Explora Journeys: the challenge of building the Italian luxury cruise market

As you know, every new product needs time to find its place; in the case of luxury products even more so, because in any case it is very important to have a coherent project, which finds the right positioning and the right clientele, which then sticks to the proposed philosophy. Our strategy first of all aims precisely at building not a cruise product, as such, but a lifestyle, so something much broader, something that goes beyond the experience of sailing at sea, but which is a transformative journey: the ocean state of mind, we call it. When he tells me that a certain clientele is more accustomed to travelling on small ships, I make a distinction, speaking first of the rest of the world and then of Italy.

Explain to me.

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Explora is certainly an innovative product in terms of its philosophy and the segment in which it is placed. Moreover, luxury products by the sea in English-speaking countries are much more developed. It is, therefore, a niche market in very strong growth, precisely at a time when the mass cruise sector is undergoing a certain slowdown.

So what do you offer?

We don't really go after the audience of smaller sailing vessels or smaller motor ships. We target the public more accustomed to the space and service of large luxury resorts; so we take the good that is obviously there and add the variety of choices that we can put there. After all, on a small ship, space is limited and so are the choices available in terms of dining, the on-board experience, the possibility of having your own personal space outside your suite and in public spaces. So we aim to attract that customer who is used to going to big resorts, where there is choice and there is personalised service: in our case it is 1.25 guests per staff person. You have to have space to be able to give all this service and be able to accommodate our staff. And then there is the possibility, in our case, of starting the cruise experience in one port and ending it in a different port, with a travelling trip that, without the ship, you would have to do by other means. In short, we look at that clientele that wants to have the comfort and luxury of big resorts but also wants to see more things, to have the opportunity to visit more destinations.

And for Italy?

The Italian market, as far as luxury cruises are concerned, we cannot hide it, it has to be built. And we are building it. It is a journey that is done by acting on several fronts and trying to reach travellers, who are now very aware, through various channels. We have, on our side, the possibility to rely on the three souls that coexist within Explora the more Italian part, which derives from the seafaring tradition of the Aponte family, which leads the group, with experience and passion for the sea; then there is the Geneva part, which is that of attention to detail, precision, excellence in hospitality, typical of Switzerland; finally there is the third soul, which is that of our style, which is European, sophisticated and modern, and is what both Italian guests and those from the rest of Europe are looking for.

Which Italian customers do you target?

The right one for us is a customer who already has an awareness of what he or she wants, who does not blindly rely on what the operator says, but is looking for a trip that gives back time and relaxation, but is also an experience from which to take home something more: memories that remain, genuine experiences. And then, of course, we cater to those who appreciate beauty and Italian excellence, culture, and everything related to food and drink, hence the refined dining that we are able to provide.