Explora Journeys' newly delivered Explora III is scheduled to depart Southampton today, 17 August 2026, on an eight-night voyage through the Norwegian fjords to Copenhagen.
The sailing forms part of the ship's inaugural season and is one of its earliest departures from the United Kingdom. After leaving Southampton at 6pm, the itinerary includes calls at Mandal, Sandnes, Olden, Bergen and Flåm before arriving in the Danish capital on 25 August.
Guests can also combine the voyage with subsequent sections of Explora III's Northern European programme, creating longer journeys through Scandinavia, the Baltic and back to Southampton.
Explora III's Southampton itinerary
| Date | Destination | Scheduled times |
| 17 August | Southampton | Departs 6pm |
| 18 August | At sea | — |
| 19 August | Mandal, Norway | 8am–6pm |
| 20 August | Sandnes, Norway | 8am–3pm |
| 21 August | Olden, Norway | 9am–6pm |
| 22 August | Bergen, Norway | 9am–7pm |
| 23 August | Flåm, Norway | 9am–6pm |
| 24 August | At sea | — |
| 25 August | Copenhagen, Denmark | Arrives 8am |
Port timings remain subject to operational and weather-related changes.
A new ship delivered ahead of schedule
Explora III was delivered to Explora Journeys at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa on 22 July 2026. The delivery brought the MSC Group luxury brand to three operational ships, halfway towards its planned six-ship fleet.
The vessel first welcomed guests on a Mediterranean Prelude Journey from Genoa to Civitavecchia between 24 and 29 July. It was officially named in Barcelona on 1 August before beginning its seven-night formal maiden journey to Lisbon on 3 August.
Today's sailing from Southampton is therefore not the ship's maiden voyage. It is, however, an early UK milestone as Explora III begins a Northern European inaugural season that will subsequently take it towards Iceland, Greenland, Canada and the east coast of the United States.
More space with almost the same number of suites
At 72,810 gross tons, Explora III is larger than its two predecessors but carries almost the same number of suites. It has 463 oceanfront suites, penthouses and residences—only two more than Explora I and Explora II.
Explora Journeys says extending the ship by 19.2 metres has allowed it to provide larger public areas, more open deck space and a greater proportion of Ocean Penthouses and Ocean Residences. The line quotes approximately 19.5 square metres of public space per guest and a host-to-guest ratio approaching one to one.
Every guest accommodation is an ocean-facing suite. The ship also introduces a second Owner's Residence, alongside expanded wellness areas and new or redesigned restaurants, lounges and public spaces.
First LNG-capable ship in the fleet
Explora III is the first vessel in the Explora Journeys fleet equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of operating on liquefied natural gas. It also has shore-power capability, allowing its onboard engines to be switched off while connected to a compatible electricity supply in port.
Explora Journeys presents LNG capability as a step towards using renewable substitutes such as bio-LNG and synthetic LNG in the future. Those potential fuels should not be confused with conventional fossil LNG, and their eventual environmental performance will depend upon how they are produced and supplied.
The company says renewable versions could potentially reduce well-to-wake greenhouse-gas emissions by more than 80%. That figure relates to the potential use of renewable fuels rather than the emissions performance of conventional LNG powering the ship today.
Where Explora III goes next
Following its Scandinavian and Northern European voyages, Explora III is scheduled to sail to Iceland and Greenland before reaching Quebec City on 27 September. Its programme then continues along the Canadian and US east coasts, including New York, before the ship arrives in Miami on 25 October for its first Caribbean winter season.
The deployment gives Explora Journeys additional capacity in the luxury segment while introducing a ship that remains deliberately small in passenger numbers compared with many contemporary cruise vessels.
Sources and further information: Explora Journeys: delivery of Explora III; Explora Journeys: ship design and inaugural programme; Explora Journeys: published cruise catalogue; and published itinerary for the 17 August Southampton departure.