Full steam ahead for the construction of the Explora Journeys fleet: the luxury lifestyle brand of the MSC Group. Today, at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard, three major ceremonies took place: the launching of Explora III, the coin ceremony for Explora IV, and the steel-cutting for Explora V.
Comprised of a total of six vessels – with the first two, Explora I and Explora II, already in service – the luxury brand’s fleet, entirely built by Fincantieri, will be fully operational within three years. Explora III will be christened next year, Explora IV and Explora V are scheduled for delivery in 2027, while Explora VI will take to the sea in 2028.
Admiral Pierpaolo Ribuffo, Head of the Department for Maritime Policies, stated: “Italy contributes to shaping the European maritime industrial strategy with renewed awareness, firmly supporting the outstanding excellence it expresses in shipbuilding and shipping.”
Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division, stated: “The Explora Journeys fleet is a concrete example of how collaboration with the shipowner can translate into outstanding results, combining innovation, sustainability, and quality. Five of the six ships in the class are being built here in Sestri Ponente, a strategic asset in our production system and a symbol of an industrial vision focused on modern shipyards, green technologies, and highly complex processes.”
MSC Group’s investment for the six Explora Journeys ships, with five of them built at Sestri Ponente, amounts to approximately €3.5 billion. This investment generates significant economic, technological, and employment benefits in Italy, estimated at over €15 billion, thanks also to a predominantly Italian supply chain characterized by a strong presence of SMEs. In addition to these benefits, there is a significant tourism impact in the many ports visited by the vessels. The construction of each individual ship requires over seven million working hours and involves an average employment of 2,500 people over two to three years. Including the four ships previously ordered from Fincantieri and already delivered – MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview, MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape – MSC’s total investment now amounts to approximately €7 billion.
