Explora Journeys has pushed back the debut of the Explora II by about a month, canceling five cruises as a result.
The 922-guest Explora II was scheduled to embark on a maiden cruise on Aug. 11 from Barcelona. The ship will now sail a maiden seven-night voyage on Sept. 16 from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Tarragona, Spain.
MSC Group, Explora's parent company, said shipbuilder Fincantieri and Explora Journeys jointly decided to delay the ship's delivery because crews needed more time to finish it. Guests who were scheduled to sail on one of the canceled cruises can book a sailing on the Explora II or Explora I. Both ships are sailing in the Mediterranean.
The line's itineraries offer overnights and longer stays in port. Guests can book cruises of seven, 14 or 21 nights.
The ship is the second of six planned for MSC Group's luxury brand. The Explora III is expected to join the fleet in 2026, followed by Explora IV in 2025, Explora V in 2027 and Explora VI in 2028.