Explora Journeys: Is it worth the hype? The truth revealed!

[@jobee1]

Unpopular opinion but I’d rather Explora was adults only. Not every cruise line needs to be a floating daycare. There are many ships for families that have just launched. It would be nice to see some adult only ships.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

We definitely understand that. As a young family it is nice to bring our daughter when we want. I will say I do not think Explora is super family friendly due to the design of the ship. I think it is for the very mature kid who likes to sit and read or entertain themselves and doesn’t need to be entertained. Even though it’s not adults only I think if you have kids on your sailing I think it would be very few.

[@generynkewicz4871]

Agree. There should never be children on any luxury line. RC, Carnival and NCL and of course Disney is for children.

[@michaelrozell5054]

Go with virgin then

[@kayleeschatz9230]

I appreciate that fully - but as a family who won't touch cruises that are "kid friendly" but have kids, we are an anomaly and it's nice to have an option where kids won't be running around but ours are welcome to sit, converse and be the mini adults they are - reading and enjoying fine cuisine/service and learning about other people from around the world. I realize we are the 1% but there are plenty of people who enjoy 'non-kid' environments but still have children. I do think there are some options for no kids- Virgin maybe? Ritz for example doesn't give any monetary breaks on minors which I appreciate.

[@janfreeman1934]

YES! We absolutely loved it and are planning our next trip.

[@JJ-dr2ve]

In regards to the amount of people fitting a room: Let’s hope they keep them to 2 per. It’s an upscale atmosphere, and even fitting 4 they’d hopefully be charged full price . In an elevated ship, well heeled cruisers can afford an adjoining space. When you start splitting the cost between 4 people per cabin, you end up with a completely different clientele.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

It will be interesting on Explora 3 as they are designing a ship focused on more on families.

[@JJ-dr2ve]

@@lindsayslivealittle Also, 2 per room keeps the crew to passenger ratio within that sweet spot you mentioned enjoying.

[@glenncorrie3765]

Did Explora 1 last Nov and loved every minute…now booked on Explora 2 for 14 nights this November cannot wait. Great video btw and live the enthusiasm

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much! Enjoy Explora 2

[@enigmawyoming5201]

What a refreshing review of cruise experiences. You guys are simply lovable…. NEW SUBSCRIBER HERE!!!

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much!

[@stevewarrick4402]

Thanks for the video. I was looking at Oceania for a 10 day cruise this winter and Explora is less money with bigger cabins and a better passenger crew ratio. Plus no gratuity and included alcohol. But I love a very relaxed dress code in the Caribbean. I wouldn't want to be part of a stuffy fashion show when on vacation. What is your thoughts?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

It was definitely not a stuffy fashion show. It was on par with Celebrity.

[@lizhall7143]

I really enjoy your videos, thanks so much! We have never cruised before and are trying to decide between the Retreat on an Edge class ship with Celebrity or Explora. What would you do if it was your first cruise if you are traveling without kids? Also do you book yourselves or use a travel agent? Thanks!

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much. We would probably suggest Explora. And typically we book ourselves; however, we then transfer to our travel agent Lower Latitudes. You get all the benefits and credit and the price is the same. However, we would also suggest calling the cruise lines directly because sometimes they have specials or discounts that aren’t visible online or with travel agents.

[@lizhall7143]

@@lindsayslivealittle Great suggestions, thank you so much!

[@lindsayslivealittle]

@@lizhall7143 I (Emma) want to add something. I think both are great options for your first cruise! Personally we always go off the itinerary first! But then I think the biggest thing between the two is do you want big performances at night, activities during the day like archery and crafts (Celebrity) or do you want quiet more relaxed vibes. Sip a cocktail, read a book, walk around, hang in the pool, do the thermal spa. Then I would suggest Explora. You said a no kids trip. There might be other children in the retreat depending on the sailing and time of year. Where there will be a small amount on most sailings for Explora on the ship overall. Really think you can’t go wrong with either option just comes down to what vibe are you looking for… more showy (Celebrity) or very calm and relaxing (Explora)

[@lizhall7143]

@@lindsayslivealittle I had gotten hooked on watching the Retreat Edge class ship videos but we need a chill trip, so Explora it is! Thanks again!

