Michael Ungerer is leading a talented team that aims to redefine the way we travel on the ocean forever. Explora Journeys is the new privately-owned luxury lifestyle brand of the MSC Group, run by executive chairman of the MSC Cruise Division, Pierfrancesco Vago, his wife Alexa Aponte Vago and the Aponte family.
Personally appointed by the Aponte Vago family, who have over 300 years of maritime heritage, Michael, the company’s chief executive officer, is translating the family’s vision of creating a new style of transformative ocean travel that inspires discovery in all its forms. Renowned for his decorated career within the travel sector, Michael leads Explora Journeys’ brand’s creation, development and execution, working alongside a team of experts to create four luxury superyacht inspired ships, the first of which is scheduled to set sail from Barcelona in May 2023.
Employing a customer-centric mindset, he also brings his extensive knowledge of the luxury travel industry to his role, spanning marine operations, sustainability efforts, new buildings, shoreside activities, hotel operations, and more. With the upmost respect for the environment and a passion to introduce new environmentally supporting technologies that will reduce the brand’s impact on the planet, Michael promises to deliver highly curated and one-of-a-kind experiences for guests to enjoy on board their ‘home at sea’.
We sat down with Michael to find out a little more.
What is Explora Journeys and the vision behind this new luxury lifestyle brand?
Explora Journeys is a brand with a unique proposition that connects travellers with the ocean, themselves and their environments.
Explora Journeys stems from the long-held vision of the Aponte Vago family to redefine the ocean experience. The brand’s mission is to create a unique ‘Ocean State of Mind’ through our enduring passion for the sea – a mindset that can only be achieved with Explora Journeys when our guests escape to the ocean, relax, create memories, and reconnect with what matters most in their lives.
This elevated state of mind is underpinned by a sense of discovery across three touchpoints. There’s what we call active discovery, this includes exploring new destinations and itineraries, new cultures and communities as well as new cuisines and experiences. Social discovery encompasses sustainability and travelling with a purpose and social responsibility, creating memories with those closest to you but also meeting like-minded people. Then finally, the third touchpoint is self-discovery, it’s the healing power of the sea, mindfulness, and of course the spa and wellness experiences onboard that encourage our guests to relax and rejuvenate.
You mention you are carving out a new level of luxury ocean travel – so what sets Explora Journeys apart from existing luxury ocean travel brands?
Explora Journeys is a vibrant, cosmopolitan yet relaxed European luxury lifestyle travel brand created at the heart of Swiss hospitality and luxury in Geneva. As a family-owned and operated business, the Aponte Vago family are committed to establishing a truly unique brand and our pipeline of ships and an initial two-billion-euro investment reflects this commitment. We have also invested significantly in research and consumer intelligence, extending to more than 20,000 potential guests throughout the US, the UK, Western Europe, Japan and China, to create a customer-centric approach that is an essential part of our strategy.
Differentiation, therefore, has been at the forefront of creating this new luxury lifestyle brand. Explora Journeys set themselves apart by five central elements – design, space, choice, destinations and destination experiences with sustainability weaved into every touchpoint.
The ships’ design stems from our European family roots balancing intimacy and vibrancy, using modern, cosmopolitan and boutique finishes throughout the décor. We have partnered with the world`s foremost superyacht and hospitality designers with decades of experience working on some of the most iconic yachts on the water. We have carefully designed the Explora Journeys fleet to do justice to our customer-centric approach of meeting and exceeding luxury travellers’ needs – both their immediate needs but also the needs of our future guests.
As for space, Explora Journeys presents unrivalled space and privacy with one of the highest guest to space and host to guest ratios in the industry.
The destinations reached on Explora Journeys’ ships will offer a perfect blend of celebrated destinations seen through a different lens and lesser-travelled locations, with authentic experiences, expert insights, and deeper immersion into the local culture.
The choice element is reflected through the plethora of the nine culinary experiences, as well as the four swimming pools, multiple entertainment options to choose from onboard, and the multitude of itineraries available to explore the globe.
Our ships are designed to journey to lesser-known off the beaten path locations, including two destinations Kastellorizo, Greece and Saint Pierre, Martinique that have not been visited by cruise ships before. Focusing on an immersive and slower pace of travel will allow our guests to spend more time in each destination or at sea.
Finally, our detail-orientated approach of highly curated and one-of-a-kind destination experiences will truly set us apart from other luxury ocean travel brands.
Luxury travel has changed exponentially since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic – so what lessons have you learnt and are any of these reflected in experiences that will be offered on board EXPLORA I?
