Captain Diego Michelozzi will share the helm as master of Explora I

The company already announced earlier this year the appointment of Captain Serena Melani, who will alternate with Michelozzi to helm Explora I.

Michelozzi spent the last two and a half years as master with Regent Seven Seas Cruises, a brand he worked at for six years. He started as a cadet at Carnival Cruise Line in 2000 following a period with the Italian navy and held various officer roles at Carnival in a career that spanned 15-plus years.

Michael Ungerer, CEO, Explora Journeys, said, ‘Captain Michelozzi will steer Explora I to both familiar and off the beaten path destinations across the world with his experience, passion for exploration and respect for the ocean and nature, which reflects our own.  We are delighted to welcome him onboard as we continue to build momentum and prepare Explora I to soon take to the seas.’

Tuscany born

Michelozzi added, ‘I was born on the Tuscan coastline in Italy, I come from four generations of seafarers and I naturally value the company`s commitment to preserve the mesmerising beauty of our oceans and marine life.’

He studied at the Artiglio nautical school in Italy, obtained an associate art degree at the University of Phoenix in the US, a diploma in leadership and management at the University of Kent in the UK and an MBA at Coventry’s Arden University, also in the UK.

Explora I will visit 138 ports in more than 40 countries in its first year. Cruises start with six-night journeys and culminate in a 44-night Northern Europe Grand sailing.