Steel cut for first Explora cruise ship

The order for this class of ships, announced in 2018, is worth more than €2 billion. The first, Explora I, will be built at the Monfalcone yard with delivery scheduled for 2023.

The steel cutting took place in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at the Centro Servizi Navali, a company specialised in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards located in north-eastern Italy. Attending the event were Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, Michael Ungerer, chief executive of Explora Journeys and Fabio Gallia, general manager of Fincantieri.

This milestone marks the launch of MSC’s new luxury brand, Explora Journeys, which will see four new 64,000 tonne cruise ships each with 461 guest suites delivered between 2023 and 2026.

Including these four vessels, the partnership between Fincantieri and the cruises division of MSC Group numbers eight ships to date – MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview, delivered in 2017 and 2018, and the two enriched Seaside Evo ships – MSC Seashore, to be delivered next month, and her sister ship, which will enter into service next year.