March 10, 2026 — 5:04am
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A week on a luxury cruise line suggests indolence and weight gain. But whose fault is that? Not Explora Journeys’, and that’s why I’m on board. The company operates trim, jaunty ships that I associate with sea breezes, sunny destinations and energetic, youngish passengers full of life’s enthusiasm.
I have only myself to blame for my waistline but, while my ship Explora II has a temptation of upmarket restaurants, it also has a wellness centre (Finnish sauna, salt cave, hydrotherapy room) and a well-equipped fitness centre that reproaches me from the end of the corridor to my stateroom.
Explora I includes a Finnish sauna, salt cave and hydrotherapy room.
An outdoor fitness area on deck 14, high above the inspirational Aegean Sea, adds to the fit fest. Here a fierce but twinkle-eyed trainer takes guests through a boot camp-style routine of pedalling and sit-ups. Nearby, others dart around on the pickleball court.
I’m on a cruise through the Greek islands, which are often associated with hedonism and drunken gods but also have rugged landscapes where the least hiking effort is rewarded with hallelujah views.
So, can I disembark in Athens feeling better than when I arrived? I’m determined to try.
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Instead of standing at the rails at departure port Istanbul, I patrol the decks, which gets me 360-degree outlooks to minarets as I gently exercise.
Explora sails by the Greek island of Santorini.
Day two and I’m up early and onto a cycling machine at the ship’s stern, pedalling languidly but determinedly as we glide through the narrow Dardanelles. Lunch in Sakura restaurant? Why not. I go hard on sashimi and light on dessert.
Day three, the island of Milos. Two euros for the bus to Plaka, whose steep whitewashed streets and steps give me a workout accompanied by eye-squinting views of the kind that grace jigsaw puzzles.
A plunging half-hour’s walk downhill to Klima past goats and ruins. A heart-banging walk back up to Trypiti. Another bus and I’m back on board by late afternoon feeling fiddle fit and smug as I see other passengers lurch off excursion coaches.
The fishing village of Klima on Milos.iStock
It’s a plan repeated in every port. No cross-island coach tour the next day, or a guide’s penguin shuffle around Rhodes. Instead, a brisk long walk straight off the ship around the harbourfront to Elli Beach.
I cut back through suburbia for a glimpse of everyday life before plunging into old-town alleys. And no, I’m not tempted by tourist pizzas and giant beers in glasses shaped like boots. I’m feeling too good.
A walk to Elli Beach while Explora docks in Rhodes is a great alternative to being on a tour bus.iStock
Day five, Bodrum on the Turkish coast, and why take the cruise shuttle into town when I can stroll around one of Mediterranean’s most splendid bays? Yellow parasols, blue cafe tables, a crusader castle. And yes, I had a honey-soaked pastry, but I’d earned it.
Paros is my biggest day. Public bus to Lefkes in the middle of the island, a rugged walk to Podromos, another bus to seaside Naousa. Nothing strenuous, scenery all glorious, and ridiculously cutesy villages tied up in ribbons of bougainvillea.
A cruise with Explora includes frequent yoga sessions on the deck.
Can you take a cruise and feel better for it? Of course you can. Eat wisely, join group exercises on board for group encouragement, and walk walk walk when ashore. You don’t need to be a fitness freak.
Explora II is no penance. Quite the contrary. I wasn’t going to miss this stylish ship’s many pleasures: heated marble loungers on my weary legs, oysters at the raw bar, aged sirloin steak at Marble & Co, an afternoon’s flop by Helios Pool.
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I had my cake and ate it too, figuratively speaking. I actually forwent afternoon tea, which was the only challenge of this delightful ship. But the reward? Mission accomplished.
THE DETAILS
CRUISE
Over the next two years, Explora Journeys will extend its itineraries from Europe and the Caribbean to North America (including Alaska), Greenland, Central and South America, the Arabian Peninsula and Asia. Its third ship Explora III sets sail in mid-2026 with three others to follow. A seven-day “Journey through Legendary Marvels” cruise return from Piraeus (Athens) departs September 28, 2026, from $8245 a person including dining, beverages, Wi-Fi, and gratuities. See explorajourneys.com
The writer cruised as a guest of Explora Journeys.
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Brian Johnston seemed destined to become a travel writer: he is an Irishman born in Nigeria and raised in Switzerland, who has lived in Britain and China and now calls Australia home.Traveller GuidesFrom our partners
