September 11, 2026 Team Contributor
Explora Journeys is giving travellers a choice for winter 2027-2028: chase summer in South America, or unwind in the Mediterranean.
The announcement came out of Geneva on September 10. It also means a change of plan – the line’s earlier Middle East and Red Sea sailings are being replaced by these new routes. If you had those trips in mind, here’s what’s coming instead. And if you’re comparing luxury options for next year, our earlier piece on the Great Rail Landmark Collection is worth a look too.
EXPLORA I heads south during summer
While Canada settles into winter, EXPLORA I will be doing the opposite. From December 2027 to March 2028, she sails along the coasts of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, the Falkland Islands and Chile, right in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere’s summer.
It’s an expansive season: 10 journeys, 37 destinations, and 20 of them brand new for the line. Brazil alone brings 12 first-time stops. Guests get five overnight stays, in Buenos Aires, Puerto Madryn and Rio de Janeiro, plus eight late-night departures from ports like Balneário Camboriú and Port Stanley, so there’s time to enjoy the evening before sailing on.
From the coast, the route turns toward Patagonia. It passes through Montevideo, the Beagle Channel, Puerto Williams, Punta Arenas and finally Cape Horn, one of the most storied stretches of coastline in the world. Guests sailing over the holidays will spend Christmas at sea, then ring in the New Year along Brazil’s shoreline.
EXPLORA V makes her Mediterranean debut
While EXPLORA I heads south, EXPLORA V is heading to a new location for the very first time. Her debut season runs December 2027 to April 2028, in three parts: first the Western and Central Mediterranean and North Africa, then a turn into the Atlantic in January, before coming back to the Mediterranean in March.
There are 21 journeys in total. Highlights of the travel in partnership with Explora Journeys include a first-ever call to Crotone in Calabria, and late-night departures from Salerno, Livorno, Palma de Mallorca, Kotor and Ibiza. One stop, Pauillac in France, puts Bordeaux’s wine country within easy reach. And like her sister ship, EXPLORA V spends Christmas at sea, with New Year’s Eve fireworks over Naples watched from her open decks.
Then she ventures into Atlantic Islands
Once the Mediterranean leg ends, EXPLORA V keeps going, this time to the Atlantic Islands. Stops cover Los Cristianos in Tenerife, along with the wider Canary Islands and Madeira. Overnight stays in Casablanca and Lisbon round things out, giving guests more time in two cities with plenty to see.
These two collections aren’t the only news from Explora Journeys. They join itineraries already set for EXPLORA II and IV in the Caribbean, and EXPLORA III in Asia. The line, owned by Switzerland’s MSC Group, launched its first ship in 2023. EXPLORA III followed in 2026 as its first LNG-powered ship, and EXPLORA IV is due in early 2027, with EXPLORA V and VI arriving through 2028.
So for Canadian travellers planning ahead, late 2027 comes down to a simple choice: the wild edges of Patagonia, or a quiet Mediterranean winter. And before booking either one, it’s advised to check recent changes to Canadian air access, including the Air Canada Toronto flight expansion, if you’re arranging connecting flights.
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