 |
|
Silversea Cruises |
||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||
| Silversea Cruises was formed by the Lefebvre family of Rome, the former owners of Sitmar Cruises. The Silversea fleet was built with ultra-luxury in mind. The first Silversea ship, Silver Cloud, was launched in 1994. It was followed by a sister ship, Silver Wind (launched in 1995). Since then they have released two newer (and larger) ships, Silver Shadow (2000) and Silver Whisper (2001). All of the staterooms onboard the Silversea ships are suites with ocean views. Most (80%, to be exact) of these ocean view suites have private verandas. Silversea calls their cruise vacations "all-inclusive." This is because Silversea prices their cruises with the cost of gratuities and complimentary alcoholic beverages being included. This includes various wines, champagne and spirits. There is also an in-suite beverage cabinet in each room, stocked with complimentary beverages. Silversea also offers complimentary round trip transportation between the ship and the hearts of town of the various ports they visit. Over its history, Silversea has been the recipient of numerous awards. For instance, they have been named "World's Best" by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler nine times, and by the readers of Travel & Leisure six times. Not surprisingly, Silversea is very well known in the ultra-luxury cruising segment for their top notch service and dining. A very unique feature that Silversea Cruises offers its guests is its Personalized Voyages® concept. This is an option whereby the Silversea passengers have the option of booking a certain cruise itinerary and joining and/or departing the cruise at whichever ports they'd like. This program was initially launched in 2003, and has become very popular. There is a minimum of five consecutive nights aboard the ship needed to qualify for this program. In 2007, Silversea initiated a fleetwide bedding upgrade. Features include new beds, mattresses, goose down duvets and sheets. Top category suites will be getting Stearns & Foster plush ultra-luxury beds. New for 2008 was the 132-guest Prince Albert II, Silversea's first-ever expedition cruise ship. This purpose-built ship was fully renovated after a multi-million-dollar investment and holds up to 132 passengers. She travels to regions of the world that much larger ships cannot reach, such as Antarctica. The 540-guest Silver Spirit joined the Silversea fleet in December of 2009. She features a private veranda in 95% of her accommodations! |
||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||
| Because of the relatively small size of the Silversea ships, they are able to travel to ports that larger cruise ships cannot get to. Silversea destinations include the Mediterranean, Northern Europe & the Baltic, Africa & the Indian Ocean, the Far East & South Pacific, Alaska & the Pacific Coast, the Caribbean & Mexico, South America & the Amazon, and Transoceanic voyages. Silver Spirit, the new Silversea flagship, will be doing a 119-day Spirit of Discovery Voyage in 2011, from January 20 to May 19. The ship will depart from Los Angeles and will visit 60 ports of call, ending this amazing journey in Southampton. Those that sail the complete voyage will be entitled to various special amenities, such as $2000 in onboard credit per suite (based on double occupancy), 5% extended voyage savings, four exclusive world cruise events, complimentary overnight onboard Silver Spirit January 19, 2011 with Gala Bon Voyage reception and dinner, Silver Shore Baggage Valet (baggage handling, two bags up to 50 lbs. each) between your home and ship in Los Angeles and Southampton), eight Silversea Experiences ashore (one per voyage segment), a special commemorative gift, as well as free round trip business class air and private car transfers (airport/ship/airport). |
||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||
| The Silversea ships were built with comfort and space in mind, and as such they have less guests onboard. This allows for plenty of room to relax and stroll around the Silversea ships. Dining is in an open format, so that Silversea's guests can dine when they want, with whomever they want. In addition to that, there is also 24-hour room service available. The Silversea Cruises chefs have been recruited from some of the world's finest international hotels and restaurants. As such, the Silversea cuisine is top notch. Reservations are highly recommended for the popular onboard specialty restaurant. Something that sets Silversea Cruises apart from many of the small ship companies in the ultra-luxury cruise segment is that they have features that are typically only found on larger cruise ships. For instance, there are large show lounges with production shows on each Silversea ship. For those looking to relax under the stars, Silversea's Moonlight Movies(SM) is an excellent option. The spa and fitness center is always a popular destination, especially during days at sea. There is also a well-stocked library onboard each Silversea ship. For those looking to gamble, that is not a problem either, as their is a casino onboard every Silversea ship. Like many other luxury cruise lines, Silversea Cruises has an onboard enrichment program. This program features interesting lectures given by world renowned experts in various fields. A unique aspect of this program is their Viking Cooking School, which is available aboard all of Silversea's ships. It features a custom-designed demonstration culinary theater, equipped with state-of-the-art stoves and appliances. A highlight of this program is cooking demonstrations with wine pairings. Select Silversea cruises will feature complimentary shoreside events, such as dinner in the desert in Namibia and dinner in Ho Chi Minh City. There is no set children's program available onboard any of the Silversea ships, as a Silversea cruise is not a typical vacation choice for families. Most Silversea passengers are very affluent travelers, used to the "best of everything." A significant amount of Silversea's passengers are retired, looking to relax and be wined and dined. |
||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||
| Silversea's past passenger program is the Venetian Society. As a member of the Venetian Society you will have access to special savings, referral rewards, complimentary cruises, and more. View our Venetian Society page for additional details. | ||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||
There are five cruise ships in the Silversea Cruises fleet, as well as the new Silver Spirit:
|
||||||||||||||||
Custom Search
© 2012, CruisEvolution LLC. All Rights Reserved.