Explora Journeys customers getting ‘younger and younger’, says president

The average Explora Journeys customer is getting “younger and younger”, according to the line’s president Anna Nash.

 

The brand’s boss said some of the “barriers” regarding people’s perceptions of cruising only being for a “certain demographic” were being dismantled, with a wider range of traveller looking to enjoy the experience.

 

Currently more than a quarter of the line’s guests are new-to-cruise or first-time cruisers.

 

Speaking at Aspire’s Leaders of Luxury conference on June 12, Nash – who joined the company last September – said one of her main goals was to counteract the idea that cruises are “rigid experiences” with “big ships”, “huge numbers of people” and guests being continuously “hurried”.

 

The former Aman chief commercial officer said she wants guests to see Explora Journeys’ ships as hotel experiences, adding: “We’re a boutique hotel whose address is the ocean. We offer everything that land-based hospitality has to offer, but more because we take you to a different destination every day.”

 

She said she wanted agents to feel they can sell ocean travel as a form of holiday that “gives you back your time” and ultimately provides “incredible value for money”.

 

Nash labelled the UK a “hugely important market” for Explora Journeys and ocean travel more broadly, claiming she has “huge ambitions” for growth.

 

She said: “We know there’s more potential [in the UK]. Making our itineraries easier to sell is part of that – it’s an ongoing awareness piece.”

 

One way in which this awareness is being grown is through high-profile partnerships. As a Formula One partner, Explora Journeys’ branding is on show for four races each season.

 

Nash said: “There’s the excitement, the drama, and it puts us on the world stage.”

 

Explora Journeys’ third ship will launch in summer 2026, with Explora IV and V following in 2027, and Explora VI arriving in 2028.