Dag Chr Halvorsen · CC BY 4.0 · cropped
The Port of Quebec cruise schedule lists Explora III as expected at Dock 30 at 6 p.m. on September 27, 2026, with departure at 7 p.m. on September 28. The English board, last updated at 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, September 27, tags the call as a destination turnaround rather than a same-day stopover.
If you are leaving the ship, joining it, or meeting someone at the pier, treat 6 p.m. Sunday at Dock 30 as the working arrival and 7 p.m. Monday as the working departure until the port or the line posts a later time. Deep Arrival’s Explora Journeys ship and itinerary guide is the place to match this call to the rest of the fleet before you rearrange hotels or transfers.
- Arrival: 6 p.m. local on September 27, 2026, at Dock 30.
- Departure: 7 p.m. local on September 28, 2026.
- Call type: Destination turnaround, not a same-day stopover.
- Next Quebec City call: October 15, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., again listed as a destination call.
- Board status: Expected on the Port of Quebec schedule updated 8:15 a.m. September 27.
Explora III Ties Up at Dock 30 on September 27
The port’s Explora III ship page repeats the same 6 p.m. September 27 arrival and 7 p.m. September 28 departure, with Dock 30 on the ship card and in the timetable row. The operational ship schedule, also stamped 8:15 a.m. Sunday, labels the arrival as a cruise turnaround.
Cruise Industry News, citing Port de Quebec, reports that Explora III’s September 27 arrival is the maiden call of the new ship during its inaugural season. That matches the port’s March 25, 2026, season outlook, which named Explora Journeys’ brand-new Explora III among four maiden calls planned for 2026.
Times on a live board can still move after a morning update. Use the port clock for pier planning and the line’s own embarkation instructions for luggage, security, and cabin access. Do not treat a third-party tracker as a substitute for either source.
Overnight Turnaround Changes Who Boards and Who Leaves
A destination turnaround splits the passenger list. Guests ending a voyage leave in Quebec City. Guests starting the next voyage board here. Some travelers stay onboard overnight. That mix is why the port keeps Explora III alongside for about 25 hours instead of a day call.
If your booking ends here, confirm the disembarkation group with Explora Journeys before you pack for a tight flight. If it starts here, Monday’s 7 p.m. departure is the sailing time on the current board, so most new guests will clear Terminal 30 on Monday. Meeting parties should use Dock 30. The Sunday board also shows Le Bellot at Dock 21 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Terminal 30 Shore Path for First-Time Guests
Dock 30 is the terminal where the Port of Quebec and Destination Quebec cite opened a multi-sensory tourism showcase on March 25, 2026. The port said the installation greets guests at the pier and points some of them beyond the waterfront and Old Quebec. On a first call, that is the port’s own wayfinding, not a paid tour desk.
Disembarking guests with a tight flight should stay close to Old Quebec and the airport link. Overnight guests and Monday boarders have time to go farther. Deep Arrival’s Quebec City cruise port guide maps terminals against walking time so you can set a meeting point. The ship is due at 6 p.m. on a Sunday, so book a late table before you sail or eat onboard.
Next Quebec City Call on October 15
The same Port of Quebec pages already list Explora III back at the city on October 15, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., again as a destination call. That is an 11-hour daytime turnaround, not a second overnight. If you missed this weekend’s maiden call, October 15 is the next official Quebec City window on the current board.
The March outlook put the 2026 cruise season on a run from April 13 to November 1, with 100 stopovers, including 20 arrival and departure operations, and about 115,000 cruise passengers. Explora III’s two listed destination calls sit inside that window. Book only the dates the line is selling, then recheck the port board the week you travel.
This Quebec City arrival also closes the ship’s northern Europe and crossing chapter on Deep Arrival’s earlier reporting. The live chronology sits on Explora III’s northern Europe maiden season before the September crossing. Use that post for the summer deployment. Use this one for the pier clock in Quebec City.
What Meeting Parties Should Confirm Before 6 p.m.
If you are collecting guests, confirm Explora III, Dock 30, and the 6 p.m. September 27 arrival before you drive. A 6 p.m. berth time is not walk-off time. Clearance and luggage on a first call can add an hour. Wait in a legal pickup zone near Dock 30 rather than at the gate.
If you are flying in to join the ship, do not book a Sunday evening landing at Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport. The ship is already due at 6 p.m., and Monday’s 7 p.m. departure is the boarding deadline. Arrive Saturday or Sunday morning and transfer to Terminal 30 on Monday.
Port Times Remain Live After the Morning Stamp
The 8:15 a.m. September 27 stamp is current as of this writing. It is not a lock. River traffic, a late inbound, or a terminal conflict can slide a 6 p.m. arrival without a press release. Recheck the Port of Quebec cruise schedule and Explora Journeys’ own app the afternoon you travel. If those two sources disagree, follow the line for boarding and the port for the physical dock.
Keep screenshots of the 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. times with the 8:15 a.m. stamp. Hotels, transfer desks, and meeting parties often quote yesterday’s PDF. A saved board is faster than an argument at the curb. If the ship returns on October 15, repeat the same check the night of October 14, because that call is a shorter daytime window.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| End your voyage in Quebec City on this call | Treat 6 p.m. September 27 at Dock 30 as arrival and confirm your disembarkation group with Explora Journeys before you pack for a tight flight. |
| Board Explora III in Quebec City | Plan to be at Terminal 30 on Monday, September 28, well before the 7 p.m. departure on the port board. |
| Meet guests at the pier | Go to Dock 30, not Dock 21, and allow time after 6 p.m. for clearance rather than a curbside minute. |
| Want the next Quebec City sailing | Use the October 15, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. destination call already listed by the Port of Quebec. |
6 p.m. September 27 at Dock 30 is the arrival gate. That is when the port currently expects Explora III alongside, and it is the first useful time for meeting parties.
7 p.m. September 28 is the departure gate. New guests need to have completed check-in before that sailing time on the current board.
October 15 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. is the next listed Quebec City window. Recheck the port board the day before, because this one is a daytime turnaround, not an overnight.
When does Explora III arrive in Quebec City?
The Port of Quebec lists Explora III as expected at 6 p.m. local on September 27, 2026, with the board last updated at 8:15 a.m. that morning.
Which dock does Explora III use in Quebec City?
Dock 30. The port’s ship card and timetable both print that quay, so do not follow a pin for Dock 21 or another weekend ship.
How long is Explora III in Quebec City on September 27?
The current board keeps the ship overnight from 6 p.m. September 27 until 7 p.m. September 28, about 25 hours, as a destination turnaround.
When does Explora III return to Quebec City?
October 15, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., again listed as a destination call on the same Port of Quebec pages.
Is this Explora III’s first Quebec City call?
Yes. Cruise Industry News, citing Port de Quebec, calls September 27 the maiden call, and the port’s March 2026 outlook named Explora III among four maiden ships for the season.
Should I go to the terminal before 6 p.m. on September 27?
Meeting parties can be nearby, but 6 p.m. is the berth time, not walk-off time. Guests joining the ship should target Monday check-in before the 7 p.m. September 28 departure.
