“Everybody still smiling?” Our skipper Fredrik Alfjard flashes a wide grin as he checks each row of our Rib. The ten-seater craft has spent the past couple of hours zigzagging between the smaller islands of Bohuslan, west Sweden’s seafood coast, on a gourmet odyssey.
It’s certainly gourmet. Outside Korsholmen’s solitary wooden hut, we are treated to a masterclass on shucking oysters, toasting our success with a zippy sparkling wine. Then on Astol, we enjoy a hands-on feast of shrimp with citrus aioli in the island’s maritime-themed smokery. The final stop is Kladesholmen, for herring and schnapps at the floating restaurant Salt & Sill. So far, so Swedish.
But there’s also been a lot more excited screaming than I had bargained for. Rugged Alfjard, with a deep tan and a flop of salt-and-pepper hair, works in insurance by day. And judging by the way we’ve been flying over the waves and swerving into swells, this is his way of letting off steam. Not that anyone’s complaining. Quite the opposite; our adrenaline-fuelled giggles are a signal for him to restart the engine and crank up the speed.
Kladesholmen on the Swedish west coast
ALAMY
You might be surprised to learn that this exhilarating experience is a cruise excursion — one of almost 900 available to guests sailing on Explora I, an 813ft vessel modelled on mega-yachts with edgy hotel aesthetics. It’s the first of six ships from Explora Journeys, the new ultra-luxury arm of the MSC Group. I’ve joined the ship in its third week of operation for a six-night Scandi itinerary starting in Copenhagen and finishing in Hamburg with stops along the way in Gothenburg, Oslo and Stavanger.
For fans of smaller-ship cruising offered by Seabourn, Silversea and the like, Explora I will appeal. All 461 of its suites are designed for two, with king-size beds, walk-in wardrobes and spacious seaview balconies. Four supremely Instagrammable pools are complemented by numerous whirlpools while extensive workout areas, indoor and out, have Technogym equipment. An art gallery, cookery school and live music provide enrichment on board, and there are meet-ups for solo travellers and Sabbath gatherings on Friday nights. Duty-free shopping comes in the shape of Panerai, Cartier and Rolex boutiques. And of course there’s Moët on tap.
It’s an ambitious launch, albeit one marred by bumps. It didn’t get off to the best start when the delivery of the ship itself was delayed by a few weeks due to faulty fire-resistant panels having to be replaced. Teething problems aside, the thing that differentiates Explora Journeys is the singular focus on small-group, experiential travel designed to take guests deeper into a destination. In its first year, Explora I will sail around northern Europe and the UK, before crossing the Atlantic to North America followed by a variety of itineraries in the Caribbean.
Sakura, the pan-Asian restaurant
“When we go to a destination, we want to try to transmit its DNA; to make sure that when our guests leave, they know what is important to the people there,” says the head of destinations Sacha Rougier, whose team curated the routes and experiences. A prime example is the 9/11 Memorial excursion in New York, where guests will be guided by someone with a personal connection to the 2001 tragedy.
These experiences come with a price tag. On my sailing the cheapest excursion — a Gothenburg city tour — is £80, while at the other end of the spectrum a private island-hopping adventure for two comes in at £16,445. Most sit between the £100-£500 mark, including the seafood adventure.
Back on board, all sea-licked and windswept, I make for the spa to warm up. The spacious thermal areas are free to all guests though access is restricted on sea days unless you’ve booked a treatment. I’d recommend the 60-minute intensive muscle release massage (£189), especially after more physically demanding excursions, such as the five-hour Pulpit Rock hike near Stavanger. Otherwise the salt cave, vitality pool and experiential showers will do much to coax you into a state of blissful relaxation. Be warned: some guests take saunas seriously and will go au naturel.
More universally appreciated are the 18 remarkably immersive restaurants, bars and lounges. The open-air Sky Bar On 14 actually feels like a rooftop bar, while the Lobby Bar, with its back-lit drinks wall, looks as if it’s been plucked from a luxury hotel. Gelateria & Creperie could pass for a seaside café, and there are beach club vibes in the adults-only Helios Pool & Bar. Then there’s Crema Café, a thoroughfare spot where guests are either people-watching or working on their laptops.
The pan-Asian restaurant Sakura is my favourite, not just for the food but also the atmosphere. There are intimate booths for families, long tables for bigger groups and sushi counter perches for solo diners. Plus an open kitchen where you can see dishes such as lobster pad thai and miso roasted black cod being put together.
Emporium Marketplace is Explora I’s version of the buffet — except most dishes (everything from freshly shucked oysters to stone-baked pizzas) are cooked to order.
Qin Xie during the Bohuslan islands tour
The only venue that is not part of the all-inclusive arrangement is Anthology, where guest chefs serve tasting menus from their celebrated restaurants at an additional £163, plus £64 for matching wines. The Italian Mauro Uliassi is the first to board, bringing with him dishes from his namesake three Michelin-starred restaurant in Senigallia on Italy’s Adriatic coast. These include pasta and tomato à la Hilde, involving calamarata pasta dolloped with piennolo tomato sauce, and scented with basil, garlic and a fragrant fig leaf infusion.
Not everything was as well executed. On two occasions I had to make a half-dressed dash to answer the door despite having the “do not disturb” light on and had to request the return of my bathrobes after both disappeared. Then there were the items that should have been in the room but weren’t, such as the daily activities list, the disembarkation form for leaving the ship in Hamburg and the Steiner binoculars, which didn’t appear until the penultimate day, when all that was left to see was the North Sea.
Guests forking out would feel short-changed. I put this to the CEO Michael Ungerer, who conceded that without the benefit of a hotel-style soft opening the finer details were still being worked out, with guest feedback playing a key role.
This process is perhaps made more challenging by Explora Journeys’ approach to hiring: while 25 per cent of its employees came from within the MSC Group, overall only 43 per cent have had previous experience in the cruise industry. Instead, many have come from a luxury hospitality background — a decision that’s deliberate.
The open-air Sky Bar On 14 actually feels like a rooftop bar
“We wanted to provide that atmosphere, that vibe, that genuineness,” Ungerer said.
I like the ambition behind Explora Journeys but for me and the first guests it meant a ship that wasn’t quite ready to go full steam ahead. That said, towards the end of my trip I did get a glimpse of what life on board Explora I should be.
For the first time there were handmade chocolates and bite-sized cakes under a dainty glass cloche in my cabin, my toiletries were fully replenished, and even the clothes I left on the sofa were neatly folded — all the touches that differentiate a luxurious cruise from merely a nice one. I just wish it had been delivered with the same sense of urgency as Alfjard’s Rib ride.
Qin Xie was a guest of Explora Journeys, which has seven nights’ all-inclusive from £3,050pp on Explora I on a Discovering the Sainted Islands of the Caribbean itinerary, departing on December 6, 2023 (explorajourneys.com). Fly to Barbados. Itineraries for further cruises in European waters are still being finalised
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