Explora Has a New President

[Dr. Cocktail]

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/09/97290/

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/people-opinions/explora-journeys-appoints-aman-s-anna-nash-as-president

[Dr. Cocktail]

They're certainly going with someone who understands luxury travel from the client's perspective.

 

Also someone who would have access and knowledge about hiring staff....

[saminina]

I believe she is responsible for dynamic pricing being introduced to Aman....and influencers roaming the properties.  She'll be a great fit with Explora.

[Stickman1990]

It’s certainly a busy week for Explora Journeys with Explora 2 launching, Explora 3 coin laying ceremony and Explora 4 steel cutting

 

https://latteluxurynews.com/2024/09/10/explora-journeys-president/

[Dr. Cocktail]

3 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

It’s certainly a busy week for Explora Journeys with Explora 2 launching, Explora 3 coin laying ceremony and Explora 4 steel cutting

 

https://latteluxurynews.com/2024/09/10/explora-journeys-president/

Funny how so many naysayers were saying that 3 and 4 would never be built!

[kelleherdl]

15 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

Funny how so many naysayers were saying that 3 and 4 would never be built!

They are so used to the corporate cruise lines and their inertia/lawyer-centric decision making. Were it not for the fortitude of the Aponte family to restart as soon as possible after COVID we might still not be cruising (joking of course). To think that MSC/EJ would not forge ahead with a well considered corporate strategy is a difficult concept for some. Explora 1 has been sailing for one year. E2 sails next week. Within 5 years there will be three more ships in the fleet. Let’s see then if there is still lack of itinerary diversification. We’ve sailed twice already. We have two more cruises in the next 6 months. All were/are two weeks or longer with unique itineraries. I have no doubt that we will be taking our bucket list cruise of the South Pacific on an EJ ship in the coming years.

[Dr. Cocktail]

4 minutes ago, kelleherdl said:

They are so used to the corporate cruise lines and their inertia/lawyer-centric decision making. Were it not for the fortitude of the Aponte family to restart as soon as possible after COVID we might still not be cruising (joking of course). To think that MSC/EJ would not forge ahead with a well considered corporate strategy is a difficult concept for some. Explora 1 has been sailing for one year. E2 sails next week. Within 5 years there will be three more ships in the fleet. Let’s see then if there is still lack of itinerary diversification. We’ve sailed twice already. We have two more cruises in the next 6 months. All were/are two weeks or longer with unique itineraries. I have no doubt that we will be taking our bucket list cruise of the South Pacific on an EJ ship in the coming years.

Jealous!  I've sailed twice and had 2 booked in the next 6 months (suddenly it's a competition!) but changed one for my first time on Seabourn....

 

While it's still a work in progress, I'm pretty certain that they'll get it right!

[PaulMCO]

Nothing is going to change - this from a nay sayer...  Putting a Hotelier in charge of a cruise line clearly show the direction they are going. Then again deep pockets will prevail and they will throw lots of Aponte family money into the line.  Will have 6 ships sailing the Med 🙂

Edited September 10 by PaulMCO

[Hlitner]

I find myself agreeing with PaulMCO's post.  When we cruised on EJ1, our main issue was with the attitude of some senior staff and Guest Relations folks who pushed out an attitude of "we are not a cruise line" but rather a floating resort.  In fact, the Guest Relations staff (I refuse to use that juvenile Explora Speak) would get annoyed at any kind of comparison to other lines.

 

So now, EJ makes another senior management change and brings in outside talent with little to no cruise line experience.  This from a corporation that is full of cruise-experienced talent from the MSC side, including many wunho have contributed to the wonderful Yacht Club Experience.  

 

Although we enjoyed our 18 days on EJ1, we have felt no strong desire to book more future cruises with EJ.  Instead, we have been on lines like Seabourn, Silversea, and Oceania.  These are all lines that understand they are cruise lines (not hotels) and have a good understanding of cruise passengers.  

 

We do wish Explora the best and hope that the new President is a fast learner when it comes to running a cruise line.  Ships are not quite the same as floating resorts.   We hope that at some point, EJ will get over themselves and start thinking about their customers.

 

Hank

[Waltershipman]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I find myself agreeing with PaulMCO's post.  When we cruised on EJ1, our main issue was with the attitude of some senior staff and Guest Relations folks who pushed out an attitude of "we are not a cruise line" but rather a floating resort.  In fact, the Guest Relations staff (I refuse to use that juvenile Explora Speak) would get annoyed at any kind of comparison to other lines.

 

So now, EJ makes another senior management change and brings in outside talent with little to no cruise line experience.  This from a corporation that is full of cruise-experienced talent from the MSC side, including many wunho have contributed to the wonderful Yacht Club Experience.  

