A Journey to Cosmopolitan Cools and Cosy Coves of the Aegean

6 nights - 23 Aug 2025

Explora I | Mediterranean

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Ocean Terrace Suite OT1

~~WAS £2340pp~~ From £2223PP

Ocean Terrace Suite OT2

~~WAS £2470pp~~ From £2346PP

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~~WAS £4355pp~~ From £4137PP

Cove Residence

~~WAS £5620pp~~ From £5339PP

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~~WAS £5870pp~~ From £5576

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(Prices correct as of today’s date, are updated daily, are subject to change and represent genuine availability at time of update).

Cruise only holidays are financially protected by ABTA. Fly cruise holidays are financially protected by Explora Journeys under ATOL number

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Prices based on 2 people sharing. Cruise only price does not include flights. Fly-cruise price may vary by chosen UK airport.

Itinerary

List Timeline

Istanbul

Day 1

23 August 2025

Istanbul

More Info

Day 2

24 August 2025

At Sea

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Day 3

25 August 2025

Ermoupoli, Syra

More Info

Day 4

26 August 2025

Bodrum

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Day 5

27 August 2025

Rhodes

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Day 6

28 August 2025

Páros

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Day 7

29 August 2025

Piraeus

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Istanbul

Piraeus

23 August 2025

Istanbul

The only city in the world that can lay claim to straddling two continents, Istanbul—once known as Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine and then the Ottoman Empire—has for centuries been a bustling metropolis with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia. Istanbul embraces this enviable position with both a certain chaos and inventiveness, ever evolving as one of the world’s most cosmopolitan crossroads. It’s often said that Istanbul is the meeting point of East and West, but visitors to this city built over the former capital of two great empires are likely to be just as impressed by the juxtaposition of old and new. Office towers creep up behind historic palaces, women in chic designer outfits pass others wearing long skirts and head coverings, peddlers’ pushcarts vie with battered old Fiats and shiny BMWs for dominance of the noisy, narrow streets, and the Grand Bazaar competes with modern shopping malls. At dawn, when the muezzin's call to prayer resounds from ancient minarets, there are inevitably a few hearty revelers still making their way home from nightclubs and bars. Most visitors to this sprawling city of more than 14 million will first set foot in the relatively compact Old City, where the legacy of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires can be seen in monumental works of architecture like the brilliant Aya Sofya and the beautifully proportioned mosques built by the great architect Sinan. Though it would be easy to spend days, if not weeks, exploring the wealth of attractions in the historical peninsula, visitors should make sure also to venture elsewhere in order to experience the vibrancy of contemporary Istanbul. With a lively nightlife propelled by its young population and an exciting arts scene that’s increasingly on the international radar—thanks in part to its stint as the European Capital of Culture in 2010—Istanbul is truly a city that never sleeps. It’s also a place where visitors will feel welcome: Istanbul may be on the Bosphorus, but at heart it’s a Mediterranean city, whose friendly inhabitants are effusively social and eager to share what they love most about it.

24 August 2025

At Sea

Explore Ship

25 August 2025

Ermoupoli, Syra

Syros is an island in the Aegean Sea, 78 miles (125 kilometres) southeast of Athens, and the administrative, commercial, intellectual and cultural centre of the Cyclades. Syros is 32 square miles (82.8 square kilometres) in area. Its largest towns are Ermoupoli, the capital of the ...

26 August 2025

Bodrum

27 August 2025

Rhodes

Early travelers described Rhodes as a town of two parts: a castle or high town (Collachium) and a lower city. Today Rhodes town—sometimes referred to as Ródos town—is still a city of two parts: the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site that incorporates the high town and lower c ...

28 August 2025

Páros

29 August 2025

Piraeus

It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—Athína in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity. Locals depend on humor and flexibility to deal with the chaos; you should do the same. The rewards are immense. Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are close to the modern city center. You can easily walk from the Acropolis to many other key sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. From many quarters of the city you can glimpse "the glory that was Greece" in the form of the Acropolis looming above the horizon, but only by actually climbing that rocky precipice can you feel the impact of the ancient settlement. The Acropolis and Filopappou, two craggy hills sitting side by side; the ancient Agora (marketplace); and Kerameikos, the first cemetery, form the core of ancient and Roman Athens. Along the Unification of Archaeological Sites promenade, you can follow stone-paved, tree-lined walkways from site to site, undisturbed by traffic. Cars have also been banned or reduced in other streets in the historical center. In the National Archaeological Museum, vast numbers of artifacts illustrate the many millennia of Greek civilization; smaller museums such as the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum illuminate the history of particular regions or periods. Athens may seem like one huge city, but it is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. The Eastern influences that prevailed during the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire are still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the foot of the Acropolis. On the northern slope of the Acropolis, stroll through Plaka (if possible by moonlight), an area of tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions, to get the flavor of the 19th-century's gracious lifestyle. The narrow lanes of Anafiotika, a section of Plaka, thread past tiny churches and small, color-washed houses with wooden upper stories, recalling a Cycladic island village. In this maze of winding streets, vestiges of the older city are everywhere: crumbling stairways lined with festive tavernas; dank cellars filled with wine vats; occasionally a court or diminutive garden, enclosed within high walls and filled with magnolia trees and the flaming trumpet-shaped flowers of hibiscus bushes. Formerly run-down old quarters, such as Thission, Gazi and Psirri, popular nightlife areas filled with bars and mezedopoleia (similar to tapas bars), are now in the process of gentrification, although they still retain much of their original charm, as does the colorful produce and meat market on Athinas. The area around Syntagma Square, the tourist hub, and Omonia Square, the commercial heart of the city about 1 km (½ mi) northwest, is distinctly European, having been designed by the court architects of King Otho, a Bavarian, in the 19th century. The chic shops and bistros of ritzy Kolonaki nestle at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus, Athens's highest hill (909 feet). Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: in the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, once a summer resort for aristocratic Athenians, and in the south and southeast lie Glyfada, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, with their sandy beaches, seaside bars, and lively summer nightlife. Just beyond the city's southern fringes is Piraeus, a bustling port city of waterside fish tavernas and Saronic Gulf views.

