The MSC Group and Fincantieri today celebrated three significant events in Genoa related to the fleet of the Explora Journeys brand, the shipyard announced in a press release.

A ceremony was held at Fincantieri’s Sestrei Ponente shipyard to commemorate the milestones, which include the delivery of the Explora II, the coin ceremony for the Explora III and the steel cutting for the Explora IV.

According to Fincantieri, the event celebrated three key moments in maritime tradition and also in the construction of the Explora Journeys fleet.

Recently launched by the MSC Group, the luxury lifestyle brand currently includes six ships, with the first delivered in July 2023.

All vessels are being built in Italy by Fincantieri, with a total investment exceeding 3.5 billion euros, of which around 500 million euros were allocated for the Explora II.

“Explora Journeys ships represent the ultimate expression of naval engineering and design. Fincantieri’s contribution was fundamental in the realization of this innovative ships, which meet the highest expectations of quality and reliability, further consolidating Italy’s position among the global leaders in the shipbuilding industry,” said Edoardo Rixi, Italy’s Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport.

“We are delighted to continue our growth in the luxury segment, taking delivery today of the second of six Explora Journeys ships, while the third and fourth are already under construction at this shipyard. These vessels represent a combination of innovation and sustainability and are part of an important expansion plan for our new European luxury brand,” stated Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the MSC Group’s Cruise Division.

“They also strengthen our long-term partnership with Fincantieri, which began 10 years ago and currently includes the delivery of four more ships by 2028, in addition to the six already delivered to date. The construction of the Explora Journeys ships plays a crucial role both locally, boosting the shipbuilding sector and the economy of Genoa and Liguria and nationally, ensuring significant economic and employment benefits for the entire country,” he added.

“We are proud to deliver EXPLORA II, which represents not only a technological advancement, but also serves as a symbol of our vision for a sustainable and innovative future, as well as an extraordinary example of Italian design. The partnership with MSC, consolidated through the construction of the iconic Explora Journeys ships, demonstrates Fincantieri’s leadership in the luxury cruise segment,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Fincantieri.

“Together with the MSC Group, we continue to set new standards of excellence and sustainability for the global cruise industry by pioneering technologies that will drive the boundaries of innovation even further. This is the ‘Made in Italy of talent’, which we aim to bring into the future technologically, accelerating our efforts to modernize shipyards and enhance the domestic craftmanship in our Country by creating the high-skilled workforce of the future,” he continued.

In addition to Edoardo Rixi, Pierfrancesco Vago and Pierroberto Folgiero, the event was attended by the Mayor of Genoa, Marco Bucci, as well as Fincantieri’s Chairman, Biagio Mazzotta, and General Manager of the Merchant Ships Division, Luigi Matarazzo.

According to Fincantieri, MSC Cruises Group’s investment in the Explora fleet has an economic impact of over 15 billion euros to Italy, with significant downstream effects and the creation of thousands of jobs.