[@FamilyAtSea]

We've been considering exactly this so I'm excited to see you dive deep... Thank you!

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks much!

[@westhavenor9513]

Thanks for the great review! I'd like to try this line. It sounds a lot like Regent Seven Seas (NCL), but they include most excursions, laundry, and all dining. That being said, it would still be nice to try something different. Thinking about booking a Caribbean cruise early next year to give it a try. Hoping to find a more age-mixed crowd too. I'm 60, but everyone was 80 on my last cruise :)

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much. We feel it is a great bang for your buck and can tell they are definitely trying to skew different than other ultra luxury lines and trying to pull the middle age group that lacks on the other lines.

[@MrJuanarcin]

Thanks for the great video! Do they have live music throughout the day?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

They have music at different points throughout the day in the atrium. the times very by day but they do offer. Thanks so much!

[@dave847]

Thanks for the review really useful unfortunately not so cheap for solo travellers but love the sound of the dining options Have you tried Viking? interiors are very similar Keep up the good work 😊

[@lindsayslivealittle]

We haven’t tried Viking yet. Definitely on the list though. When we find good deals on our list we book.

[@AngieRTaylor]

Thank you for these videos on Explora Journeys - there are so few on KZbin (that aren’t from travel agents). We are trying them out in March 2025 in the Caribbean - looking forward to it.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much. We really enjoyed it!

[@benjaminsmith2287]

The ship is alright. I think it's like a lot of contemporary ships in that it has this sepia filtered look. Rich and deep colors aren't in abundance. What's the lounge life like? Are there combos that play standards? Jazz? Ballroom type dancing? When not eating and not in your room, what is the social life like in the evenings to night?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

The lounge is more similar to a cocktail bar or intimate music club atmosphere. We did not see ballroom type dance and the evening are rather chill with a show in the lounge and then piano and singing in the atrium.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

@@lindsayslivealittle Sounds great. Thank you.

[@LamaMontana]

Great video! I think I'm now sold on Eplora! The best part is I learned what a diffuser is! Who knew? haha.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Hahaha….we are now a learning channel

[@Jon_T19]

I am pretty sure the prices have already exploded. Glad you got such an amazing deal! $5,000 for a week in a suite is very reasonable.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

We were just looking last night and still saw some pretty good deals in the Med. not as good as we got but still around $7000 for 7 nights in the Med is a good deal.

[@Jon_T19]

@@lindsayslivealittle that is a good deal for everything you get! Retreat for a week on the edge ships are over that!

[@traceymollet5063]

Great job on this video guys. It’s exactly what I was looking for! Thank you

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much!

[@joshuahorenstein2293]

Splurging on the Serenity Residence east. med this Oct, can't wait. Regarding the limit of people in rooms, I think it is a choice. Have sailed many times with kids in a suite w/ them on a couch bed... there's no getting around the fact that if feels less luxuious (though it's obviously more cost-effective)

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Hope you enjoy!

[@markE946]

Thank you for sharing, did you notice if any of the passengers were allowed to play on any of the pianos throughout the ship?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

We didn’t notice any passengers playing and I believe it is closed when the entertainers are not playing and the auto play isn’t going. Thanks for watching.

[@michelealkins616]

Thanks for this video! Loved it! I didn’t know about this line and now it’s at the top of my list to try!

[@lindsayslivealittle]

You are so welcome! We had an amazing time!

[@KelvinMwenda-p3l]

Fantastic content and will definitely book soon. Thanks for the amazing video!

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much!

[@cheriedoughan5583]

Glad the staff had time off. We agree price will go up considering gratuities, and everything included wow. We leave extra for staff anyway.

[@goodlien]

Great video as always ❤ I'm assuming that the price you mentioned did not include airfare like ncl offers?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much! The price does not include airfare.