 

Although we enjoyed our 18 days on EJ1, we have felt no strong desire to book more future cruises with EJ.  Instead, we have been on lines like Seabourn, Silversea, and Oceania.  These are all lines that understand they are cruise lines (not hotels) and have a good understanding of cruise passengers.  

 

We do wish Explora the best and hope that the new President is a fast learner when it comes to running a cruise line.  Ships are not quite the same as floating resorts.   We hope that at some point, EJ will get over themselves and start thinking about their customers.

 

Hank

Always respect Hanks experiences and observations. I was fortunate to travel with Hank last October and since then we both sailed on O Vista although We unlike Hank  have not had any  cruises other than Vista since our EJ cruise.

 

We however have booked another EJ cruise with guarded optimism for Carribeanwhich will hopefully provide more outdoor experiencesthank previous.. We found O in February to be less than our prior O experiences and cost cutting was evident. Our main issue however was the Vista felt crowded.. we do not plan to go back to O absent a great deal.

 

We are giving EJ another try even though there could be hiccups from reading the CC boards as well as our own past experiences. I hope that back of house issues have been resolved and that on board communication with staff has improved

 

Hank be well cruise well and keep reporting your life cruise experiences . I enjoy your posts

 

All the best

 

David 

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Waltershipman said:

Always respect Hanks experiences and observations. I was fortunate to travel with Hank last October and since then we both sailed on O Vista although We unlike Hank  have not had any  cruises other than Vista since our EJ cruise.

 

We however have booked another EJ cruise with guarded optimism for Carribeanwhich will hopefully provide more outdoor experiencesthank previous.. We found O in February to be less than our prior O experiences and cost cutting was evident. Our main issue however was the Vista felt crowded.. we do not plan to go back to O absent a great deal.

 

We are giving EJ another try even though there could be hiccups from reading the CC boards as well as our own past experiences. I hope that back of house issues have been resolved and that on board communication with staff has improved

 

Hank be well cruise well and keep reporting your life cruise experiences . I enjoy your posts

 

All the best

 

David 

Will look forward to reading your cruise comments after your voyage.  We had looked at the EJ Caribbean schedule, but opted to book an amazing bargain deal, for the Caribbean, on Silversea.  Will be curious to know if EJ brings back the Moet Champagnes.

 

Hank

[Waltershipman]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Will look forward to reading your cruise comments after your voyage.  We had looked at the EJ Caribbean schedule, but opted to book an amazing bargain deal, for the Caribbean, on Silversea.  Will be curious to know if EJ brings back the Moet Champagnes.

 

Hank

Please also keep me posted on SS experiences 

 

All the best

[sea bright]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Will look forward to reading your cruise comments after your voyage.  We had looked at the EJ Caribbean schedule, but opted to book an amazing bargain deal, for the Caribbean, on Silversea.  Will be curious to know if EJ brings back the Moet Champagnes.

 

Hank

We are long time Silversea cruisers (settled on Silversea 10+ years ago  after a number of cruises on Old Crystal, Radisson/Regent and Seabourn), who booked our first Explora (a TA on Explora I in April) last winter. In the past year, we have had disappointing experiences on Silversea (except the Endeavour, which we are just back from, and was great, but we have limited interest in it's other itineraries). When we booked Explora, it sounded as if the entertainment would be worse, but the food would be better, as would the champagne (Moet) and service would be good to great and improving. Entertainment is not important to us - we avoid cruise directors, trivia, bingo and production shows. However, food, beverage and service are.

I thought Explora would be a good fit for us, but am now concerned that entertainment is being improved, but what matters most to us is being cut. I'm very interested in the recent experiences of those who have sailed other  small luxury ships, particularly as to food, beverage and service. Thanks for any input!

[Hlitner]

46 minutes ago, sea bright said:

We are long time Silversea cruisers (settled on Silversea 10+ years ago  after a number of cruises on Old Crystal, Radisson/Regent and Seabourn), who booked our first Explora (a TA on Explora I in April) last winter. In the past year, we have had disappointing experiences on Silversea (except the Endeavour, which we are just back from, and was great, but we have limited interest in it's other itineraries). When we booked Explora, it sounded as if the entertainment would be worse, but the food would be better, as would the champagne (Moet) and service would be good to great and improving. Entertainment is not important to us - we avoid cruise directors, trivia, bingo and production shows. However, food, beverage and service are.

I thought Explora would be a good fit for us, but am now concerned that entertainment is being improved, but what matters most to us is being cut. I'm very interested in the recent experiences of those who have sailed other  small luxury ships, particularly as to food, beverage and service. Thanks for any input!

