Discover the Emporium Marketplace by Explora Journeys: A Buffet with Class
- Esther
- Nov 2
- 3 min read
Anyone who has ever cruised with Explora Journeys will undoubtedly know the Emporium Marketplace. This is the ship’s buffet restaurant, but certainly not the kind you’ll find on most other vessels. While buffets elsewhere can often feel crowded and impersonal, here you’ll experience quite the opposite: a relaxed atmosphere where luxury, quality, and choice go hand in hand.
Let me take you on a little journey through this special place and show you what makes it so exceptional.
The Emporium Marketplace at the Explora Journey
The Marketplace is located on Deck 11, at the aft of the ship. The moment you step inside, you’ll immediately notice that the atmosphere feels different from an ordinary buffet restaurant. It’s remarkably calm and relaxed. You can simply choose any seat you like, there’s no need to reserve or hold a table.
Number of seats
Inside 271
Outside 70
You can choose to dine either indoors or outdoors, all while enjoying breathtaking ocean views. What makes this place even more special is that the buffet is fully serviced, no self-service or shared utensils, but friendly staff who carefully plate everything for you.
There are several stations
Bread & Salads
Sushi & Seafood
Pasta, Asian & Other Local Dishes
Meat & Fish
Desserts & Smoothies
You can come here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Emporium Marketplace features an open-kitchen concept, allowing you to literally see how each dish is prepared with care. Everything is beautifully presented: salads, breads, and cold dishes are elegantly arranged on plates and handed to you by the staff.
At the sushi and poké bowl corner, you can specify exactly how you’d like your dish completely to your taste. The hot dishes, such as pancakes, waffles, burgers, or freshly made pasta, are prepared à la minute. Usually, you won’t have to wait long, but if it does take a bit more time, you’ll be given a pager. This allows you to explore other stations or simply relax at your table in the meantime. Once your pager goes off, the staff will often pick up your dish and bring it directly to your table.
Breakfast
There’s truly something for everyone here. Think fresh smoothies, eggs cooked how you like it, fresh fruit, a wide selection of breads and cold cuts, as well as toasted sandwiches, waffles, pancakes, and crêpes. At the coffee bar, a skilled barista is ready to prepare your favorite coffee, whether it’s a creamy cappuccino, a strong espresso, or a refined latte.
Lunch/Diner
For lunch and dinner, the setup is largely the same: there’s always a wide selection of fresh pasta, sushi, grilled dishes, pizza, salads, cheeses, and desserts. For example, there’s a true pizza baker from Naples who makes the pizzas fresh for you, you can really taste the difference. Additionally, crab is available at every lunch and dinner, whereas on most cruises it’s usually offered only once. The main difference lies in the freshness, quality, and variety of the dishes. Nothing is reused or mass-produced; everything is prepared with care and attention.
The buffet often reflects the theme of the country where the ship is docked that day. During our cruise, for example, we enjoyed a Greek and a Croatian buffet, featuring countless local specialties. The only downside? The selection is so extensive that choosing can be nearly impossible.
My experience
Normally, we’re not big fans of buffet restaurants, they often feel too crowded and lack atmosphere. On other cruises, we usually only visited them on port days, when most guests were off the ship. With Explora Journeys, however, it was completely different. We actually preferred the Emporium Marketplace over the other restaurants. Here, everyone can eat exactly what they feel like, without compromising on quality or the overall experience.
Dining outdoors with the stunning views makes the experience truly complete. My personal favorites were the pastas, the risottos, each with a different twist every day and the ceviche. Everything was freshly prepared for you with a smile, and nothing was too much to ask. That’s what true service feels like.
During our last cruise, the ship was quite full, yet even then it was never a problem to find a spot in the Emporium Marketplace.
Want to read more? Check out: Luxury cruise with the family on the Explora I & to the Alps
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