Explora Journeys launches a new loyalty program for luxury cruisers
It's not every day that a cruise line launches a new loyalty program, but today is one of those days.
Explora Journeys' president, Anna Nash, announced Wednesday at the Seatrade cruise industry conference in Miami that the line would debut the Explora Club loyalty program with both enrollment and the ability to status match beginning this month.
Earlier this week, Nash spoke exclusively to TPG so we could get all the details ahead of her press conference at Seatrade.
"We wanted this loyalty program to celebrate our guests' journey with us and their loyalty ... where they feel seen," Nash told us when asked why Explora Journeys decided to start a loyalty program now.
"Explora Journeys is a brand built on the art of listening," Nash added, noting that the line surveyed over 20,000 current and potential customers about what they were seeking in a loyalty program.
"Explora Club is an authentic program built around the needs of the guests," Nash continued, "and what they have asked us for in order to feel recognized and valued as customers."
Here's what else we know about Explora Club so far.
What is Explora Journeys?
Explora Journeys is a luxury cruise line launched by the owners of MSC Cruises. It currently operates two vessels, Explora I and Explora II, with four more ordered and expected to join the fleet between 2026 and 2028.
Both Explora I and Explora II measure 63,900 gross tons and have total passenger capacities of 922.
With itineraries that include sailings in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, the line's focus is on reinventing the ocean cruising experience to feel more like visiting an exclusive luxury resort rather than your typical cruise vacation.
Rather than standard ship amenities like a huge central pool area and a main dining room or buffet, Explora's ships have gourmet specialty restaurants (most of which are included in fares), several intimate pool areas and high-end spas.
Although there are some short itineraries, most sailings are typically seven days or longer, and fares start at around $500 per person, per day.
Enrolling in Explora Club
According to Nash, past and prospective Explora Journeys passengers should receive information about the new program via newsletters and other communications and will be invited to enroll.
By July, members should see a personalized area of called"My Explora" in their account on explorajourneys.com where their status level and benefits will be displayed.
The line will even recognize and credit customers for past sailings.
"We've already had guests who have sailed with us multiple times and we will recognize and retroactively apply past sailings to their accounts," Nash said.
Earning points with Explora Journeys
So, how does the new Explora Club loyalty program work, exactly?
Cruisers will earn a certain number of points based on three factors:
- The length of their sailing
- The category of suite booked
- Onboard spending
Passengers will earn 100 points per night sailed in entry-level Ocean Suites. Those in Penthouse Suites will earn 200 points per night, while Ocean Residence passengers will earn 300 points per night and those booking the top-level Owner's Residence will earn a whopping 1,000 points per night.
Additionally, guests will earn 100 points for every $1,000 or 1,000 euros (depending on the currency with which the guest pays) spent on extras like items purchased at the shipboard The Journey boutique, specialty dining experiences like the Chef's Kitchen, treatments in the ship's spa, laundry and excursions purchased pre-journey or on board.
Like most other cruise loyalty programs — but unlike how most airline and hotel programs operate — Explora Club members will not redeem points for sailings or other travel. Rather, this points accrual goes toward their elite status tier with the line.
Explora Journeys elite status tiers, qualification and benefits
Explora Club has five tiers of status that you can unlock based on the following qualification requirements:
- Classic: This is the basic level just for signing up.
- Silver: You achieve this after your first night on board, up to earning 5,000 points.
- Gold: Earn 5,001 to 20,000 points.
- Platinum: Earn 20,001 to 50,000 points.
- Diamond: Earn 50,001 points or more.
So Gold status, for instance, would require cruisers to sail at least 50 nights in the standard suite category or fewer than 50 nights in higher-category suites. If you rack up some sizable expenses during your cruises, you could go on fewer sailings to reach this threshold.
Even with Classic status, you will have priority access to new itineraries when they come online, and with Silver status, you can expect perks such as an invitation to a cocktail party with the ship's officers while on board and savings offers for future journeys as well as on purchases at The Journey boutique and priority assistance at the Explora Experience Centre.
At higher tiers, even more benefits come your way, such as a behind-the-scenes tour of the bridge and engine room and credits toward excursions and spa treatments at Platinum. Those who reach Diamond status can expect some truly outsize value adds including a complimentary week-long cruise for two, private airport transfers and suite upgrades and a complimentary culinary experience such as a caviar tasting or a dinner at Anthology, the onboard restaurant serving elevated Italian cuisine.
Put simply, said Nash, "The more you sail with us, the more you receive back."
Nash also told us that guests with status in other cruise programs, including those of competitors like Silversea Cruises' Venetian Society and the Seabourn Club, will be able to contact Explora Journeys and request a status match based on their current tier; and those with status in sister brand MSC Voyagers Club will also be able to match to and from various tiers.
Bottom line
With just two ships currently sailing and only another four on the way, for now, Explora Journeys is by no means the biggest cruise line plying the seas, but it is certainly one of the most distinctive thanks to its uniquely high-end accommodations and offerings.
The line has made no secret about going after a younger demographic than some of its luxury competitors, focusing on what its executives have called the "working affluent" (rather than retirees) who are used to jet-setting to various world-class resorts instead of settling in for an ocean voyage.
But that is probably part of what made launching Explora Club central to the cruise line's strategy. These are high-net-worth travelers who have years, or decades, of top-dollar journeys ahead of them and are used to recognition and loyalty perks in their other travels, so why not incentivize them to choose Explora Journeys over competitors?
"Cruising requires two commodities: one being money — there's a lot of spend up front ... and two, time," Nash said. "We are expecting our guests to sail with us for about seven nights. But those are two very big investments that we recognize as a brand and we need to make sure that every moment spent with us exceeds the expectations of our customers."
But it goes beyond simple recognition.
"For me, it's about that emotional connection and making sure our staff genuinely recognizes our guests ... and the bond between our customers and our hosts on board," Nash said. "That's what will bring our customers back time and time again."
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