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Line comparison
Explora vs Virgin Voyages, by the night
With fares updated Oct 14, 2026, Virgin Voyages is lower on the nightly median: $185 versus $693 for Explora. That gap is real, but inclusions still deserve their own look.
We divide each sailing's lowest-priced room type on standard terms by its nights, per guest. Treat it as the fare baseline before you compare inclusions.
- Lower median
- Virgin Voyages
- Median gap
- $508
- Lower fare floor
- Virgin Voyages
- Updated
- Oct 14, 2026
ExploraJourneys
Explora
653 sailings with a verified price in this comparison.
Median per guest, per night
$693
Lowest per guest, per night
$394
Upcoming sailings
660
Price unit
per guest
Virgin Voyages
408 sailings with a verified price in this comparison.
Median per sailor, per night
$185
Lowest per sailor, per night
$80
Upcoming sailings
408
Price unit
per sailor
Lower fare floor
Virgin Voyages
Lower median
Virgin Voyages
Updated
Oct 14, 2026
Individual sailings
The cheaper line is not always the better buy.
Virgin Voyages is cheaper on the median, but a few Explora sailings still price unusually well against similar trips.
The score compares a sailing with similar routes, seasons, and lengths. It is here to catch the individual trip that would disappear inside a line-level average.
How the value score worksExploraJourneys
Strong against similar trips
Piraeus (Athens) to Istanbul
Mar 25, 2027 · 4 nights · $394/night
34% below the typical price. The typical nightly price for similar-length sailings on this line, from 16 fares.
87.7value score
ExploraJourneys
Strong against similar trips
Tokyo to Hong Kong
Feb 2, 2028 · 11 nights · $689/night
32% below the typical price. The typical nightly price for similar-length sailings on this line in the same region, from 11 fares.
86.9value score
ExploraJourneys
Strong against similar trips
Miami to Quebec City
May 6, 2028 · 12 nights · $506/night
30% below the typical price. The typical nightly price for similar-length sailings on this line in the same region, from 27 fares.
86.2value score
Narrow the trip
The answer changes when the trip gets specific.
A median is useful, but no one books a median. These are the shared regions, seasons, or trip lengths where one side is meaningfully better today.
Trip length · one-week sailings
Virgin Voyages is lower for one-week sailings.
$180/night median vs $703/night
Based on 182 Virgin Voyages sailings and 288 Explora sailings in this slice.
Example sailing
Miami to Miami
8 nights · $115/night · 82.5 score
Region · Caribbean
Virgin Voyages is lower for Caribbean sailings.
$175/night median vs $686/night
Based on 291 Virgin Voyages sailings and 119 Explora sailings in this slice.
Example sailing
Miami to Miami
5 nights · $125/night · 90.9 score
Trip length · longer sailings
Virgin Voyages looks stronger for longer sailings.
77.8 average score vs 47.6
Based on 8 Virgin Voyages sailings and 237 Explora sailings in this slice.
Example sailing
Barcelona to Miami
14 nights · $110/night · 90.7 score
Available comparisons
Fare and cabin comparisons
Each tab uses current data available for both lines. Comparisons without enough evidence stay off the page.
Nightly fare
Virgin Voyages is the lower nightly baseline.
$185/night median
Use this when the room type and itinerary are flexible. Virgin Voyages is lower on the median night, while the price unit stays visible so the number is not confused with an inclusions comparison.
Explora: 653 sailings with a verified price, $693 per guest, per night median.
Virgin Voyages: 408 sailings with a verified price, $185 per sailor, per night median.
Virgin Voyages is $508/night below Explora at the median.
Bottom line
Virgin Voyages is cheaper before inclusions
Virgin Voyages is cheaper in the current data: $185/night median versus $693/night for Explora, per guest. That is the fare gap before drinks, credit, suite rules, or ship style enter the decision.
Use this as fare evidence, not a verdict on service, suite rules, onboard credit, or inclusions.
Evidence
- 01Explora: 653 sailings with a verified price; lowest $394/night per guest.
- 02Virgin Voyages: 408 sailings with a verified price; lowest $80/night per sailor.
- 03Virgin Voyages has the strongest single scored sailing in this pair.
Fare table
Side-by-side fares
The price unit stays visible so a lower nightly fare is not mistaken for equal inclusions.
Lowest / night
Explora
$394
Virgin Voyages
$80
Median / night
Explora
$693
Virgin Voyages
$185
Highest / night
Explora
$5,775
Virgin Voyages
$1,045
Upcoming sailings
Explora
660
Virgin Voyages
408
Price unit
Explora
per guest
Virgin Voyages
per sailor
Start here
Two low fares to check first
One live sailing from each line, shown with the nightly fare and the reason it stands out.
ExploraJourneysExploraJourneys87.7
Lowest Explora nightly fare
Piraeus (Athens) to Istanbul4 nights · Ocean Terrace Suite · $394 per guest, per night
34% below the typical price. The typical nightly price for similar-length sailings on this line, from 16 fares.
VirginVoyages88.0Lowest Virgin Voyages nightly fare
Miami to Barcelona14 nights · The Insider · $80 per sailor, per night
43% below the typical price. The typical nightly price for similar-length sailings on this line in the same region, from 18 fares.
Price-per-night pages
Comparison questions
- Is Explora or Virgin Voyages cheaper per night?
- Explora runs a median of $693 per night versus $185 for Virgin Voyages, based on live tracked fares. Both are per guest; inclusions differ by line.
- How do the two lines quote their fares?
- Explora prices per guest; Virgin Voyages prices per sailor. Each fare is a sailing's lowest-priced room type on standard terms.