Super luxury line Silversea Cruise offers a wide range of destinations worldwide, on both classics – as the airline calls traditional cruise ships – and expedition ships. Until recently, Silversea was the only luxury line to offer both cruise styles; Perhaps its success has led others, such as Viking and Seabourn, to follow suit.
Between classic ships and explorers, Silversea has 10 ships that visit more than 900 destinations across seven continents. Among classic yachting destinations, Silversea maintains a strong presence in Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean (the company headquarters is located in Monaco). It also passes through the British Isles and Northern Europe from spring to late autumn, and its “leaf viewing” excursions in Canada and New England generate a lot of buzz during the fall months.
Winter comes, the ship goes to a place where it is always sunny Caribbean, and summarizes Australia, New Zealand and South America. Winter deployments to Asia are also continuing to resume after a pandemic-induced hiatus.
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Silversea caters to travelers looking for day trips to multiple destinations. The route offers a limited number of “combined tours”, where itineraries can combine two or three tours into one for deep exploration of the area. Grand Voyages, its next longest sail, can run from 59 to 131 days. Last in destination packing, cruises are the longest cruises offered and run once per year; for example, a 140-day cruise in 2023 visits Oceania, Asia, Africa, the Amazon and the Caribbean, while a 133-day cruise in 2024 circles the Pacific with visits to Hawaii, Oceania , Asia and Alaska.
Silversea’s five exploratory ships searched for more distant locations. Three of the ships explore the North Pole and the South Pole during the polar seasons. The 100-passenger Silver Origin, built specifically to sail the Galapagos, cruises year-round on these wildlife-rich islands. Silver Explorer has 144 passengers who spend a lot of time in the Kimberley region of Australia and also in the South Pacific islands.
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When not traversing the polar regions, Silversea’s expedition ships actually go to every country allowed, from the US West Coast and Indian Ocean to the South Pacific and South America. The first expedition of the Grand Voyage line in 2023 is a 131-day voyage on the Silver Endeavor, traveling from southern Chile and Antarctica to Greenland and the Arctic, hops across the continent to visit southeastern Africa, the Middle East, Mediterranean, British Isles and Iceland.
With Silversea offering most of the world on a silver platter, the challenge became choosing a single destination. Here, we present five areas where Silversea has always shined, promising a yachting encounter – if not beyond – the idea of a vacation of anyone’s dreams.
Galapagos Islands
Silversea is a longtime player in Galapagos; The now retired Silver Galapagos began flying here in 2013. The sleeker 100-passenger Silver Origin, Silversea’s first dedicated destination ship, launches in 2021 and sets sail between the islands. year round. Suite rooms with ocean-view showers, butlers for all guests, interactive residences, Ecuadorian cooking classes and stargazing platforms set this expedition ship apart from the pack. dangerous.
Most excursions are seven days, round-trip from San Cristobal, Ecuador, and visit Floreana and Santa Cruz between the islands. During the December holidays, the 10- and 11-day sails make celebrating on board comfortable and easy.
North Pole
With three Silversea expedition ships Arctic tour, count on plenty of choices in this rugged, bucket-list destination. Silver Cloud and Silver Wind, a twin 254-passenger expedition ship, set sail with just 200 passengers in the polar regions. They offer a multitude of itineraries and trip lengths from June to August.
Options include 9-day and 12-day circumnavigation of Svalbard, and a 24-day Northwest Passage on Silver Wind. Some nine-day excursions are exclusive to Greenland; some longer sails, such as the 16-day round trip from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, on the Silver Cloud, which explores Canadian islands, such as Lower Savage, with a chance to spot polar bears. This trip also allows passengers to learn about Inuit culture, visiting the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum with its impressive collection of local and regional Inuit artifacts and artwork.
The 200-passenger Silver Endeavor joins the fleet in the fall of 2022 and will also cross the North Pole in 2023; We await more itinerary details. That ship was a new Crystal Cruises built before the pandemic of the line fell; That cruise line and its two classic cruise ships are now owned by Abercrombie & Kent, but Silversea has acquired the expedition ship.
Related: I don’t think I want my first Arctic expedition; this is what proved me wrong
Antarctic
Silversea currently dedicates three luxury expedition ships to Antarctica between November and March, making it a major player in the region. (Veteran frigate Silver Explorer now focuses on the South Pacific, such as Australia’s Kimberley.) Twins Silver Cloud and Silver Wind will join Silver Endeavor in November 2022.
Silver Endeavor features a PC6 band rating, one of the industry’s highest and most advanced exploration technologies, including a remote underwater vehicle and remote gimbal camera system. Silver Endeavor will provide Silversea’s first 20-day “Deep South” itinerary, including an attempt to surpass 69order south parallel, in February 2023.
