Ahoy there!

The weekend is upon us once again and the kids return back to school next week...seriously though, where has summer gone?

We're contacting you today to 'dangle the carrot' for all things Explora Journeys. We've just returned from an epic week onboard EXPLORA I sailing from Athens to Istanbul.

Our adventure kick started with an overnight stay at the amazing Dolli hotel overlooking the Acropolis, a stunningly beautiful property in a perfect location for exploring old town Plaka and the delights of Athens.

We then embarked EXPLORA I at Athens Pireaus and sailed to Mykonos, Volos, Skopelos, Thessaloniki, and disembarked in Istanbul. On our journey we enjoyed an overnight anchored at Mykonos and the luxury of full day(s) in every port that we visited. Only 2 ships this year will have visited Skopelos (EXPLORA I being one of them) and what fun it was, we will never forget West End duo Sacha & Kane performing live hits from Mamma Mia the musical on the Atoll Pool Deck whilst sailing away from Skopelos into the sunset...the only time, such entertainment will ever be deemed as fitting and acceptable! ha-ha.

It's been 1 year since Ben's 'shakedown' experience on EXPLORA I, and my oh my - she was impressive in 2023, but a year older, she's now SPECTACULAR! From the stunning suites, to the exquisite dining, and of course the impeccable service of all the team onboard - Explora Journeys are making big waves amongst those who are new to cruising and those who have had loyalties in the past to competitor luxury cruise brands such as Silversea, Seabourn, & Regent Seven Seas.

Sailing Explora Journeys is like journeying on your own super yacht. Personal service, plentiful sun decks (including 4 pools), a la carte dining and premium drinks all on tap (no shared tables or set dining times). The size of the Explora ships, should in theory, accommodate over 2.5 thousand passengers, but with 461 suites, the maximum occupancy is just 922 passengers. Notice; this is an all-suite product, everybody will have a minimum of an ocean suite with full sized terrace containing a day bed and a 2 seater table which is perfect for enjoying the included 24/7 room service.

As we type this blog, we can already hear the classic cruising remarks echoing back at us, such as 'we're far too young for cruising!', 'we don't want to be stuck with people that we may not like out at sea!', 'we don't like the idea of being at sea and not being able to touch the land?', 'but what if we get seasick?' - well we can hand on heart say, we had all of these concerns too! But, now there is no stopping us (literally no stopping us - we have just booked a 2 week journey with Explora Journeys for August 2025 as our main holiday for 2025 - this is how much we rate this product and brand!)

Finally, The Travel Journal would like to share with you an exclusive discount when booking your Explora Journey with us before the 06th September 2024. Valid for all journeys for the remainder of 2024 and 2025, we can offer you an EXCLUSIVE 5% discount which is combinable with other present Explora Journey offers, as well as a journey experience credit of up to 300 Euros per suite.

We would love to discuss our experience with you, so please give us a call on 01423 523388 or email ben directly at hello@thetraveljournal.co.uk and we would be delighted to hear from you with any questions or curiosities you may have.

Have a great (sunny?) weekend.

The T J.