Explora Journeys Reveals EXPLORA V and Its First Asia Season

Explora Journeys has set out its Winter 2027-28 Journeys Collection, and two developments stand out for those who plan their winters by sea: the arrival of EXPLORA V, the fifth vessel in the line’s fleet, launching in December 2027, and the brand’s first-ever Asia season aboard EXPLORA III. Both are open for reservation now, with early-booking savings held until 28 July 2026.

EXPLORA V enters service in December 2027 with inaugural voyages in the Mediterranean during the quiet season — the months when the region’s most familiar ports trade summer crowds for a slower, more considered rhythm. The timing is deliberate, and the itineraries are built around it. The most pointed example is Naples on New Year’s Eve, where the city’s fireworks are a featured highlight viewed directly from sea, the harbour and the bay framing the display rather than the usual press of a shoreside crowd.

The arrival of a fifth ship is a meaningful step for a line that has expanded steadily since its debut, and an inaugural season tends to draw travellers who value being aboard early. For those who follow the fleet, securing a berth on a ship’s first voyages is part of the appeal: the vessel is new, the crew is finding its rhythm, and the routes have been chosen to introduce the ship at its best.

The second development reaches further afield. EXPLORA III sails to Asia for the first time in Explora Journeys’ history, a season that takes in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Shanghai. The Japan calls are timed to the country’s two most sought-after natural seasons — the autumn foliage and the cherry blossoms — which shape both the scenery ashore and the character of each port stay. For a region where timing is everything, that alignment is the substance of the offering rather than a footnote.

Elsewhere in the collection, EXPLORA II and EXPLORA IV make an anticipated return to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Amazon. The pairing gives the Winter 2027-28 programme genuine breadth: a new ship in the off-season Mediterranean, a debut Asia season, and a return to the warm-water and river itineraries that have become part of the line’s identity.

Across the collection, journeys are offered in 7, 14 or 21-night formats, spanning both iconic ports and more off-the-beaten-path calls. The longer durations suit travellers willing to give a region room to unfold; the shorter ones allow a single sea to be explored without a lengthy commitment. The structure is the same on every ship, which makes it straightforward to compare a Mediterranean week aboard EXPLORA V against a longer Asia crossing on EXPLORA III.

The fare model is all-inclusive in a way that rewards reading the detail. Every journey includes nine distinct culinary experiences alongside in-suite dining, and each suite is greeted on arrival with a welcome bottle of champagne and a bottle each of wine and spirits. Beyond that, beverages are available without limit at any time — fine wines, champagne, premium spirits, specialty coffees, teas and soft drinks among them. Also included are access to the Ocean Wellness spa thermal area, group fitness and mindfulness activities, complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, onboard gratuities and port shuttle services. For the discerning traveller, the practical effect is fewer onboard decisions and a clearer sense of the true cost before sailing.

The point of decision is the date. Reservations made by 28 July 2026 unlock exceptional savings across the Winter 2027-28 Journeys Collection, which applies equally to the inaugural EXPLORA V voyages and the first Asia season aboard EXPLORA III. For a new ship and a debut region, the combination of early availability and held fares is the kind of opening that tends not to last, and it is worth weighing now rather than later.

Source: Explora Journeys