Explora Journeys: Better Value Than Royal Caribbean, Celebrity or Princess?
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
I just paid $3,150 per person for a six night cruise from Istanbul to Athens.
It's a very different experience to a high energy high impact crowded atmosphere of Princess or Royal or Celebrity.
If you can land a suite for under $500 a night in 2026, you're getting a level of value that big ships really, they can't match.
Creator's Tips & Advice
🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:
Questions This Creator Answers
Topics Covered
Port Highlights
Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.
About our Bacon Score methodologyYouTube Video Description↓
We’re comparing Explora Journeys against the big players like Celebrity, Princess, and Royal Caribbean to see if luxury is actually the better deal. I paid $3,150 per person for a 6-night Istanbul to Athens sailing—is that a total waste of money, or is it the best value play in the Mediterranean? Most people look at the "sticker price" and run, but here is what the final bill actually looks like in 2026 once you add the "essentials" to a mass-market ship: Explora Journeys (Suite): $3,150 (Total bill: $0) Celebrity Cruises (Balcony): $2500* (Once you add tips, dining, spa, and shuttles) Royal Caribbean (Balcony): $2,400* (Once you add the $80/day drink package and $25/day Wi-Fi) Princess Cruises (Balcony): $2,400* (Using the Princess Plus package) Estimated when we looked at similar sailings in the med and Caribbean. Explora can we up to 7500 or 8 depending on route just to be transparent! https://bucketlistguides.com/ for more on this and on Cruise Port guides and Cruising Timestamps: 0:00 Is a $1,000-a-day Cruise Actually a Deal? 0:55 The "True Cost" Comparison: Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity vs. Explora 2:03 Explora Journeys Inclusions: What’s Really Free? 4:20 Booking deals - we got Anthology 5:48 Space and Service 7:12 How to find those Deals 7:58The 2026 Solo Traveler Value Hack (Journey of One) 8:34 Final Verdict: Is Cheap Luxury Dead? The Verdict: For a few hundred dollars more, you move from a standard room to a 28sqm luxury suite, get 6-star service, and a ship with 1,500 - 3000 fewer people. SOLO TRAVELER (2026) If you are a solo traveler, the math changes completely. Explora is currently running a "Journey of One" promotion that makes it objectively cheaper than the standard lines because they waive the single-person penalty. 🔗 Explora Solo Traveler Deals (0% Supplement): https://explorajourneys.com/int/en/info/special-offers/solo-travellers Note: The current "A Suite Invitation" deal (30% savings + Category Upgrade) expires February 24, 2026. #explorajourneys #luxurycruise #cruisetips