Every Explora Journeys Ship Ranked Best to Worst (10/2026)
Explora Journeys is a small fleet, which makes ranking it a different exercise than ranking Carnival or Royal Caribbean. There are only three ships carrying guests, and two of them are near twins. So the question isn’t really which ship is better built. It’s which one’s delivering the experience right now, based on what guests who actually sailed her are saying.
To figure that out, we read every Cruise Critic and Cruiseline.com review for a sailing between September 2025 and September 2026. We didn’t use the sites’ lifetime scores, because those still carry a lot of launch-year reviews. The picture that comes out is pretty consistent: the suites and the service win almost everyone over. The food, the entertainment and how the line handles problems are where opinions split.
Explora III tops the list, but with a big asterisk, since she’s only been sailing since summer 2026. Explora II has the deepest pile of recent reviews and holds up well. Explora I lands third, mostly because she drew the harshest individual reviews of the year.
Every Explora Journeys Ship Ranked Best to Worst (10/2026)
How We Ranked the Ships
Each ship’s combined score blends its Cruise Critic and Cruiseline.com averages, with each site counting in proportion to the number of in-window reviews it had. That works out to 28 reviews for Explora I, 40 for Explora II and 6 for Explora III. Both sites list reviews by sail date, so the window is based on when people sailed. A * means the ship had fewer than 25 combined reviews, so treat that score as an early read rather than a settled verdict.
Explora Journeys Ships Ranked: The Full Scorecard
| # | Ship | Class | CC Score | CL Score | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Explora III | Explora Class (LNG) | 5.0 / 5.0 | 4.9 / 5.0 | 4.90* |
| 2 | Explora II | Explora Class | 4.2 / 5.0 | 4.5 / 5.0 | 4.32 |
| 3 | Explora I | Explora Class | 4.1 / 5.0 | 4.4 / 5.0 | 4.20 |
*Combined score based on fewer than 25 combined reviews across both platforms — treat as directional, not final.
Scores weighted by number of reviews on each platform. CC = Cruise Critic member score; CL = Cruiseline.com score. Review window: September 2025 thru September 2026. Data collected October 23, 2026.
The Rankings, Ship by Ship
With only three ships, the gap between first and last isn’t huge, and all three score above 4 out of 5. What separates them is consistency: how often a sailing goes right, and how badly it goes when it doesn’t.
The Explora Journeys Fleet, Ranked
#1 Explora III
Explora Class (LNG) · Worldwide
CC: 5.0 (2 reviews) | CL: 4.9 (4 reviews)
Small sample size — treat this score as directional.
Best for: Early adopters who want the newest, roomiest Explora ship and can live with a short review track record
Explora III only started carrying guests in summer 2026, so there are just six reviews in this window, all from August sailings in Northern Europe, the Baltic and the Western Mediterranean. Every single one landed at 4.6 or higher, and two Cruiseline.com reviewers booked another Explora voyage before they got off the ship.
Reviewers singled out the suite hosts and the maitre d's at Sakura and Med Yacht Club by name, and one called it the best cruise they'd ever taken after a bad run on another small-ship line. The truly inclusive fare got credit too, with one guest wishing a few excursions came included as well.
That's a lot of praise from a very small, very early sample. New-ship glow is real, so treat this score as provisional until the Caribbean season adds some volume.
#2 Explora II
Explora Class · Worldwide
CC: 4.2 (26 reviews) | CL: 4.5 (14 reviews)
Best for: Experienced luxury cruisers who care more about the suite and the service than a packed entertainment schedule
Explora II pulled the most in-window reviews of any Explora ship, and the suites are the one thing nobody argues about. Reviewers raved about the storage, the huge showers, the heated bathroom floors and the Ocean Grand Terrace balconies. The coffee shop got its own fan club, and plenty of first-timers said it was the best cruise they'd taken.
