EXPLORA II was officially christened in Civitavecchia

EXPLORA II, the second ship in Explora Journeys' fleet, was officially christened on Sunday evening at a ceremony in the port of Civitavecchia, near the Italian capital Rome. Her godmother was marine ecologist Rosalba Giugni, founder of the non-partisan Italian environmental foundation Marevivo. The ship's price tag has soared to €500 million (£12.5 billion).

"The christening of a new ship is a proud maritime tradition and today's celebration marks our continued growth as we redefine luxury travel at sea," commented Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises. "We are bringing a new concept of luxury to guests, many of whom have never experienced travel at sea before. We started with our current brand, MSC Cruises, which is now truly global, and identified a demand for the luxury segment. We met this demand with our premium ship within a ship concept, the famous and highly successful MSC Yacht Club. The creation of a new brand focused on luxury experiences at sea was of course a natural progression for us."

EXPLORA II was officially christened in Civitavecchia

According to Seatrade Cruise News, Vago went on to say that Explora's ships are designed to be "classic, timeless, in short the epitome of European elegance, but also lively and modern - cosmopolitan," adding that the main strength of the Explora Journeys brand is that the Aponte family is behind it and involved in every detail of its preparation.

"By 2028, Explora Journeys' fleet will consist of six ships offering the spirit of luxury ocean adventure and visiting popular destinations where our guests can enjoy high standards and quality service across our entire fleet worldwide."

Kmotra Rosalba Giugni

The Naming Ceremony is part of an ancient naval tradition that completes the construction and marks the beginning of the ship's official operation. It culminates when the ship's godmother ceremoniously cuts the ribbon that releases the champagne bottle mechanism near the hull. It then breaks near the ship's name, signifying that the ship is officially named. For superstitious sailors, not breaking the bottle would spell utter disaster, as they believe it spells great misfortune for the vessel.

Fortunately, nothing like that happened with EXPLORA II and the bottle broke on the first try. Its godmother is Italian ecologist Rosalba Giugni, who has close relations with MSC Group owner Gianluigi Aponte and his MSC Foundation. After Dr. Sylvia Earle, world-renowned oceanographer, explorer and conservationist, she is the second woman whose life is dedicated to marine conservation to be chosen by Explora Journeys as the godmother of its ships. Indeed, marine conservation has been one of the MSC Group's main concerns for more than 10 years, as symbolized by the painting on the hull of MSC Euribia.

Commenting on the decision to appoint Giugni as the ship's godmother, MSC Group's executive chairman said: "Rosalba is first and foremost a friend. She is also a great partner of the MSC Foundation through her position as founder and president of the environmental organisation Marevivo. We asked Rosalba to be the godmother of the Explora II to honor her incredible 35 years of dedication to the blue planet and celebrate the values we share.'

Strengthen Italy

According to Seatrade Cruise News, part of Vago's speech was also in the spirit of the MSC Group's striving for a "stronger Italy". In his speech, he stressed the need for revenue from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to go towards supporting the decarbonisation efforts of which Explora Journeys is a part.

Antonio Tajani, Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and another guest at the ceremony, also agreed, highlighting the importance of the Aponte family and the Fincantieri shipyards. The mayor of Civitavecchia, Marco Piendibene, then said that the MSC family of owners had "invested deeply" in the town and also spoke of the "enormous innovations that the Aponte family brings."

Ceremonial

The launch of EXPLORA II was accompanied by the singing of English singer Tony Hadley and actress and singer Kerry Ellis. The audience also had the opportunity to watch a live interview with Italian film director, screenwriter and Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore. He told the host of the evening, Italian actress and presenter Lorelle Cuccarini, about his collaboration with the recently deceased Italian composer Ennio Morricone. The orchestra then played some of Morricone's most famous compositions.

The traditional parade of officers and the aforementioned christening ceremony was followed by a celebratory dinner, prepared by Franck Garanger, Explora Journeys' Head of Culinary.

The whole evening was topped off with a drone show that conjured up beautiful images over the water of Civitavecchia harbour, including the logo of Explora Journeys.

Ships of the Explora Journeys fleet

EXPLORA II is part of the MSC Group's grand plan to build a new brand of ultra-luxury cruise ships, with a total of 6 new generation ships expected to sail under its banner by 2028. The first ship, EXPLORA I, set sail on the world's oceans last summer. Then last Friday, in addition to the handover of the newly christened EXPLORA II, the EXPLORA III and the first steel cutting of EXPLORA IV took place at the Fincantieri shipyards, marking important milestones in their construction. The last two ships, EXPLORA V and EXPLORA VI, are due to sail in 2027 and 2028 respectively.

All six ships are part of the MSC Group's investment plan, which is worth more than €3.5 billion (more than CZK 88 billion).

Zdroj a foto: Explora Journeys, SeaTrade Cruise News, Cruise Industry News, Cruise and Ferry

Travels with EXPLORA II

Do you like the new EXPLORA II and would you like to experience what it would be like to sail on it through the ocean? Below you'll find two offers that our Luxury Cruise Manager Zuzka thinks are the best combination of price and places visited. Don't hesitate to set sail with us today!

If you are interested, please contact us at 571 424 588 or by email at [email protected]