*This holiday is generally suitable for persons with reduced mobility. For customers with reduced mobility or any medical condition that may require special assistance or arrangements to be made, please notify your Cruise Concierge at the time of your enquiry, so that we can provide specific information as to the suitability of the holiday, as well as make suitable arrangements with the Holiday Provider on your behalf.

What's Included with
Explora Journeys

Explore Explora I

Gelateria & Creperie at The Conservatory

Anthology

A Gastronomic Adventure

As our signature fine-dining experience, Anthology elevates Italian cuisine, offering an unparalleled gastronomic adventure.

On the menu, created by our esteemed Head of Culinary, Franck Garanger, each dish is a celebration of Italy’s finest regional ingredients and flavours.

From the renowned flavours of Piedmont’s truffle-rich countryside in the North, to the famed specialities of Italy’s South, each plate celebrates the local produce and time-honoured techniques of every region in Italy.

The menu is an ingenious display of creativity – a vibrant tapestry of regional flavours and authentic ingredients which invites guests to immerse themselves in the different styles and tastes of Italy’s universally loved cuisine.

Contemporary, Refined Elegance

With the opportunity to dine outdoors, Anthology offers an intimate yet elevated dining atmosphere with flawless, attentive service.

Indoor seating: 48
Outdoor seating: 22
Open for dinner
Reservations recommended
An Exclusive Experience Fee Applies
Located on Deck 5

Beyond Boundaries

Soul-stirring experiences that touch the impossible, from the thrill of supersonic speed to the deepest fathoms of ocean trenches.

Whether you seek the thrill of supersonic speed, the silence of polar mountain peaks, the deepest fathoms of ocean trenches, the sense of awe from meeting world-leading intellects and artisans, these experiences are more than one-off wonderments, they are soul-stirring achievements that will forever influence your perspective of the world and your role within it.

Journeys Lounge

Mixology, enrichment and entertainment continuously evolving throughout the day.

The most spacious onboard lounge features mixology specialists, enrichment activities and cabaret-style entertainment daily. This venue is designed to continuously evolve and transform throughout the day along with the ocean journey.

Indoor seating: 210
Located on Deck 4

Ocean Wellness The Spa

A calming space designed to reconnect guests to themselves – influenced at every level by the calming presence of the ocean.

The spa is where the pressures of daily life dissipate to insignificance amidst a sensory journey to the Ocean State of Mind.

Facilities

Steam Room
Steam shower (in private spa suites)
Hydrotherapy pool
Finnish sauna
Salt cave
Experience shower
Ice fall
Heated marble loungers
Relaxation room

* Spa treatments, including massages and facials, require a minimum age of 12 years old, with parental supervision. Access to our Wellness Area and thermal facilities is reserved for our guests aged 16 years old and above.

11 Treatment Rooms in total of which

2 Private Spa Suites with a dedicated outdoor relaxation area
1 Double treatment room
7 single treatment rooms
1 single treatment room for specialised skin treatments - the Medi Luxe Treatments by Dr Levy Switzerland
Outdoor relaxation area

* Spa treatments cannot be booked until 60 days prior to the journey.

The Spa Facilities:

Steam Room - A regenerating oasis of psycho-physical wellbeing. Air, steam, and scented fragrances combine and gently rest on the skin, making natural exfoliation easier and increasing perspiration.
Experience Shower - A multi-sensory journey, the warm shower is complete with fragrances and soft colour lights, offering moments of utmost pleasure – either at the beginning or at the end of the day.
Hydrotherapy Pool - Designed to create moments of authentic psycho-physical regeneration.
Finnish Sauna - The ideal space to unwind, reduce stress, strengthen airways, relax your muscles, and oxygenate your tissues.
Salt Cave - Walls are covered in Himalayan salt bricks, allowing guests to inhale Himalayan salt-infused air, which releases negative ions into the air.
Steam Shower - A shower that combines the relaxing heat of the steam and the regenerating freshness of water. (* Available within private Spa suites)
Ice Fall - The Ice Fall regenerates the body after intense heat exposure in the Finnish Sauna or Steam Room.
Heated Marble Loungers - Equipped with an infrared system that radiates the heat on the whole stone surface.