[@cheriedoughan5583]

Found your channel searching for Explora 1. Nice information. We’re going January. I have a question. We have 300 euro on board credit. We can use it for excursions. Do you know anything about excursions?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much and glad you found our channel. We looked at the excursions while onboard and they offer a great variety. Seemed to have a good mix of both cultural and activity focused.

[@LynneA-u6d]

Sailing in the Greek Isles late September. I am happy to hear good things. I have a large 'OBC' or whatever they call it. It can't be used until we board and with everything except excursions I am not sure what I will use it for. Any thoughts? I worry that the good excursions will be sold out before I get a chance to book them with OBC.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

They have an extensive list of excursions once you get onboard. Don’t believe you will have trouble finding a perfect excursion once you board.

[@srhodes6418]

Nice Job

[@kathrynpardee9571]

Will the king sized bed in the ocean terrace suites separate into 2?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

I am not sure if all can be separated into twins but yes atleast some of the ocean terrace suites can be converted to twins.

[@morgangeddie5472]

We are sailing on Explora II in January for 21 days. So looking forward to our cruise! Thank you for the thorough review!

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much. We hope you have an amazing time!

[@jeffsmutny1187]

Never been on a cruise ship that small...did the cruise ship rock all day long on sea days?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Honestly it didn’t feel any different than larger ships. We have done the same cruise on NCL Encore and the Encore was rocking like Woodstock.

[@ThanksJanie]

It sounds like there were great food and snack offerings all over the ship. I would prefer my cruise fare going towards that rather than snacks left in my room. Many days snacks go to waste because I didn't care for what they brought or I was too full. It's a nice touch but I think it's un necessary. I prefer to choose what I want to eat.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Totally agree! The food options on board are more than enough.

[@wtwellsjr]

Hello Jack and Emma! Enjoy watching your continued journeys since meeting you on APEX in Norway last year. I kept thinking that Jack was going to give a "Bar Crawl" review with a glass of wine again, lol. All the best.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much for following us along our journey! We honestly thought of doing that but maybe next time. Have a great week!

[@dresadin]

How was the internet connection? I'm sailing on the Explora I Jan 21 and can't wait.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Worked very well and probably one of the fastest at sea.

[@terryicarter]

We sailed Explora last Sept and they have Starlink and one of the fastest implementations we’ve experienced - 120mb plus download speeds!

[@bobskitchen]

I am surprised you guys found a journey on the west coast, everything I saw on their site was east coast USA or mediterranean.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Yea I think with them being a newer line they are definitely sticking to the east coast or the med. The trips before ours was the Caribbean and then Panama Canal, ours, and after ours it went to Hawaii. (We wanted to stay on but couldn’t make it work lol)

[@johnchojnowski3951]

How did you find out about explora ? I went on their website and most of their sailings are not from the the US . I would consider your itinerary but I couldn’t find anything in the near future on the west coast. Love your content

[@cheriedoughan5583]

They have sailings from Florida to the Caribbean in the winter. Didn’t see any from the West coast. We’re going January..

[@lindsayslivealittle]

One of our viewers messaged on a live stream to try it out. So we found a great deal and gave it a try. Thanks so much!

[@johnchojnowski3951]

Thanks for the info

[@elleb7523]

How do you think it compares with Seabourn, Silversea, etc.? The 6 star lines.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Not sure it is fully up to the standards of the 6 star lines but we have never done those lines.

[@terryicarter]

We’ve sailed Crystal, Regent, Silversea and Seabourn and would rate Explora Journeys right up there - the food is top notch and the ship well designed. Happily returning next year for another month on board

[@dlgregory35]

@@lindsayslivealittle Exactly what is a 6-star cruise line? The so-called 6-star cruise lines give themselves 6 stars and are US-owned and yet not a single 6 star hotel in the US.

[@walterknight1731]

Question, was there enough shade up on deck? We love sitting in the open air, but try to hide from the sun and read our books.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

We felt there was plenty of shade both permanent with awnings/covers and plenty of large umbrellas.