Food is where the reviews split. Some called it the best at sea, while others found dishes cold, overcooked or bland, and Sakura got dinged for not quite knowing what it wants to be. The Anthology wine surcharge policy annoyed at least one repeat guest, and the usual Explora gripes showed up too: thin entertainment, a late 9:45 show, not enough comfortable loungers and tough specialty dining times. A few returning guests said it wasn't quite as sharp as a year earlier.
A family with kids aged 4 and 6 had a great time, while another guest felt there were too many kids aboard in July, so summer sailings feel a little different. Go for the space and the service, and bring a book for the evenings.
#3 Explora I
Explora Class · Worldwide
CC: 4.1 (18 reviews) | CL: 4.4 (10 reviews)
Best for: Solo travelers and Caribbean regulars who want everything included and nobody selling them anything
Explora I has the widest spread of opinions in the fleet. A solid block of luxury veterans, people comparing it to Regent, Seabourn, Silversea and old Crystal, gave it top marks and a couple said it beat all of them. A solo traveler loved not dodging photographers or upsells, and several guests liked that drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities meant never signing for anything.
Then there's the other pile. Two Cruise Critic reviewers gave it one star, one over a honeymoon that went wrong from start to finish and another over repeated food allergy failures and a rough disembarkation. Others complained about background music playing everywhere with no quiet corner, not enough shade on deck, kids on a Caribbean back-to-back and entertainment that's still the weak spot. Port changes, like Santorini swapped for Milos, came up more than once.
The hardware isn't the problem here. When things go right on Explora I, people book again before they get home. When they go wrong, the recovery doesn't always land the way you'd expect at this price.
Not Yet Ranked
Which Explora Journeys Ship Is Best?
If you want the newest ship, it’s Explora III. She’s the roomiest of the three and her early reviews are glowing. Just remember that early reviews come from a small, excited crowd.
For first-timers moving up from a big-ship suite or MSC Yacht Club, Explora II is the safest bet. She has the most recent reviews behind her score, and the suites and service are consistently praised.
Solo travelers and Caribbean regulars should look at Explora I. Guests love that nobody’s selling them anything, and she’s in the Caribbean, Central and South America and the Amazon this winter.
Families should know that Explora isn’t built for kids. One family with young children on Explora II had a great time, but there’s no real kids’ program, and some guests complained when kids were aboard. If you want a winter in Europe instead of the Caribbean, Explora II is the one, since she’s spending this winter in the Western Mediterranean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Explora Journeys ship?
Explora III has the highest guest scores right now, but they’re based on only six reviews from her first month in service. Explora II has the strongest score backed by real volume, with 40 reviews in the past year.
Are Explora I and Explora II different?
Not much. They’re sister ships with the same layout and the same restaurants. Repeat guests say they feel right at home switching from one to the other. The differences in their scores come down to itineraries and individual sailings, not the hardware.
What’s different about Explora III?
She’s 19.2 meters longer than her sisters and has 463 suites instead of 461. She’s also the first Explora ship that can run on LNG. Guests get more public space per person, though the overall guest count is about the same.
Is Explora Journeys really all-inclusive?
Mostly. Reviewers consistently mention that drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, room service and most restaurants are included, so you never sign for anything. Anthology, the premium restaurant, carries a surcharge, and so do spa treatments, shore excursions and premium wines and spirits.
Is Explora Journeys good for kids?
It’s not designed for them. There’s no meaningful kids’ program, and a few reviewers complained about children on board. One family with young kids did love their Explora II cruise, so it can work if your kids are happy with pools and good food.
What do guests complain about most on Explora?
The same few things come up across all three ships: thin evening entertainment, food that’s inconsistent from night to night, not enough comfortable loungers or shade, and specialty restaurant times that fill up fast.
Is Explora Journeys worth the price?
Most reviewers who’ve sailed Regent, Seabourn, Silversea or Crystal say yes, and several said Explora beat them. The minority who disagree usually point to food and service recovery not living up to ultra-luxury pricing, rather than the ship itself.