Our vision to enter the luxury market was clear long before the pandemic, however the pandemic has enabled us to closely monitor the industry and react accordingly. It also gave us the chance to pause and understand what really matters to our guests on a deeper, emotional level. There are many lessons that have been applied to the inner workings of our brand, but as a guest, our ships will offer you the space and privacy you would come to expect from a luxury resort.
On EXPLORA I, you will only find some of the largest ocean front suites, penthouses and residences in the luxury ocean travel sector with suites starting from 35sq.M up to a 280sq.M owner’s residence. Our vision is to create luxurious, spacious and private ‘Homes at Sea’ for our guests. Each suite will feature a private terrace and large floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as comfortable daybeds and an alfresco dining area, to help our guests connect and achieve the ‘Ocean State of Mind’ mindset.
Finally, we are committed to redefining the culinary experiences on board. With the help of our head of culinary, Franck Garanger and his team, we have created a selection of nine distinctive culinary experiences that will celebrate the global culinary talents and cultures, whilst always focusing on healthy eating and local sources.
Tell me more about the EXPLORA I – and the destinations she will travel to. How are you catering to the individual interests and appetites of your guests?
EXPLORA I’s Inaugural Journeys Collection covers the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the UK, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the U.S. East Coast, Caribbean, South America and Hawaii.
Sailings start from six-night journeys and culminate in a 44-night Grand Journey and she will travel to 132 ports in 40 different countries during her first year of sailing.
We offer the perfect blend of celebrated destinations and lesser-known off the beaten path locations, focusing on a slower pace to allow our guests to fully immerse themselves in each destination whilst not leaving their mark on the places they explore.
Catering to our guests’ individual interests and appetites, our team has curated a series of truly authentic experiences that celebrate each destination while ensuring flexibility and personalisation.
Working with a range of experts, we have categorised our destinations experience into five different interest types to help curate the ultimate tailored adventure.
- Beyond boundaries caters for once-in-a-lifetime experiences for thrill-seekers.
- Tailored experiences are private experiences that have been tailor-made for our guests who value rarity in its most authentic form.
- Enchanting experiences are tailor-made adventures for small and intimate groups.
- Boundless discoveries are the must-do experiences with hidden wonders.
- In-country immersions are up to three days experiences designed for guests who want to explore the rich culture of the visiting countries.
Luxury travellers are more conscious than ever before about their impact on the planet – how important is sustainability to Explora Journeys and what are you doing to reduce your impact on the world?
We have a deep respect for the ocean, destinations and the communities we visit. We have worked with extensive partners around the world to ensure that Explora Journeys utilises the latest in environmental-supporting technologies and are ready to adapt to alternative energy solutions as they become available in the future.
The design of each ship incorporates provision for battery storage to allow future hybrid power generation, as well as the latest selective catalytic reduction technology, enabling a reduction in nitrogen emissions by 90 per cent. We are also proud to confirm that our ships are RINA DOLPHIN certified and have been built with ship to shore power capabilities to avoid CO2 emissions while at berth.
Explora Journeys, as part of the MSC Group has pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We are committed to leaving something behind for the next generation. We’re constantly looking to the future of Explora Journeys and actively looking at a range of technologies including wind, hydrogen and new fuel cells as well as LNG using non-bio-LNG, with a view to incorporating these into the next generation of our ships.
How involved are the Aponte Vago family in the development of the Explora Journeys brand and its ships?
Building a luxury brand has been a long-held vision of Pierfrancesco Vago, his wife Alexa Aponte Vago and the entire Aponte family. They are actively involved in every aspect of the brand and the ship’s development including the Homes at Sea experiences for our guests.
It’s a wonderful experience working so closely with a family who has such a rich maritime heritage and an innate understanding of luxury consumers. Their passion and dedication to Explora Journeys will ensure that we create an ocean escape like no other.
How will Explora Journeys evolve to meet the ever-changing desires and tastes of its guests?
Explora Journeys will continue to evolve and reflect the tastes and desires of our guests. We have already invested in research and consumer intelligence to shape every aspect of EXPLORA I and II ships as well as the experiences they offer onboard to the destinations they sail to. Listening to our guests and understanding what matters to them will continue shape the way we journey and the experiences that will be curated for EXPLORA III and IV.
Finally, as a brand in its infancy – what is your long-term vision for Explora Journeys? What are your hopes and aspirations?
Our vision is to redefine ocean luxury travel for the next generation of discerning luxury travellers, and we aspire to become and be recognised as an industry leading, luxury lifestyle brand.
We want to elevate the ocean experience to new heights, pushing the boundaries of luxury whilst being respectful to the ocean, environment and the destinations we journey to.