When it comes to the small ship luxury lines, our "go to" line is Seabourn.  We are just back (last week) from 21 days on the Encore where we cruised in Croatia. Slovenia, Greece and Montenegro.  We thought it was similar to our past SB cruises except that there seemed to be some reductions in staff which primarily effected the Colonnade (their Lido) and Solis (their new upscale alternative venue).  On the other hand, they have fixed one of our big complaints which is that they used to have no cushions on the deck chair which is no longer an issue.

 

I have made no secret that we had some issues on EJ1 (mostly related to the attitude of the senior staff and guest relations) but we do believe that EJ will eventually improve the product and become one of the best luxury lines.  I think their problem is trying too hard to be different when the reality is that they are just one more luxury cruise line.  We do suggest that folks who really enjoy luxury lines give EJ a try and form their own opinion.  We thought that when the line first got their start the food and service were fine.  There were some beverage issues related to the fact that EJ is tied to a few brands to the exclusion of others.  We would hope that this has already been corrected.   

 

Hank

[tfred]

Explora has got to get more pax on the ships. There are a number of small lux ships out there now. They can only poach so many pax from the other lines so they have to look for new customers and that is from the luxury hotel category 

 

The term that I read somewhere is that lux lines are looking for the "working wealthy" who can take 7-10 day cruises   That probably means Caribbean and Mediterranean for the most part since those ports have easier airports to get to . There are literally thousands of present day non-cruise potential customers to go after.  Other existing pax can do back to back Bora Bora for the 21 day extravaganzas. 

 

The new prez coming from that level of hotel is meaningful.  They want the standards that group/chain has and to bring that consistency to Explora   There are many things that the potential customers really don't care about since they never had it at the high end hotels they have vacationed at 

[Hlitner]

On 9/22/2024 at 8:42 AM, tfred said:

Explora has got to get more pax on the ships. There are a number of small lux ships out there now. They can only poach so many pax from the other lines so they have to look for new customers and that is from the luxury hotel category 

 

The term that I read somewhere is that lux lines are looking for the "working wealthy" who can take 7-10 day cruises   That probably means Caribbean and Mediterranean for the most part since those ports have easier airports to get to . There are literally thousands of present day non-cruise potential customers to go after.  Other existing pax can do back to back Bora Bora for the 21 day extravaganzas. 

 

The new prez coming from that level of hotel is meaningful.  They want the standards that group/chain has and to bring that consistency to Explora   There are many things that the potential customers really don't care about since they never had it at the high end hotels they have vacationed at 

Not sure you have it right.  Keep in mind that Explora, just like its MSC sister company, is a Euro-centric cruise company.  While you think in terms of Florida and the Caribbean, the MSC folks think more in terms of Europe and Europeans.  While MSC does now have a decent presence in the Florida/Caribbean market, the bulk of their fleet is still dedicated to Europe.  When EJ was just getting it's start, one of its marketing ploys that just about everything, onboard, was sourced in Europe.  The bottom line for EJ is that, at the moment, it is a tiny cruise line with only 900 berths.  It is difficult to justify a huge marketing budget for such a small company, and they still go out of their way to keep separation from MSC....(although there is a big MSC sign in the Emporium indoor pool on EJ1.  In fact, we got a laugh when, on EJ1, we would sometimes get MSC napkins.

 

I posted, long before EJ1 did its maiden voyage, that the EJ folks were missing a huge opportunity by NOT marketing to the MSC Yacht Club passengers.  In fact, when we were on the Divina (in the Yacht Club) and ask the future cruise consultant about booking EJ, she recoiled in faux horror and said, "we are not permitted to talk about that line!"   Now, more than a year after beginning operations, most of our cruising friends tell us they have never heard of EJ or know nothing about it!  

 

Hank

 

When it comes to European cruises, the airport situation is not nearly as important to customers.   The reality of small ship luxury lines is that the customer base has a more worldly view and seeks out more exotic itineraries than found in the Caribbean.  

 

I do think that competition causes a real problem for small ship luxury lines in the Caribbean.  We have an upcoming Silversea cruise, that does a 2-week Caribbean itinerary, and we were able to snag reservations for less money than cruising in the Caribbean on MSC's Yacht Club.  Silversea sold our cruise at more than 50% lower cost per person/day then most of their more exotic itineraries.  

 

You can even look at the mass market lines to see the problem with the Caribbean.  Cruise HAL, on a Caribbean cruise, and you will find some amazing deals.  Take that same line on one of their more popular itineraries, such as the Voyage of the Vikings, and HAL can demand 3 times (and more) the price per passenger day then they get in the Caribbean.  

 

I think that, at least for now, the major marketing for EJ is the European market.  The bulk of their North American marketing has been to "reach out" to travel/cruise agencies.  But even though DW and I have previously cruised on EJ (so are in their data base) the amount of marketing we get (via e-mail and snail mail) is miniscule when compared to many other lines.

