Explora II is a luxury ocean cruise ship operated by Explora Journeys, the luxury lifestyle travel brand of the MSC Group. The ship was built by Fincantieri at Sestri Ponente in Genoa and delivered on 12 September 2024.
Fincantieri's technical specification gives a gross tonnage of 63,621 GT, an overall length of 248 metres, moulded breadth of 32.6 metres, design draught of 6.9 metres and service speed of 18 knots. The ship has 461 passenger cabins, all conceived as ocean-front suites.
Explora II is the second vessel in the Explora Journeys fleet and follows sister ship Explora I. Fincantieri records two 10,000 kW electric propulsion motors and four 9,600 kW diesel-generator sets.
Environmental technology
Unlike later Explora Journeys newbuilds beginning with Explora III, Explora II is not LNG-powered. Both Explora Journeys and Fincantieri identify Explora III as the first LNG-powered ship in the fleet.
Explora II was built with shore-to-ship power connectivity, allowing engine use to be minimised when compatible shoreside infrastructure is available. The ship also uses selective catalytic reduction technology designed to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90 per cent, an advanced wastewater treatment system, ballast-water treatment, underwater-noise mitigation and energy-efficiency systems.
Fincantieri confirms that Explora II received RINA's Green Plus, Comfort Noise and Vibration and Dolphin notations and is certified under Polar Code C.
Exhaust emissions
Primary documentation clearly establishes selective catalytic reduction for NOx control, but SCR is not an exhaust-gas scrubber. Deck7 therefore does not classify this as an EGCS installation. A separate SOx exhaust-gas cleaning/scrubber system has not been sufficiently confirmed in the primary material reviewed, so EGCS status remains Not confirmed.