent the best of “Made in Italy” and serve as splendid “Ambassadors” on the seas worldwide. MSC, like Fincantieri, is deeply committed to innovation, research, and development. The luxury segment vessels are no exception. Four of them – including Explora III and Explora IV, currently under construction at the Sestri Ponente yard – will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
All ships are also ready to use bio-LNG and renewable synthetic LNG once they become widely available in the maritime sector. The last two ships – Explora V and Explora VI, to be delivered in 2027 and 2028 – will also be LNG-powered. Additionally, there is a project underway for both to have large fuel cell capacity capable of transforming renewable LNG into hydrogen and significantly reducing emissions.
Explora II, designed and built under RINA Class, has earned several additional voluntary notations due to innovative design and construction focused on environmental sustainability and passenger comfort. It received RINA’s “Green Plus” notation for comprehensive environmental performance. The ship was also awarded the “Comfort Noise and Vibration” notation for its low noise and vibration levels, enhancing onboard comfort. Additionally, it received the “Dolphin” notation for minimizing noise impact in ecologically sensitive marine areas and is certified under the Polar Code C, enabling safe navigation in Polar waters.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the MSC Group’s Cruise Division, commented:” Taking delivery today of the second of six Explora Journeys ships, while the third and fourth are already under construction at this shipyard. These vessels represent a combination of innovation and sustainability and are part of an important expansion plan for our new European luxury brand. They also strengthen our long-term partnership with Fincantieri, which began 10 years ago and currently includes the delivery of four more ships by 2028, in addition to the six already delivered to date. The construction of the Explora Journeys ships plays a crucial role both locally, boosting the shipbuilding sector and the economy of Genoa and Liguria, and nationally, ensuring significant economic and employment benefits for the entire country.”
Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Fincantieri, said: «We are proud to deliver EXPLORA II, which represents not only a technological advancement, but also serves as a symbol of our vision for a sustainable and innovative future, as well as an extraordinary example of Italian design. The partnership with MSC, consolidated through the construction of the iconic Explora Journeys ships, demonstrates Fincantieri’s leadership in the luxury cruise segment. Together with the MSC Group, we continue to set new standards of excellence and sustainability for the global cruise industry by pioneering technologies that will drive the boundaries of innovation even further. This is the ‘Made in Italy of talent’, which we aim to bring into the future technologically, accelerating our efforts to modernize shipyards and enhance the domestic craftmanship in our Country by creating the high-skilled workforce of the future».