Dr. Krystal sits down with Meredith, an experienced solo cruiser with nearly 40 voyages under her belt, to discuss her unforgettable 13-night transatlantic sailing aboard Explora Journeys.

Explora Journeys Transatlantic Review

Blog
May 23, 2026•3 min read

Explora Journeys Transatlantic Review: A Solo Cruiser's Luxury Voyage from San Juan to Barcelona

Table of Contents

1. Why a Solo Cruiser Chose Explora Journeys for a Transatlantic

2. Inside the Ocean Terrace Suite on Explora I

3. Ports of Call: San Juan to Barcelona via the Canary Islands and Morocco

4. Dining, Wi-Fi, and All-Inclusive Luxury On Board

5. Is the Explora Journeys Transatlantic Worth It?

Why a Solo Cruiser Chose Explora Journeys for a Transatlantic

Solo travelers know the pain of double-occupancy pricing — and that's exactly why the Explora Journeys transatlantic cruise caught Meredith's eye. With a 0% solo supplement promotion and an itinerary linking San Juan, Puerto Rico to Barcelona, Spain over 13 days, the math finally worked. As a subsidiary of MSC, Explora has carved out a distinct luxury identity that rewards solo guests with rare pricing parity.

Listen to This Episode

Prefer to listen? Tune into this week’s Luxury Cruising podcast for the full conversation with Meredith, an experienced solo cruiser with nearly 40 voyages under her belt, to discuss her unforgettable 13-night transatlantic sailing aboard Explora Journeys.

Custom HTML/CSS/JAVASCRIPT

Inside the Ocean Terrace Suite on Explora I

The entry-level Ocean Terrace Suite on Explora I redefined expectations. Highlights include:

  • Heated bathroom floors

  • Bedside wireless charging pads

  • A chaise lounger on a generously sized balcony

  • A welcome bottle of champagne, plus complimentary bottles of spirits and wine of your choice

With Explora I sailing at roughly two-thirds capacity (around 600 of 900+ guests), the ship never felt crowded — daybeds, loungers, and the back-of-ship infinity pool were always within reach.

Ports of Call: San Juan to Barcelona via the Canary Islands and Morocco

After embarking in San Juan, the itinerary delivered a true bucket-list run:

  • St. Maarten — the final Caribbean stop before the crossing

  • Six consecutive sea days across the Atlantic

  • Two Canary Islands ports — including a birthday port day

  • Tangier, Morocco — a substitution for Gibraltar that became the trip favorite (and a seventh-continent milestone)

  • Barcelona, Spain — the grand finale

Dining, Wi-Fi, and All-Inclusive Luxury On Board

Everything is included on Explora — drinks, gratuities, premium high-speed Wi-Fi on three devices, and 24/7 complimentary room service. The Emporium Marketplace replaces the traditional buffet with a food-hall concept where servers fetch your meals via buzzer. Four complimentary dinner venues rotate between Mediterranean, French, steakhouse, and Asian themes, and the Med Yacht Club's focaccia bread service is destination-worthy on its own.

For digital nomads, the streaming Wi-Fi held strong through four full work days mid-Atlantic — arguably the best internet at sea today.

Is the Explora Journeys Transatlantic Worth It?

For solo cruisers, remote workers, and anyone seeking elevated-but-unfussy luxury, the Explora Journeys transatlantic from San Juan to Barcelona is a standout. Status-match opportunities from Azamara, MSC, or other luxury brands unlock 5% off future bookings — making the value proposition even stronger. Smooth seas, a retractable conservatory roof, and 100+ fellow solo travelers on board sealed it: a transatlantic cruise that redefines what luxury at sea looks like.


#LuxuryCruising#ExploraJourneys#SoloCruising#TransatlanticCruise#LuxuryTravel#CruiseLife#CruisePodcast#DigitalNomad#LuxuryCruise#ExploraI#CruiseReview#CanaryIslands#MoroccoTravel#CruisingSolo#TravelPodcast
Dr. Krystal Sodaitis board-certified pediatrician, who transitioned from academic medicine to health plan leadership in 2013. Krystal has advanced certifications in physician coaching, leadership coaching, and deep dive coaching. Her coaching practice is focused on physicians who have a developmental diagnosis such as ADHD, Autism or dyslexia. Highly intelligent people are often identified as neurodiverse (formally or through self-discovery/diagnosis) well into adulthood. While the diagnosis may come with some understanding and validation, many still have questions. Unsure where to go with their newfound knowledge that’s where she comes in. Krystal helps neurodiverse docs discover their “what now.” She addresses the guilt, shame, and limiting beliefs that come with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disorder, autism spectrum disorder or any other disability. Our brains are amazing and Krystal wants us all to embrace the different yet glorious ways our brains work. She helps people harness their gifts, not squelch them.

Krystal Sodaitis, MD, MPH

Dr. Krystal Sodaitis board-certified pediatrician, who transitioned from academic medicine to health plan leadership in 2013. Krystal has advanced certifications in physician coaching, leadership coaching, and deep dive coaching. Her coaching practice is focused on physicians who have a developmental diagnosis such as ADHD, Autism or dyslexia. Highly intelligent people are often identified as neurodiverse (formally or through self-discovery/diagnosis) well into adulthood. While the diagnosis may come with some understanding and validation, many still have questions. Unsure where to go with their newfound knowledge that’s where she comes in. Krystal helps neurodiverse docs discover their “what now.” She addresses the guilt, shame, and limiting beliefs that come with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disorder, autism spectrum disorder or any other disability. Our brains are amazing and Krystal wants us all to embrace the different yet glorious ways our brains work. She helps people harness their gifts, not squelch them.

LinkedIn logo icon
Back to Blog