[Waltershipman]

14 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Not sure you have it right.  Keep in mind that Explora, just like its MSC sister company, is a Euro-centric cruise company.  While you think in terms of Florida and the Caribbean, the MSC folks think more in terms of Europe and Europeans.  While MSC does now have a decent presence in the Florida/Caribbean market, the bulk of their fleet is still dedicated to Europe.  When EJ was just getting it's start, one of its marketing ploys that just about everything, onboard, was sourced in Europe.  The bottom line for EJ is that, at the moment, it is a tiny cruise line with only 900 berths.  It is difficult to justify a huge marketing budget for such a small company, and they still go out of their way to keep separation from MSC....(although there is a big MSC sign in the Emporium indoor pool on EJ1.  In fact, we got a laugh when, on EJ1, we would sometimes get MSC napkins.

 

I posted, long before EJ1 did its maiden voyage, that the EJ folks were missing a huge opportunity by NOT marketing to the MSC Yacht Club passengers.  In fact, when we were on the Divina (in the Yacht Club) and ask the future cruise consultant about booking EJ, she recoiled in faux horror and said, "we are not permitted to talk about that line!"   Now, more than a year after beginning operations, most of our cruising friends tell us they have never heard of EJ or know nothing about it!  

 

Hank

 

When it comes to European cruises, the airport situation is not nearly as important to customers.   The reality of small ship luxury lines is that the customer base has a more worldly view and seeks out more exotic itineraries than found in the Caribbean.  

 

I do think that competition causes a real problem for small ship luxury lines in the Caribbean.  We have an upcoming Silversea cruise, that does a 2-week Caribbean itinerary, and we were able to snag reservations for less money than cruising in the Caribbean on MSC's Yacht Club.  Silversea sold our cruise at more than 50% lower cost per person/day then most of their more exotic itineraries.  

 

You can even look at the mass market lines to see the problem with the Caribbean.  Cruise HAL, on a Caribbean cruise, and you will find some amazing deals.  Take that same line on one of their more popular itineraries, such as the Voyage of the Vikings, and HAL can demand 3 times (and more) the price per passenger day then they get in the Caribbean.  

 

I think that, at least for now, the major marketing for EJ is the European market.  The bulk of their North American marketing has been to "reach out" to travel/cruise agencies.  But even though DW and I have previously cruised on EJ (so are in their data base) the amount of marketing we get (via e-mail and snail mail) is miniscule when compared to many other lines.

Well said as always Hank

[tfred]

I was working with an MSC onboard concessionaire in the early 2000s when MSC started to get big. They really wanted to be in the US market and hired US people that were already involved. No one is going to call MSC unsuccessful but it took a very long time for them to actually gain marketing traction to get pax onboard  There big achievement is the YC concept and it seems to be working - the rest of the ship reviews seem to be "OK"

 

MSC is a euro centric company but they want US money like everyone else. The "everything on board is European" was the same story with MSC in the early 2000s - didn't work. They are primarily marketing to the European market because they have to. They have some name recognition over there (MSC). They just can't seem to get on track with EJ in the US.  You are right - even cruising regulars dont know the name   Maybe the influencer route will work - don't know.  

 

They should tie in with MSC to offer an upgrade route. We are Elite on X and traveled on Silversea in the Med and loved it. We booked another Silversea for next year in Norway   We still have a few X Carribean cruises booked for convenience as we live in FLL area. Harder for the lux lines in the Caribbean  as there are a ton of cruises with some pretty good lines at attractive prices. 

[2SailingNomads]

One of the problems IMO w/ EJ is the repetitive itineraries and short.  I want to see some Australia / New Zealand 20+ day cruises for example and not 3 seven day segments.  Do not need to do the Caribbean again, been there done it too many time.  The ship is beautiful, the service very good as is the food.  Suite size very good from the entry level ones, but don't promise something - brand of Champagne when we booked no longer server, despite that was one of your big marketing ploys.   

Edited October 8 by 2SailingNomads
Missed a word

[tulok]

I guess we are one of those “working wealthy” cruisers. We switched to RSSC and river cruises about 8 years ago. Our vacation time is precious and we think deeply about how we are going to use it. Just like boutique hotels, we are willing to spend more for the small intimate experience. We are taking our first Silversea next June from CPH and then a work trip to Italy came up at the end of July. It was difficult to find a river cruise or luxury that fit into that schedule. We didn’t even think Explora. Our agent who just got off of a cruise recommended them. I am excited to try them and hope the more ships bring more choices. 

I will NEVER sail NCL Haven again. Personally, I do not like the ship within a ship concept.