[@markpeters4785]

Very nice review !! we leave on Explora II in Oktober. Its indeed not a family kids vacation ship, not at all. Thats why we booked Explora2. You mentioned that suites are rather small. Could be bigger but that would also be more expensive. (For us) a room (suite) is only for sleeping, showering and relaxing, the rest can all be experienced outside the rooms. Few or no one books a cruise to stay in your room or suite for days. A cruise is cheap compared to traveling with a car, camper or hotel. You eat 3 times 5 star menus every day, drink as much as you want, no tidying up, cleaning or tidying up. I don't think you can achieve the daily 5 star experiences with regular vacation trips. Certainly not for the price. I will make a VR 360° report of our 10 day cruise. I hope to meet you on a cruise one day. Greetings. Pozo

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much. Completely agree with rooms being right sized for the price.

[@grahamknopp7628]

Hi. We were on the same cruise and agree with 99% of your comments. We have already booked a cruise with Explora 2 next year. Anthology comments agreed and biggest disappointment. Believe changing to an Italian experience.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much! We are looking at Explora 2 as well.

[@dianneotis]

What was the % discount for booking a future cruise please (with the code?)

[@lindsayslivealittle]

I believe it was 5% and the code is specific to the customer and only good for 1 week.

[@AllAboardWithJoe]

Love it! New sub here. Looking forward to more.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Thanks so much! Glad you found our channel!

[@AngieRTaylor]

Is there a BID FOR UPGRADE type of program on Explora?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Not sure they have an upgrade program.

[@cheriedoughan5583]

Forgot going to try that sole. Thanks.

[@jasonsaunders8175]

What table games did they have?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Blackjack and Texas Hold’Em table game (not the cash game). On cruises in the Asian market they have bacarat

[@kristinepascual1416]

What do you think will be the average age / demographic for Explora 1 and Explora 2 on this new cruise line?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

We think this will skew a bit younger than the typical luxury cruise line. In our opinion, it seems like they are going to be trying to pull the late 30-40YO professionals more than other luxury lines which typical seem to have 50+ at a minimum for age group. This is just our opinion based on the design, food/drink and overall atmosphere.

[@Beachdudeca]

Nothing but positives I have seen when cruising as a couple

[@BelleBlack1]

I keep hearing that Explora is "cerebral" experience (meaning boring). What is your view?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

If you are comparing to main line options than tend to agree but we were not bored at all.

[@harshitjain4282]

Have you sailed on Viking Ocean? If yes how does it compare?

[@lindsayslivealittle]

We have not sailed with Viking yet. Sorry we can’t help there. Emma & Jack

[@harshitjain4282]

@@lindsayslivealittle oh okay. Would love to see your review on Viking. It's best in the business according to most.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

@@harshitjain4282I’m sure you will see something from us in the future but right now with the channel we try to find the lowest cost suite level or premium lines we can book . As we grow we will be able to expand into even more lines.

[@NicoleS-ob1st]

Viking is not super premium.

[@robertmaglaya5387]

the new cruise line star.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

They are a great cruise line!

[@joelhamon4856]

Je recherche les navires de qualité, luxe , calme , adulte , plein d’autres compagnies pour les enfants . Excellents navires

[@glent7853]

Great video. I was curious about how many kids would be on a ship like this, so i am happy it was only 3. Thats why there are Disney ships 😂

[@lindsayslivealittle]

It is definitely not designed for kids however when school is not in session there probably will be a couple more.

[@yuckyool]

MSC > Explora == NCL > Oceania ??

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Yes that is an easy way to look at it

[@KVDC2008]

Literally this is the 10th video I saw on YT about Explora and not a single review ever covered the EXCURSIONS. Every review was about the ship itself nothing mentioned about the excursions and ports. Even Trek Trendy didn't talk about it, he just went off the ship and did his own sightseeing in Casablanca. It's kind of getting ridiculous when not a single KZbinr has a clip about at least one port excursion. It's like a conspiracy now. Did Explora not allow you to film the port excursions? Where you allowed off the ship?....

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Explora excursions were nothing special so we did our own thing which is our style. (You can see vlogs of what we did on our own off the ship) Explora did not sponsor our video. Also they didn’t have too many options and with the current way they are doing itineraries they don’t always stay any place for very long. So what we experienced would be very different from others.

[@KVDC2008]

@@lindsayslivealittle Thanks for the clarification, much appreciated. So basically, it’s an amazing ship with average excursions that no KZbinr wanted to film…great. Not a single excursion footage on YT, unreal….

[@lindsayslivealittle]

I will also say we had a different itinerary and not many stops. There was one to a winery in San Francisco that we would have booked but we were able to see one of Emma’s best friends that we hadn’t seen since 2020! Astoria I don’t think there was any excursions for. (Small town) And Victoria there was and we almost booked it till we realized we could rent a car and do it on our own. Honestly for our channel we typically maybe book one through the cruise line but usually do things on our own. Sorry we didn’t talk excursions or do any.

[@KVDC2008]

@@lindsayslivealittle I completely understand your rationale for not doing the cruise-sponsored excursion for this specific itinerary. However, this was on top of every KZbinr that also did not cover the excursions aspect of this new cruise line. Every review looked alike, it just covered the cabins, dining and other venues on board. For me, this is a bit of a red flag, it's a gorgeous modern ship, but the complete lack of reviews of its excursion has become glaringly obvious and doesn't speak well of that aspect of their cruise line experience. I understand you were not guests of Explora. However, for those KZbinrs that were guests, the unwritten rule is that if you didn't like something you just make a passing reference that something is available, but you don't go into detail about it or give it a negative review.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

But thanks for highlighting the lack of info on it. We plan to do another one and will make sure to do a shore excursion with them.

[@PiaAdora]

Hate to say it but it sounds kind of boring. I’ve heard the ship has felt kind of empty on many sailings. But she’s a beautiful ship and glad to hear the food and service was so great.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Totally understand. Just like all cruise lines and ships, not everything is designed for everyone.

[@dlgregory35]

That is because few of the so-called luxury or ultra-luxury cruise ships ever get filled.

[@westhavenor9513]

@@dlgregory35 We've sailed Regents 3 times. Once during covid was empty, but the other 2 times recently they were 100% full with a waiting list.

[@woofolliesmydog8628]

Leave the kids at home. I’m glad they don’t cater for kids in a meaningful way. Nobody wants their vacation ruined by screaming kids. Families have endless options for family style vacations. Luxury ships are meant to be quiet, peaceful, relaxation and a bit of indulgence.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

There are not many options for luxury cruises for families. If you need no kids then there are many adult only options.

[@mikeydeef]

Looks a little boring.if I wanted to go on a cruise with pretentious people it’s the ship to go on

[@lindsayslivealittle]

No boring unless you are expecting activities like RCL and NCL and we honestly felt there was no difference between the travels in the suite class on main stream lines and Explora.

[@infibeam0]

Premium people dont go for beer 🍺..... it's typically a cheap beverage.

[@lindsayslivealittle]

The culture around beer has changed drastically in the last 10 years. Craft beers from micro breweries are now looked at as premium offerings and a lot of people look for higher end beers even at upscale restaurants and establishments. We heard from multiple people on our trip regarding the lack of premium craft beer options.

[@1sparkythebouncer]

“Premium people”…? What does that even mean? If you mean wealthy people then you’re deluded, as they certainly drink beer. Ridiculous comment.

[@westhavenor9513]

Totally inaccurate. We sail Regent and they have a decent beer selection, but could use more in my (premium) opinion ;)

[@michaelrozell5054]

Most ridiculous comment I’ve seen on the internet in a few months 😂 what a 🤡

[@BradfordMcEwenVARENNA]

Goonies yes, love that flick, but LEWIS & CLARKE, a bit important too😇

[@lindsayslivealittle]

Ooo Lewis and Clarke is definitely important! We did more goonies activities for video purposes, (we did a whole video just on this location) but we definitely didn’t mention a little bit of Lewis and Clark as well. Thanks for watching!

[@monikanoval]

I will Lvov to try this new new cruise 🚢 line but with screaming kids on a wonderful ship NO WAY 😂🤪

[@lindsayslivealittle]

There was 3 kids on our sailing and they were all teenagers. It’s not really a ship for kids!