This past fall, Provident Travel advisor Debra Clark took a nine-day cruise around Eastern Canada aboard the Explora I, the inaugural ship of Explora Journeys, a new luxury cruise line owned by international shipping line MSC Group.
We asked Debra to share her experiences on the cruise and with the new ship.
Our Eastern Canada cruise started in Québec City and ended in New York City. Before the cruise, we had a short stay in Québec City, which is charming. During the cruise, we visited the small riverside city of Saguenay and the scenic Gaspé Peninsula as well as Halifax and Peggy’s Cove, a fishing village famous for its beautiful lighthouse.
In Saguenay, we went on a whale-watching excursion and saw about 30 beluga and fin whales as well as many gray seals.
Explora I is the first of six vessels planned by Explora Journeys. It’s a beautiful ship—classy but not flashy—and offers 461 oceanfront suites. Every room has a balcony. My room was spacious.
The bathroom had a big walk-in shower, heated floors, a large closet and even a Dyson hair dryer.
The dining on Explora I is excellent, too. There’s an extensive all-day buffet offering cooked-to-order fillets, salmon, oysters on the half-shell and more. The dinner buffet has even more options, including crab legs. At the buffet, guests never touch the utensils; the dining team serves you. At dinner, four specialty restaurants—Asian, steak, French and Mediterranean—are available at no extra charge.
There’s a lovely spa on board, an indoor pool with a retractable glass roof and three outdoor pools. The ship has a cigar bar and a whiskey bar as well as a lounge where tea is served every afternoon. There are even cooking classes.
While there were no big shows on our cruise, numerous singers and musicians entertained on board. One night, they did a tribute to Billy Joel, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The ship also has a small casino.
All dining, including in-cabin dining and the mini-bar, as well as nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages (excluding the most top shelf) are included in your cruise fare. Your gratuities are also included. The only thing you’ll need to pay extra for are excursions and spa services.
Travelers ages 50 and up are the main audience. It also appeals to families with children, as there are onboard kids’ programs, too. Explora I offers wheelchair-accessible rooms that are very large, but excursions might be challenging for some, since guests need to use tenders and gangways.
Once you’ve booked your cruise, it’s best to book your excursions right away, before they fill up.
