Hybrid thinking is shaping the cruise ships of the future

When MSC Group launched the first vessel in its luxury lifestyle ocean travel brand in 2023, it threw out the traditional ship design rule book and went back to the drawing board.

As Explora Journeys continues to grow, passengers can expect to see more design evolution when Explora III – the third of six ships to enter service by 2028 – launches in 2026.

While keeping full details under wraps, MSC Cruises director, architecture and design, Antonio Di Nenno, tells Passenger Ship Interior & Refurbishment Review, “Explora III will introduce changes in materials, colours, and FF&E, along with some entirely new areas and concepts designed to further improve and evolve the guest experience. Our philosophy is continuous refinement, always raising the bar to make each new vessel feel even more special.”

He says from the outset, the interior design team adopted a different approach when they created the blueprint for 922-passenger, 63,900-gt Explora I.

“At Explora Journeys, our interiors were conceived with a very different mindset, not to feel like a ship at sea, but like a refined five-star boutique hotel, whose address is the ocean and, above all, a home at sea,” he says.

“We wanted guests to walk on board and immediately recognise a familiar, welcoming atmosphere, with the same intimate feeling they associate with their own living spaces. That meant prioritising warmth, comfort and residential detailing over traditional maritime cues. We emphasised space, proportion, layered lighting and materials that convey intimacy and elegance. It’s telling that when the first brochures for Explora I appeared, many people assumed they were looking at images of a luxury hotel, not a cruise ship, which captured exactly what we intended.”

Mr Di Nenno says the greatest challenge was achieving an intimate, home-like feeling within the strict technical constraints of shipbuilding.

“Luxury hotel finishes and intimate proportions are not easily reconciled with safety rules, weight limits and the scale of a ship,” he continues. “We overcame this through bespoke joinery, material innovation and careful acoustic and colour strategies, ensuring spaces feel calm and familiar, with the ocean itself acting as a natural backdrop.”

Explaining how the family owned group collaborated with leading architectural studios and prestigious furniture designers, including Martin Francis, SMC Design, AD Associates, De Jorio Design International, Molteni&C and Manutti, Mr Di Nenno says MSC integrates their contributions into what he describes as a coherent whole.

“As the internal design department, we were heavily involved from the very beginning, in the drafting, definition, and particularly the interior design of the suites,” he says. “Our role is to ensure consistency across details, flow and guest experience, so that the different design inputs come together seamlessly. This careful integration is what makes the final product feel fluid, balanced, and to bring to life the brand vision as envisioned by the Aponte Vago family.”

He says Explora Journeys was designed to feel distinct from the group’s contemporary brand, and any aspects drawn from MSC Cruises was largely behind the scenes, such as maritime expertise, operational flow, service logistics, and safety integration.

“The look and feel was always meant to be different, emphasising intimacy and serenity,” continues Mr Di Nenno. “That’s why the design relies on neutral tones that calm the eye and frame the ocean views as the main colour of the experience. Unlike MSC Cruises’ spaces, such as the Yacht Club, Explora Journeys’ suites and lounges were curated to create a familiar, residential quality. Elegant, understated and centred on the homes at sea concept.”

The Explora Journeys’ fleet, constructed at Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard, represent a €3.5Bn (US$4.1Bn) investment and Mr Di Nenno says a key element of the design is creating ships that are both contemporary and ageless. 

“When we begin designing a ship we have to consider future trends from the outset,” he explains. “Before starting, we carried out deep research to understand where the design was heading, and the choices we made for Explora I remain fully aligned with the evolution of design today and for the coming years. From the first sketches, sustainability was a key driver together with the idea of timelessness. Rather than chasing short-lived fashions, we focused on understanding the broader directions and framing them in a way that feels enduring. This approach allows our ships to stay relevant, elegant and responsible over time.”