Silversea offers two styles Antarctic Trips. Fastest, Voiced Antarctic Bridge, usually run six days. Passengers skip the potentially turbulent waters of Drake Passage by flying directly to King George Island (the largest of all the South Shetland islands) from Punta Arenas, Chile. From there, it’s just a two-hour boat ride to the Antarctic Peninsula for instant polar satisfaction. A number of nine-day Antarctic Bridge sails are also provided; they also skip Drake and provide more Antarctica exploration time.
Antarctica Cruises makes the Drake Passage circumnavigation from Puerto Williams, Chile, and lasts 10 to 18 days. These longer, more comprehensive trips can include three days in the Falkland Islands and South Georgia or Elephant Island.
Related: 6 ways to travel to Antarctica stylish and luxurious
Mediterranean
Silversea claims the Med as its heritage and home base and befitting its waters. The route provides access to both small ports and large ports so that passengers can experience the most authentic way Cruises, in classic or exploratory style. The classic ships of the fleet are magnets for luxury cruisers; Silver Nova’s 2023 arrival with 728 passengers and twin Silver Ray in 2024 means Silversea will soon have eight vintage ships operating in the area.
Count on diverse itineraries and lengths, with many trips lasting 10 or 11 days. Look for more distinct ports, not just glamorous cities. Trains may stop at Giardini Naxos, Sicily; Bari, Italy; Casablanca, Morocco (with fun excursions like lunch at Rick’s Cafe, from the iconic movie); or Collioure on the south coast of France, where you may have the chance to visit medieval Carcassonne.
When Silversea ships visit big-name ports, they don’t just offer typical coastal excursions aboard many other ships – perhaps in part because so many guests have gone to Europe’s top cities and looking for something more. In Monaco’s Monte Carlo, this luxury line offers outings such as scenic cruising over the Côte d’Azur or exploring Dolceacqua, Italy, a beautifully preserved medieval town in Liguria, on the border France. When the ship visits Livorno, Italy, passengers can go on a truffle hunt, sip on superb Tuscan wines or join the SALT (Land and Sea Flavors) coast cruise, enjoying a barbecue-style feast Italy with fine wines in the hills of Tuscany.
Even Silversea’s expedition ships dazzled the Med time, albeit with a smaller footprint. These excursions will take place differently from the classic ships, with a focus on outback towns and villages. Expect an expedition team of experts in fields like history to lead many outings. Passengers can take part in active outings such as hiking and Zodiac rides. For example, on a Silver Cloud sail from Athens to Lisbon, Portugal, passengers visit Tunisia and Algeria, venturing to coastal ports with 16order– medieval mosques, ancient casbahs and spanish fortresses.
Related: Best Mediterranean cruise tips to enhance your Europe vacation
Australia and New Zealand
Silversea dives deep into the South Pacific services, with four classic ships and two expedition ships that cruise to a massive 150 destinations.
Two-week excursions are plentiful, such as trips between Auckland, New Zealand and Sydney or Melbourne in Australia. Many have enjoyed New Zealand’s pristine splendor, visiting beckoning ports like Dunedin and Wellington. The ships also stop at Hobart, Tasmania, where 14 huge cruises can await.
Classic itineraries covering many Australian territories include a 16-day trip from Brisbane to Singapore, including ports like Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef or go on an Aboriginal rainforest journey . In Darwin, Australia’s northern capital, head out to the Adelaide River to find jumping crocodiles.
Silver Muse travels on a fascinating route between Cairns, Australia and Auckland, visiting the Great Barrier Reef; Noumea, capital of New Caledonia; and the remote Mystery Island in Vanuatu. Expect around seven possible excursions from New Zealand’s Bay of Islands.
For adventurous cruisers, the Silver Cloud and the 144-passenger Silver Explorer (formerly known for polar sails) offer a variety of expeditions from May to August in Australia’s untouched Kimberley, primarily 10 days travel between Darwin and Broome. This fascinating region of western Australia features horizontal waterfalls (no typo), freshwater and saltwater crocodiles, and Aboriginal rock art that can date back 40,000 years.
Key point
Silversea presents a range of cruises both far and near home, for traditional or adventurous excursions in the ultimate in luxury. Expect a significant focus on Arctic and Antarctic itineraries for expedition ships, with year-round Galapagos cruises. Classic ships include fall foliage near home, Alaska and Caribbean cruises, but also venture globally, with a focus on Europe from spring to fall, and Asia, South America and Australia and New Zealand in our winter.
Planning an excursion? Start with the following stories:
