Last Updated: 10th November 2026
If you usually book five-star resorts rather than cruises, you might be wondering how a luxury cruise really compares.
It is a fair question. Luxury cruise fares can look expensive at first glance, particularly if your usual holiday involves checking into a five-star hotel or villa and staying there for a week or two.
But Explora Journeys was created with exactly this type of traveller in mind.
Launched by the MSC Group, the brand takes many of the things people love about world-class resorts, from spacious accommodation and attentive service to excellent restaurants and an unhurried atmosphere, and puts them on a ship that can take you somewhere new while you sleep.
So rather than comparing Explora Journeys with a mainstream cruise, the more useful comparison is with the luxury resort you would otherwise book.
Explora Journeys at a glance
| Feature | Explora Journeys |
|---|---|
| Style | Ultra-luxury ocean travel |
| Accommodation | All-suite, with ocean views and private terraces |
| Dining | Nine culinary experiences |
| Drinks | Unlimited wines, Champagne, spirits and more included |
| Wi-Fi | Included |
| Gratuities | Included |
| Atmosphere | Relaxed, contemporary and unhurried |
| Best for | Couples, luxury travellers, food lovers and resort guests looking for something different |
Explora Journeys vs a luxury resort: how do they compare?
| Feature | Explora Journeys | Five-star luxury resort |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | All-suite, ocean-facing accommodation | Depends on room category |
| Dining | Multiple culinary experiences | Speciality restaurants often charged extra |
| Drinks | Many drinks included | Depends on board basis |
| Destinations | Multiple destinations in one journey | One main destination |
| Sea views | Every suite | Often a premium room category |
| Beach access | Available in selected ports | Often directly accessible |
| Atmosphere | Relaxed and understated | Varies by resort |
| Best for | Food, service and exploring | Staying in one place and beach time |
The biggest difference is that with Explora Journeys, your resort travels with you.
You can have breakfast overlooking one coastline and wake up the following morning somewhere completely different, without checking out, packing another suitcase or organising a transfer.
For travellers used to luxury resorts, that is arguably Explora Journeys’ biggest selling point.
Is a luxury cruise cheaper than a resort?
Not always at first glance, but headline prices do not tell the whole story.
A luxury resort may initially look less expensive, but drinks, dining, tips and other extras can quickly increase the final cost of your holiday. With Explora Journeys, a great deal of that spending is built into the fare before you travel.
That changes the comparison entirely. Rather than measuring an Explora Journeys fare against the room-only price of a hotel, you need to measure it against what you would actually spend across a similar five-star resort holiday: the sea-view upgrade, wine with dinner every evening, spa access, service charges and the transfers between anywhere you wanted to see.
Priced that way, the gap narrows fast, and you visit several countries instead of one.
You can see exactly what your fare covers in our guide to what’s included with Explora Journeys.
Does Explora Journeys feel like a luxury resort?
In many ways, yes. Walk onboard and the first thing you notice is the amount of space.
Explora Journeys ships carry a relatively small number of guests for their size, with plenty of room dedicated to lounges, outdoor areas and quieter spaces rather than simply adding more accommodation.
That generous space-to-guest ratio helps create the feeling of a contemporary luxury resort rather than a busy cruise ship.
There is always another lounge, stretch of deck or quiet corner overlooking the ocean to discover.
Explora Journeys calls this the Ocean State of Mind: a slower, more mindful way to travel, where the ocean sets the pace rather than a packed daily schedule.
The difference, of course, is that the view can change tomorrow.
Nine culinary experiences, all included
Plenty of luxury resorts have an excellent spread of restaurants, so choice on its own is not really the difference. What changes is how you pay for it.
At most five-star properties the best restaurants sit outside your board basis, so a week of working through them quietly adds a few hundred pounds to the final bill. Explora Journeys includes nine culinary experiences in the fare, across genuinely different cuisines and styles, so working through them costs you nothing extra. Only the Anthology tasting menu, The Chef’s Kitchen and The Chef’s Table (on selected ships) cost extra, along with premium wines from The Cellar.
There are no fixed sittings either. Fil Rouge and Med Yacht Club have open seating, Emporium Marketplace is free seating, and only Sakura and Marble & Co. Grill need a reservation. That freedom makes the whole thing feel closer to a modern city hotel than to a conventional cruise schedule.
Our guide to Explora Journeys dining covers every restaurant in detail.
Why every suite has a sea view
At many five-star hotels the best views come with an upgrade. A standard room may overlook the gardens, the grounds or another part of the resort, while a full sea view commands a premium.
Explora Journeys removed that decision entirely. There are no inside cabins. Every suite, penthouse and residence comes with sea views and a private terrace, so waking up to the ocean is not something you pay extra for.
The largest categories go further still, with residences designed to offer considerably more living space for guests looking for something closer to a luxury apartment at sea.
How the spa compares with a resort spa
For a lot of travellers, the spa is half the reason they choose a particular hotel. It is the area where ships have traditionally struggled to compete.
