Explora I

Helios sits all the way forward at the top of the ship and is one of the adults-only spaces on board. Day beds stretch across the bow, the pool has gradual entry steps, and more day beds sit right in the water so you can dip your toes in. Bartenders serve the whole area. Up at the aft end of Deck 14, the Sky Bar on 14 adds sofas facing the wake, a full bar and an espresso machine.

The Conservatory is the main pool, with easy entry steps and day beds, sofas and loungers wrapped all the way around. Its signature is a retractable glass roof that opens on sunny days and closes when it’s cool, hot or rainy, with climate control inside. A large LED screen sits at the far end for evenings under the roof. On either side are two massive infinity-edge hot tubs, and the Gelateria & Creperie is here too.

Perched at the front of the ship, the Explora Lounge is the panoramic observation lounge, with floor-to-ceiling windows, glass in the ceiling, an outdoor deck at the very bow and layered seating down a gentle ramp. It hosts afternoon tea, and a Steinway piano plays here as part of Explora’s partnership with the piano maker. Next door, the Malt Whisky Bar pours an extensive whisky collection in a den of dark leather, with a walk-in humidor just behind it.

Emporium Marketplace is the casual restaurant, set up as a food hall rather than a traditional buffet. Much of the food is made to order: sushi and ceviche, rotating grilled seafood, handmade pasta, a carvery, curries and stir-fries, elevated burgers at the Classic Grill, pizza, a bakery, charcuterie, salads and a juice bar. Dishes rotate through the cruise and often reflect where the ship is sailing. Out back, an aft terrace has booths and tables for dining al fresco.

The Ocean Wellness Spa has a full beauty salon with a barber shop, manicures and pedicures, plus couple’s treatment rooms for massages, facials and wraps. The thermal area is included for all guests 16 and older. It has a hydrotherapy pool with jets, a heated salt cave, experience showers, a steam room, a traditional sauna, an ice feature, heated loungers and a door out to a terrace with fresh ocean air. Treatments and salon services are extra.

Anthology is the ship’s signature restaurant and a love letter to Italy, with a tasting menu built around some of the country’s most exquisite ingredients. It’s one of the few venues on board that comes at an additional cost, and an optional wine pairing is curated to match the menu. There are tables for two and four inside, plus seating outside. Reservations are strongly recommended, and it’s the one venue where tailored shorts aren’t accepted.

Two of Explora I’s included restaurants take reservations. Marble & Co. Grill is a European-style steakhouse named for the marbling in a great steak, with an open kitchen and an extensive menu from land and sea, including a 30-day aged option. Sakura, named for the cherry blossom, brings together Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian flavors. Its sushi bar in the center is first come, first served, and a few tables extend outside for al fresco dining.

All the way aft, the Astern Pool is an infinity-style pool looking straight out over the wake, with stadium-style day beds stepping up around it and its own bar. Just forward, the Astern Lounge is a classic cruise ship lounge with a wraparound bar, a dance floor, an LED screen and a pool table tucked in the corner. It’s a great spot for groups, and in the evening a DJ takes over and it becomes the ship’s nightclub.