Deck 14

Sports Court
Whirlpool
Panorama Lounge
Sky Bar On 14

Deck 12

Helios Pool & Lounge (Adults Only)
Running Track
Whirlpools
Lift

Deck 11

Explora Lounge
Private Dining Room
Malt Whiskey Bar
Chef's Kitchen
Children & Teens Area
The Conservatory Pool & Bar
Indoor Whirlpool
Gelateria & Creperie
Emporium Marketplace Restaurant
Emporium Marketplace Restaurant Outdoor Seating
Lift

Deck 10

Ocean Wellness Fitness Centre
Atoll Pool & Bar
Upper Aft Pool & Lounge
Grand Penthouse
Deluxe Penthouse
Cove Residence
Premier Penthouse
Ocean Terrace Suite
Lift

Deck 9

Retreat Residence
Ocean Terrace Suite
Cove Residence
Grand Penthouse
Premier Penthouse
Deluxe Penthouse
Penthouse
Serenity Residence
Lift

Deck 8

Owner's Residence
Retreat Residence
Ocean Terrace Suite
Penthouse
Premier Penthouse
Grand Penthouse
Cove Residence
Lift

Deck 7

Retreat Residence
Ocean Grand Terrace Suite
Ocean Terrace Suite
Grand Penthouse
Cove Residence
Deluxe Penthouse
Penthouse
Serenity Residence
Lift

Deck 6

Cocoon Residence
Penthouse
Deluxe Penthouse
Ocean Grand Terrace Suite
Ocean Terrace Suite
Grand Penthouse
Cove Residence
Lift

Deck 5

Ocean Wellness The Spa
Future Journeys Ambassadors
Anthology Restaurant
Crema Café
Marble & Co. Grill Restaurant
Galleria D'Arte
MSC Foundation
Astern Lounge
Sakura Restaurant
Astern Pool & Bar
Lift

Deck 4

Journeys Lounge
The Casino
Guest Services
Destination Experiences
Shops
Lobby & Lobby Bar
Med Yacht Club Restaurant
Fil Rouge Restaurant
Lift

Deck 3

Medical Centre
Marina Lounge
Marina Deck

Explora I Cabins & Suites

Suite

Owner's Residence

The iconic Owner’s Residence creates the largest living space on-board, with multiple harmonious spaces in which to relax, entertain and unwind.

Stand in awe of the panoramic ocean views from your private outdoor terrace – extending over the full ship's width – with a spacious infinity whirlpool, and enjoy intuitive, intelligent, dedicated private butler services by the Residence Manager.

Every aspect of the design of our Owner’s Residence reflects the meticulous curation of all details, conscious at all times of our commitment to sustainability.

Features

Dedicated private butler services by the Residence Manager
Oversized floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the sea
Separate living, dining and sleeping areas
Abundant lounge area
Dining table for 8 guests
Spacious work desk area
In-suite welcome bottle of Dom Pérignon
Private bar, replenished according to the guests’ preferences
Espresso machine, kettle and tea pot with a complimentary selection of coffee and teas
Complimentary personal refillable water bottle for each guest
Pair of binoculars for guests' use during their journey
Technogym Bench and Technogym Case Kit for an efficient in-suite fitness experience
Laptop-size safe
Guest lavatory and powder room
Butler pantry area

Bedroom

Bespoke king-sized bed sleep system - size: 200 x 200 cm (79 x 79 in)
Down duvets and pillows
Fine bed linens
Extensive pillow selection
Oversized dressing room

Outdoors

Panoramic ocean-front terrace covering the full ship’s width, with a private outdoor spacious whirlpool, day beds, a dining table, lounge area, shower and sun loungers

Bathroom

Luxurious marble double vanity bathroom
Large bathtub and a walk-in shower
Private steam room
Plush bathrobes and bath linens
Custom bath toiletries and amenities
Dyson Supersonic TM hairdryer and illuminated make-up/shaving mirror
Additional guest powder room

Butler Service

Packing and unpacking to the guests’ preferences
Pressing and laundering assistance
Private in-suite dining
Itinerary and transport planning
Celebrations planning
Onboard and ashore reservations assistance

Stats

Total Suite area: 280 sqm (3,014 sq ft)
Suite: 155 sqm (1,668 sq ft)
Terrace: 125 sqm (1,345 sq ft)
Maximum capacity: 2 adults and 1 child under 2 years old (in a baby cot) A connecting Ocean Terrace suite can be reserved additionally, allowing for a total maximum capacity of 4 adults or 3 adults and 1 child under 18 years old

*All images are a combination of photography and artist renderings.

The artist representations and interior decorations, finishes, and furnishings are provided for illustrative purposes only.