The People Behind the Explora Journeys Experience
Updated: Sep 14
From a memorable coffee at Crema Café to meeting Franck Garanger during dinner at Anthology, some of our most interesting discoveries onboard have come through conversation.
By Christopher & Emmelie | Rexhell Cruise & Travel
A conversation with Alban Gjoka gave us a deeper appreciation of the thinking behind dining at Explora Journeys.
Over the past year, and most recently aboard EXPLORA III, we have been fortunate enough to meet quite a few of the people behind the Explora Journeys experience.
We usually spend our time showing you the ships: the restaurants, the suites, the spaces where we enjoy spending an afternoon, and the details that work particularly well or could be better.
But behind those experiences are people making decisions about how life onboard should actually feel.
Getting to know a little more about their thinking has become almost as interesting as exploring the ships themselves.
What has stayed with us is not simply who we have met. It is their willingness to communicate, share their enthusiasm and listen to our perspective.
And in one particular case, it all started with a cup of coffee.
A Coffee at Crema Café That Changed How I Think About Dining
Alban Gjoka invited me, Chris, to sit down with him at Crema Café for what became one of the most memorable and interesting cups of coffee I have ever had.
And that had much more to do with the conversation than the coffee itself.
As Senior Vice President, Luxury and Premium Food & Beverage Division, Alban works on the broader culinary direction, dining concepts and the role food and drink play in the overall Explora Journeys experience.
But sitting across from him, it was the person behind that responsibility who made the conversation so fascinating.
His passion, the plans and ambitions he shared, and the way he connected them with his own background, experiences and personal opinions gave me a different perspective on dining.
We spend a lot of time thinking about food in terms of the finished result. Did we enjoy the dish? Was the service good? Would we choose that restaurant again?
Those questions still matter. But this conversation made me think more deeply about everything that comes before the guest sits down.
I came away with a greater appreciation of dining as a whole experience, rather than simply a menu and the food that arrives on the plate.
“It was a conversation that changed how I think about dining.” Chris, Rexhell Cruise & Travel
That is a fairly significant thing to take away from a coffee.
Since that coffee, I find myself looking at dining differently. I still care about whether the food tastes good, but I now think much more about everything behind the plate: the concept, the ingredients, the consistency, the service and the intention behind the restaurant itself. It has made me more curious about why a dish is there, why a menu is structured the way it is, and whether the experience at the table truly reflects what the people behind it were trying to create.
Meeting Franck Garanger During Our Evening at Anthology
Another particularly special moment came during our dinner at Anthology, when we had the opportunity to meet Franck Garanger, Head of Culinary at Explora Journeys.
Franck has been central to shaping the brand’s culinary identity, including its approach to ingredients, menus and the dining experiences themselves.
Meeting him that evening was a real honour.
His passion for ingredients and the artistry of cooking came through so clearly in our conversation. There was something especially meaningful about hearing him talk about his craft while we were enjoying a dining experience he has helped shape.
It brought another dimension to the evening: a connection between the person, the ideas and what we were experiencing at the table.
His connection to Sweden made the conversation feel a little more personal for us, too.
And yes, he even speaks a little Swedish!
The Team Bringing Those Ideas to the Table for a perfect Explora Journeys experience
We have also had the opportunity to meet Frédéric Godineau and Gianluca Mazza, who are part of the team bringing Explora’s culinary thinking into the everyday onboard experience.
These encounters remind us that dining is not the work of one person. There is a connection between the overall direction, the development of a menu and the teams preparing and serving it.
As guests, we experience the result. Meeting some of the people involved gives us a greater appreciation of the work behind it.
For our perspective on what actually reaches the table, explore our EXPLORA III review and dining guide, including the restaurants we tried and the details that stood out to us.
The Bigger Picture Behind the Ships
Our conversations have extended well beyond dining.
We have met Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys, and talked about the brand and where it is heading. Her responsibilities encompass the wider direction of Explora, beyond any individual ship or sailing.
As returning guests, that perspective interests us. We notice changes between ships, develop our own preferences and wonder how the experience will evolve while retaining the things we already enjoy.
Meeting the people thinking about that bigger picture gives us more context for those observations.
Then there is Captain Serena Melani, whose connection with Explora stretches back to the beginning. She has helped bring EXPLORA I, EXPLORA II and EXPLORA III into service, giving her a perspective across the first three ships.
There is something particularly meaningful about that continuity. We discover a ship when we step aboard. She has been part of the process of bringing it to life.
Where the Vision Becomes Everyday Hospitality
Of course, the direction of a brand only becomes meaningful to guests through what happens onboard.
We have also met Koray Savas, Vice President of Hotel Operations, whose work connects the wider ambitions of Explora Journeys with the hotel experience aboard its ships.
Neven Zdunic, General Manager onboard, works where those ambitions need to become a consistent, day-to-day reality for guests and the teams looking after them.
And Leandro Roldan Iglesias brings another perspective through his work across guest services, hotel operations and the development of the guest experience across the fleet.
These are different responsibilities, but from our side they lead back to the same question: how does everything come together for the person taking the journey?
A beautiful restaurant or lounge makes an immediate impression. How welcome we feel there, how naturally service works and how a question or request is handled are what shape our experience over time.
That is why we find these conversations valuable. They help us look beyond the visible features of a ship and better understand the work behind them.
Professional Does Not Have to Mean Distant
Across these encounters, there is a combination we have particularly appreciated: professionalism without distance.
The people we have met carry significant responsibilities. Yet our conversations have felt approachable and open, with genuine enthusiasm for discussing the experience they are creating.
Not simply explaining what is offered, but helping us understand why. Why a restaurant works a certain way. Why a menu evolves. How the organisation of service can influence the atmosphere guests feel.
And, just as importantly, being willing to hear how it feels from our side.
We appreciate being able to share our own observations, including where our preferences differ. Being listened to does not mean expecting every suggestion to become a change.
Sometimes, understanding the reasoning behind a decision is valuable in itself.
Our impression has been of people who care deeply about their work and want to stay connected to the experience of those onboard.
What Would You Ask the Explora Journeys Team?
These conversations often leave us with more questions than we arrived with. We would love to know which subject interests you most.
If you could sit down with the Explora Journeys team, what would you most like to discuss?
The ingredients, menus and ideas behind the dining.
Service and how guest feedback is used.
Ship design and the differences between ships.
Where the brand is heading next.
Have a particular question in mind? Leave it in the comments below.
What These Conversations Mean for Our Reviews, and for You
Meeting the people behind a brand does not replace experiencing it for ourselves. It helps us ask better questions about what we experience.
Our reviews still begin with what happens onboard: what we enjoy, what works less well for us and which details might matter differently to someone else.
These were our own encounters, rather than something we would suggest every guest should expect on every sailing. And the story certainly does not stop with management. The hosts looking after guests each day are the people through whom much of that work is ultimately felt.
For us at Rexhell Cruise & Travel, the purpose remains the same:
To show you how it actually is, so you can decide whether the experience is right for you.
The more we understand, the better we can explain.
That is the real value we take from these meetings, beyond the photographs.
So yes, there have been a lot of questions.
And there will probably be quite a few more.
Explore the Experience Beyond the Conversations
What does all of this feel like when you are actually onboard?
Our Explora Journeys reviews and guides bring together our own experiences of the ships, dining and daily life, including what we liked and what we would approach differently.
Explore our Explora Journeys reviews and guides →
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