MSC Cruises' new luxury line just announced a new loyalty program with an enticing status match offer.
Explora Journeys, which launched its first ship in 2023, has redefined ocean travel with its super yacht-inspired vessels. However, compared to other lines, including its sister-brand MSC Cruises, it lacked a loyalty program to reward return cruises for choosing to sail with them over competitors.
During a media briefing at Seatrade Cruise Global's 2025 conference in Miami, Florida, Anna Nash, Global President of Explora Journeys, and Chris Austin, President of the line's North America division, jointly announced the cruise line's new loyalty program: Explora Club.
“The launch of Explora Club marks a significant milestone in the evolution of our dynamic and rapidly growing brand. It is our way of celebrating the loyalty and trust of our guests — those who have embraced our vision from the very beginning, and those just beginning their journey with us today," Nash said.
"It is designed to do more than just points and rewards. It is our way of honouring loyalty with thoughtful recognition. It is about deepening our relationship with our guests and ensuring that every single one of them feels truly seen, feels appreciated, and feels valued."
Because nearly one in four Explora Journeys cruisers have returned within less than two years of the line's first ship setting sail, the loyalty program was necessary to deepen its connection with guests.
Explora Club formally launched on April 9, 2025, and by July, members can expect to gain access to a dedicated “My Explora” area, which will display their status and benefits.
The brand-new Explora Club has 5 tiers
You can join the Explora Club before your first sailing with the entry-level Classic tier. The other four loyalty levels are Silver (1 - 5,000 points), Gold (5,001 - 20,000 points), Platinum (20,001 - 50,000 points), and Diamond (50,001+ points).
Like with MSC Cruises, earning points is based on a few factors, including suite category, onboard spending, and the purchase of destination experiences. For example, passengers sailing in Ocean Suites will receive 1x points, while those in Ocean Penthouses receive 2x, Ocean Residences 3x, and Owner's Residences 10x.
One night equals 100 points, so cruisers in an Ocean Suite for 7 nights would earn 700 points, while someone staying in a grand Owner's Residence would receive 7,000.
Another way to earn points is through onboard spending. Every $/€1,000 spent is another 100 points. Not all purchases are eligible for points, though. For example, luxury goods bought at the Rolex or Cartier boutiques, as well as money spent in the ship’s casino, don’t count.
Benefits
You can enjoy certain exclusive benefits meant to elevate the onboard experience, such as thoughtful gifts, surprises, and pre-cruise services, as soon as your first Explora Journeys cruise.
First-time Explora cruisers within the Classic tier will also have priority access to the new journeys collection, an exclusive Explora Club area on explorajourneys.com, and will receive a personalized welcome on board.
Silver cruisers and onward can look forward to an exclusive welcome gift, birthday gift, priority assistance at the Explora Experience Centre, and signature loyalty delight, while Gold Explora Club members and up will receive a surprise ritual turndown service.
Another highlight of the program is the journey experience credit and value savings. Starting with the Classic tier, cruisers have access to special Explora Club Member offers, while Silver members and up can enjoy discounts at The Journey boutique and savings on future cruises.
Upon earning 20,001 points and becoming a Platinum cruiser, you'll benefit from a Journey Experience Credit for Ocean Wellness and Destination Experiences. Finally, perhaps one of the best perks is the free weeklong cruise for two after reaching the Explora Club's highest tier, Diamond. Another Diamond benefit is the private airport transfer and complimentary suite upgrade.
Explora Club members also have access to exclusive events starting at the Silver level, including a private cocktail party with the ship’s leadership team, up to the President Journey experience and complimentary culinary experience at Diamond.
Finally, elevated onboard service means that cruisers will enjoy enhanced comfort and special touches that enrich each day of the sailing. Think personalized welcomes from the General Manager (Silver onwards) to a complimentary laundry bag (Gold onwards), behind-the-scenes tours of the Bridge and engine room (Platinum), and private shopping times outside of the boutique’s regular hours (Diamond).
Status matching
Explora Journeys is offering a lucrative status match program to those devoted to other cruise lines, receiving equivalent recognition from their very first cruise. The status match will cover a slew of lines, including its sister-brand MSC Cruises.
This means that even if you’ve never been on a luxury cruise before, you can enjoy exclusive benefits that will enhance your time onboard Explora Journeys.
“We will also be retroactively applying points from those who have already sailed with us. And again, it's really our way of welcoming our guests into our community with open arms and ensuring that their travel history is honored and recognized from the very start,” Nash added during the media briefing in Miami.
Status match offers aren’t new. When Virgin Voyages launched, they also tried to bring in new cruisers who had previously been loyal to existing lines. Additionally, MSC Cruises has had an existing status match program for a while, allowing guests from cruise lines and hotel chains to receive certain perks onboard their fleet, even if they’ve never cruised before.
However, compared to other mainstream cruise lines, MSC’s loyalty program is unique in that if you don’t cruise with MSC at least once every three years, your status will expire.
While Explora Journeys isn’t expecting to welcome a new ship in 2025, it’s on track to expand its current fleet of two to six by 2028. July will be a big month for the company, with three milestones planned for newbuilds, including Explora III’s float out, IV’s coin ceremony, and V’s steel cutting.
“We have momentum. The fleet will be a dynamic, very, very new fleet, if not the newest fleet in the ultra luxury segment of cruising,” remarked Austin.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on nearly 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
