Explora Journeys has entered into a letter of intent with Netherlands-based Den Breejen Shipyard for the construction of new luxury river cruise ships for the European market, marking the planned entry of MSC Cruises' luxury brand into river cruising. The agreement was announced on 24 Sep 2026. Explora Journeys plans to open sales for the new offering in 2027, though it has not announced when operations will begin. The company did not disclose the number of vessels covered by the letter of intent, saying ship designs, onboard facilities, handover timing and first itineraries will be revealed at a later date. The announcement also did not identify any specific waterways, ports or destinations under consideration, though the company said it intends to apply its existing hospitality approach and European design sensibility to river voyages. Den Breejen has prior experience in the European river-cruise sector, having built the 135-metre Emerald Luna, a 182-guest vessel delivered for Emerald Cruises that operates primarily on the Rhine, Main and Danube. That ship's specifications do not indicate the design or capacity of the planned Explora vessels. The river cruise project will proceed alongside Explora Journeys' ongoing ocean fleet expansion. The company took delivery of the 900-guest Explora III in July, bringing three of its planned six ocean ships into service.