ONBOARD EXPLORA II — Impressed by a “totally dazzling” cruise on Explora II, Explora Journeys’ newest vessel, we connected with Chris Austin, President, Explora Journeys for North America, for a Q&A.

For the latest on Explora Journeys’ brand and experience, its ships and its philosophy – plus the importance of travel advisors – read on …

Q. What sets Explora Journeys apart from other cruise lines in the same luxury niche market?

Austin: “What sets us apart is the fact that our ships are inspired by a yacht and have more space than any other ship in our category at the moment. Also, Explora I and II have an elegant interior design that is more akin to a European luxury hotel than a cruise ship. Plus, we allow our guests to really get immersed in the destinations, but we don’t chase ports – we may only have four ports of call in seven days.

Q. What cruise lines would you say are in the same category as Explora Journeys?

Austin: “I’m going to be cheeky and say… Six Senses, Aman Resorts and One&Only! Today luxury travellers have Regent, Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal and Ritz-Carlton to choose from. They are traditional classic luxury cruise brands all doing a very good job. But we have created an experience that is fresh, that is elevated, unique and more modern.”

Q. Luxury can be many things to many people. How does Explora Journeys define it?

Austin: “Luxury is a very elevated experience, but also a very personalized one. We want our guests to be able to curate their perfect day. We want them to feel that they are at their home at sea and that in their suite, they are enjoying some of the finer things of life. For instance, many of our guests are surprised to find the heated floors in the bathrooms; the seated vanity in the walk-in closet, even in our lead-in suites; the Dyson hair dryer; and to sleep under beautiful white Italian linens. Luxury is a layered effect. It’s also our passionate hosts delivering that intuitive service with a smile, with eye contact, being available, and making people feel special.”

Q. Speaking of Explora Journeys’ guests, who are they?

Austin: “I’d say they are divided into two categories. You’ve got your curious ocean lovers who are probably on their 40th cruise. They’ve been cruising with the other traditional classic brands, but they’ve heard about us. Then we have new-to-cruise, I like to say new-to-ocean, and we want to make them new-to-ocean lovers. And because we’ve designed a ship that does feel more like a luxury boutique hotel, it’s connecting more with those guests that do go to luxury hotels.

“We’re also destroying some of the myths. Some of the new-to-cruise think they can’t be connected, meaning they can’t work. Maybe they run their own business, maybe they’re conscientious employees, and they want to be checking in with work every day. But our Internet is the finest at sea, and people can work here.”

“And within both categories, you have solos and families. Our solo supplement starts at 125%, so 25% on top of the 100%. But the solos are beautifully looked after. They could be invited to dine with the officers or members of the team.”

“Because we’re owned by a family, we designed this ship to accommodate families. We have connecting suites. We have the Nautilus Club, which is a beautiful lounge for our young guests, ages five to 17, and two very professional hosts. And we’ll add more hosts if we need to.”

“So, to answer your question, I would say that if you’re a discerning traveler, then you’re our guest.”

Q. Explora Journeys prides itself on creating itineraries that combine off-the-beaten-path destinations and more classic ones. Which ports of call would be considered uncommon?

Austin: “In Greece, we go to Paros, it’s the new Mykonos. In Italy, we go to Porto Cervo, Sardinia, which would only be common if you owned a multimillion-dollar yacht!”

“It’s a marriage of off-the-beaten-path destinations with what we call marquee destinations. Monte Carlo, for instance. Or Saint-Tropez, with early morning coastal cruising, our guests going ashore around 10 a.m., enjoying either shopping or going to Grasse to make perfume. And because we won’t leave until 10 or 11 p.m., we unlock the destination in a unique way.”

Q. Lastly, how important are travel advisors to Explora Journeys’ distribution strategy?

Austin: “Our travel advisor partners are incredibly important, and we set out to deliver the boldest portfolio of commercial terms and to create the best programs, solutions, and support for them.

“You look at nearly all cruise brands, and they have NCFs (non-commissionable fares), which means travel advisors do not earn the full commission on what they’re selling. To me, that’s not right. We have all taxes included in our fares, and we don’t take anything out. So you book a Cdn$10,000 per person suite, you’re on 18% commission and you know exactly what you’re being paid: Cdn$1,800. Out of respect for the travel advisor, we also pay our commissions 21 days from final payment. Now, some brands pay after guests disembark!

“Canada is also a very, very important market for us. I currently have one salesperson in Toronto, one in Vancouver, and we will be adding more. I sure want to thank all travel advisors for their support. Thank you so very much!”

This article originally ran at ProfessionVoyages.com, part of The Travelweek Group. More information about Explora Journeys can be found here.