MSC Cruises Jumps into River Cruising with Explora Journeys
MSC Cruises’ ultra-luxury brand Explora Journeys confirmed that it is entering the European river cruise market. Today’s statement put to rest months of rumors in the market and continues the rapid expansion of the sector.
Explora Journeys confirmed it has signed a Letter of Intent with Dutch shipbuilder Dan Breejeen Shipyard for the construction of “its first luxury river ships, marking the brand’s planned entry into river cruising.” It said details regarding the ship design, delivery schedule, and itineraries would be announced before a planned 2027 start for sales.
The company did not specify how many river cruise ships it is planning or which rivers the ships would be designed to sail. There are length and height restrictions on some of the rivers of Europe, such as the Seine, while others, such as the Main and Rhine, support larger river cruise ships.
MSC’s exploration into river cruising had been rumored for months, as it remains one of the fastest-growing segments of cruising. One travel advisor recently predicted to Cruise Executive sustained 12 percent growth or better for European river cruising. The trade group IG RiverCruise, said the market numbered 386 ships in Europe in 2025, with a total of 1.49 million passengers. It highlights that Germany and the United States were the largest source markets.
Explora Journeys was launched in 2023 with the first of six ultra-luxury cruise ships as an offshoot of MSC Cruises. The company recently introduced its third cruise ship, while the remaining three are under construction at Fincantieri in Italy. The introduction of the ocean cruise ships is scheduled to be completed in August 2028 with Explora VI.
“Since launching, Explora Journeys has sought to change the way people experience ocean travel through its Ocean State of Mind philosophy — combining the freedom and discovery of travelling by sea with the elegance and refinement of European hospitality and design. The brand now intends to bring that same approach to Europe’s most iconic rivers,” the company said in a brief statement.
De Breejen is a well-known builder of river cruise ships. It lists 40 river cruise ships on its website, including work for Avalon, Scenic, and Emerald, and it is currently building the river cruise ships for Transcend, which is focusing on the group and charter market.
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Explora Journeys will be following Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Cruises, which is launching its first river cruise ships in 2027. Celebrity is also bridging the market from ocean cruising with a promise to build 20 river ships in the coming years.
Viking is the best-known brand incorporating large offerings in ocean and river cruising and continues to build out both segments of its business. Crystal Cruises, under the ownership of Genting HK, had also launched river cruising, but the river and ocean ships went to different owners in the bankruptcy. Scenic Group developed its river cruises under the Scenic and Emerald brand names and more recently launched yacht-style ocean cruising. Several of the European cruise lines, including TUI and Saga, have also developed offerings in river cruising.
