Navy blue hull, 248 meters long and 63,900 tonnes displacement. Also the smell of walnuts everywhere, as she has just been delivered by the Fincantieri shipyard. After setting sail from Monfalcone (Italy), the first port of call in its history was in Barcelona. It is the Explora I, MSC's bet on luxury travel, a group that yesterday gave evidence of its power at the port. On the one hand, the huge MSC Febe, with a capacity for 20,000 containers, loaded and unloaded at the Best terminal. The ships GNV Spirit and GNV Sealand, from its ferry division, docked at the Ponent pier. These ships made regular services with Palma, Ibiza and Menorca. In addition, the cruise ship MSC Virtuosa made its weekly stopover, sharing a dock, the Adossat, with the Explora I, the first ship of Explora Journeys.
"Indeed, we say journeys or trips to refer to our shipping company because the product is a little different to a cruise", Michael Ungerer told La Vanguardia this Monday. The company's executive director had arrived sailing from the shipyards with the entire crew and a technical support team. Several visits were organized yesterday in Barcelona to present the new ship to professionals in the sector, who were looking forward to learning about the version of luxury sea travel proposed by the shipping giant, whose parent company has 760 container ships, is the world leader in the sector and the group's economic engine.
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive president of MSC Cruises, had in mind the bet for a different, more calm, informal and sustainable luxury. He contacted me in 2019 and here we are, launching the first of six magnificent ships,” said Ungerer.
The ships, practically twins, will gradually be incorporated until 2028. The third and fourth will be fueled by liquefied natural gas, and the fifth and sixth will already carry hydrogen as fuel. The ship that visited Barcelona yesterday has 461 suites, ranging from 35 m2 to the almost 280 m2 of the owner's suite. This suite takes up the entire stern of a ship that has a ratio of one crew member per guest, has six gastronomic restaurants, a 700 m2 spa, three outdoor pools, one indoor, and collaborates with major brands such as Möet, which has become the house champagne, or watchmakers Piaget and Rolex, which has opened its first boutique at sea. The interiors have been entrusted to Martin Francis, legendary yacht designer, and Eckersley O'Callaghan, creator of Apple's large glass structures.
One of the guests to visit the ship this Monday was Lluís Salvadó, president of the port of Barcelona. Enthusiastic about the philosophy, aesthetics and values of the new shipping company, he indicated that it was a luxury to receive them in the city, which aspires to receive more visits from shipping companies with this profile.