Ocean Wellness is Explora Journeys’ answer, bringing spa, fitness and wellbeing together around the same Ocean State of Mind that shapes the rest of the experience. Thermal facilities and group sessions are included in the fare, with treatments available on top, which is broadly how a good resort spa works.
You can read more in our guide to Ocean Wellness.
Where does Explora Journeys beat a luxury resort?
- You see more of the world. You unpack once but can experience several destinations during the same holiday.
- Your ocean view comes as standard. Every suite faces the sea and has private outdoor space.
- More is included. Drinks, dining, Wi-Fi and gratuities are among the elements already covered by your fare.
- There is more dining variety. Multiple culinary experiences mean you are not relying on the same few restaurants throughout your stay.
- The journey becomes part of the holiday. Rather than losing time transferring between hotels, the ship takes you to your next destination while you relax, dine or sleep.
Where is a luxury resort better than Explora Journeys?
That said, a resort is still the better choice for some holidays.
If your perfect holiday means walking barefoot from your room to the same beach every morning, a resort has the advantage.
The same applies if you want to spend ten days in one destination without thinking about arrival or departure times. Explora Journeys gives you more places to experience, but that naturally means your time in each destination is limited by the itinerary.
Families should also think carefully about what they want from their holiday.
Children are welcome on Explora Journeys, but the experience is not built around water slides, huge kids’ clubs or non-stop family entertainment. The overall atmosphere remains sophisticated and relaxed.
For some families, that will be exactly the appeal. For others, a family-focused resort or larger cruise ship will make more sense.
Explora Journeys for experienced cruisers
Explora Journeys does not have to replace the type of cruising you already enjoy. It can simply be for a different occasion.
You might choose a large, lively ship with the family during the summer and Explora Journeys for a slower journey as a couple later in the year.
The all-suite accommodation, included drinks, dining choice and relaxed atmosphere make it particularly appealing when you want the benefits of travelling by ship at a gentler pace.
Who is Explora Journeys best for?
Explora Journeys is particularly well suited to:
- Couples looking for a luxury escape
- Travellers who normally stay in five-star resorts or villas
- Food lovers who value plenty of dining choice
- Guests who prefer a relaxed rather than highly structured holiday
- Travellers celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary or other milestone
- Experienced cruisers looking for something more refined and contemporary
- People who want to visit several destinations without repeatedly changing hotels
Perhaps the most interesting audience, though, is people who do not consider themselves cruisers at all.
If you normally choose luxury hotels because you value space, food, service and a slower pace, Explora Journeys offers many of those same qualities, with a coastline that can change overnight.
The verdict: luxury cruise or luxury resort?
It depends on what you love most about a resort holiday.
Compared with a cheaper mainstream cruise, the fare can initially look high. But that is arguably the wrong comparison.
Measure it instead against a genuine five-star resort: the ocean-view room, drinks throughout your stay, multiple restaurants, gratuities, Wi-Fi and the cost of travelling between several destinations. Suddenly the gap looks much smaller.
Explora Journeys will not replace a luxury resort for everyone. If you want ten days beside the same beach, it probably should not.
But if what you love about a luxury resort is the space, food, service and opportunity to properly switch off, and you like the idea of waking up somewhere new, Explora Journeys makes a compelling alternative. Still comparing? Browse our full range of luxury cruises.
Planning your Explora Journeys holiday
Explora Journeys sails to destinations around the world, including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Northern Europe and Iceland, Asia and South America. Explora III will also sail an inaugural Alaska season in summer 2027.
Suite categories, itineraries and prices vary between journeys, so choosing the right sailing can make a significant difference to your experience.
Love a five-star hotel? We can add a luxury stay before or after your journey as part of a fully protected Cruise & Stay package.
Speak to our cruise experts on 020 7947 0270 or explore the latest Explora Journeys itineraries to find the journey that suits you.
Explora Journeys FAQs
For travellers who value spacious suites, high-quality dining, included drinks, service and visiting multiple destinations, Explora Journeys can offer strong value. The fairest comparison is with the total cost of a similar five-star resort holiday rather than with a mainstream cruise fare.
Explora Journeys offers many of the features associated with a five-star resort, including spacious accommodation, multiple restaurants, wellness facilities and attentive service. The biggest difference is that your resort moves, allowing you to visit several destinations without changing accommodation.
A resort often looks cheaper at first, but drinks, dining, gratuities, sea-view upgrades and transfers add up. On Explora Journeys, much of that is included in the fare, so the total cost of a five-star resort holiday is the fairer comparison.
Although both are part of the MSC Group, they are separate brands offering very different holidays. MSC Cruises operates larger ships aimed at a broad range of guests, while Explora Journeys focuses on ultra-luxury ocean travel with all-suite accommodation, more space per guest and a highly inclusive fare.
Explora Journeys is particularly suited to couples, luxury resort travellers, food lovers, anyone celebrating a special occasion and experienced cruisers looking for a more relaxed and contemporary experience.
