"The port of Barcelona is a great reference in our sector"

--- How about this premiere in the port of Barcelona?

--- It's something that has made us very excited. Barcelona is an important port in all aspects and pays special attention to the passenger sector. It is a benchmark. We couldn't miss coming here to present our first ship to a group of media and especially to travel prescribers to convince them live that we have a very good product. Barcelona will go down in the history of this ship as the first stop of its life. We have sailed from the shipyard to here on a very interesting journey through the Adriatic and the Mediterranean.

--- When Lluís Salvadó exchanged plaques with the ship's captain, the port president showed enthusiasm for the ship and for his company's commitment to Barcelona.

--- And I was very happy with that sincerity. Barcelona will be a regular stop for our special trips around the Mediterranean. It is not only a very interesting city and environment. It is also one of the best ports in the world for embarking and disembarking passengers at the beginning and end of their voyages. That is a win-win for both parties. On the other hand, the MSC group has always had an excellent relationship with the authorities and terminal operators who offer us good service. I understand that he is happy with our arrival. We also feel very good here. Then there are all the positive developments regarding sustainability. This is very good for everyone and puts us on a good path.

--- Although now they are leaving and will not return until spring 2024.

--- We are a unique shipping company. We offer a different product and our stops vary, as does the travel time. Our guests can sail with us from five days to twenty-five and even link new trips. We are original, varied and yes, we will return to the Mediterranean and Barcelona with this ship in April 2024, a few months before the premiere of our second ship, the Explora II, which will precisely make its inaugural voyage departing from this city and which 10 days and 11 nights later will arrive in Piraeus, in Athens. From then on, we will have two ships sailing the Mediterranean in the following months. Although there is still more…

--- With that "there is more" you mean that you are not going to stay with two ships. Right?

--- Correct. Our initial business plan is to have six ships by 2028. The first two will be sailing next year and the subsequent ones will be progressively delivered. Explora III and IV will have a unique feature compared to the one we presented in Barcelona: they will be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the cleanest transition fuel currently available for maritime navigation. Then will come Explora V and VI, which, in their case, will carry an even cleaner fuel: hydrogen. These ships will need more space for their tanks and the ships will be about 20 meters longer, a space that, for passengers, we will use not to carry more guests but to have larger suites, which are the ones that, market things, sell faster. We will always be below 1,000 passengers with a proportional crew.

"Barcelona will be a regular stop for our special trips around the Mediterranean"

--- I could start with a geographical characteristic: we are a European company. That is in our feeling, in our way of doing and understanding navigation. We have our headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, a city that is one of the cities where high quality is present in daily life as something normal and above all it is the birthplace of luxury hospitality. Along Lake Geneva, great hotels and excellent hotel schools have been born, such as Lausanne, something recognized worldwide.

--- Even knowing that we are on the water and the mission of a ship is navigation, on board there is a feeling of a contemporary luxury hotel. Are they the inspiration for the company?

--- Well seen. Look: our root is the MSC group, Mediterranean Shipping Company, a family business that has been related to the sea for three centuries, although for this luxury travel division we have broadened our gaze to surprise our guests. By the way, we call them that because, for us, they are not cruise passengers, they are travelers and yes, we have been inspired by details that we have seen in luxury hotel groups such as Belmond or Aman resorts.

"We call them our guests because, for us, they are not cruise passengers, they are travelers"

--- That's what it's about. We wanted to do things well and be original. What we offer on our ships is not a normal trip or a conventional voyage. What we aim for is a total immersion in the experience. We wanted to call it Ocean State of Mind. Look: we are clear that the sea and the oceans relax you and create an energy in you that inspires inner and outer discovery, broadens horizons, and triggers new connections. The sea connects you with yourself, with people, and with the places around you. It's something our guests will feel on our ships traveling the world.

--- Wow. That sounded wonderful, although besides the intangible, there's a lot to offer.

--- Evidently. This must be accompanied by impeccable service on board and in what is offered. It's a long story, but I'll summarize it in a few brief ideas: all our private spaces are suites with an outdoor terrace to feel the sea firsthand. The smallest is 35 m2, and from there we go through different typologies until we reach the owner's suite, almost 300 m2. We have nine gastronomic experiences on board: from very interesting and varied restaurants to a cooking school and more informal offerings. We have prioritized here not only that everything is tasty but also healthy, and where Plant Based food is increasingly important.

--- Times are changing. Before, ship trips were always identified with grand banquets and parties on board.

--- And there is! You can eat very well and have fun on board, although the truth is that in a travel experience of these characteristics, from Explora Journeys we wanted satisfaction to go through a more, let's say, holistic side: before arriving at a port like Trapani, Kos Fiskardo or Kalamata, and I'm only giving four examples in the Mediterranean, we have experts on board who will tell us what we are going to see, the history of the place or any other interesting feature. Our intention is for the experience to be more elevated, authentic, beautiful. Not in vain, for example, the music in three different areas of the ship is from three Steinway & Sons pianos, perhaps the most prestigious company on the market. Those are the quality details we offer on board, and I could tell you a hundred more.

--- There would be many, but come on... tell me what you are most proud of.

--- Well, well. So now I'm on this sofa with you in a whisky bar aboard the Explora I, we have a magnificent view of Barcelona through the windows and I think that not so long ago, in 2019, Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises and my current boss, contacted me to shape a new, luxury cruise line that would be different from everything else on the market. I accepted the challenge. I started by opening my laptop and... from that moment to this. With one ship already sailing, five on the way and magnificent collaborators with whom we are going to do many interesting things, giving a new meaning to these trips, where time, space and authenticity are key.