The call of the wild is clearly beckoning Silversea Cruises (www.silversea.com). It’s creating its own specialty fleet of expedition vessels to take ultra-luxury clients to the furthest reaches of the earth.
Today in London, the ultra-luxury line announced it had acquired a third expedition ship, the former Clipper Odyssey. After a complete refurbishment over the next few months, the 128-passenger vessel will be renamed Silver Discoverer.
The ship’s inaugural voyage sailing under the Silversea flag is slated for March 2014 from Bali, Indonesia. Silver Discoverer will sail diverse itineraries throughout remote areas of the South Pacific and Asia. For example, it will head to off-the-beaten-path spots in the Russian Far East, Australia and beyond.
Building a Specialty Fleet
The announcement about the acquisition comes just as Silversea is finalizing details prior to the launch this fall of its second expedition vessel, Silver Galapagos, which will sail Ecuador’s pristine Galapagos Islands chain.
Another expedition ship, Silver Explorer, has been sailing for the line for five years, and now sails to the Arctic, Antarctic and other spots.
The expedition fleet combines adventure with ultra-luxury pampering. There’s no roughing it onboard these ships. All suites and staterooms are ocean-view, many with private verandas and butler service for all suites. Accommodations have top quality bedding, fine appointments and Bvlgari bath products.
Guests dine in an open seat restaurant with both regional specialties and dishes inspired by Relais & Chateaux. Fine wines and spirits are served en suite and throughout the ship — not typical expedition fare, for sure.
And when it’s time to go exploring, Silver Discoverer guests will board 12 Zodiacs and a glass-bottomed boat, designed to provide close-up experiences with wildlife and marine life. Silversea will employ a full expedition team of 11 staffers; that’s in addition to the regular crew of 87.
Expect one marine biologist to sail on every cruise; that expert will both lecture onboard and accompany passengers while they explore ashore.
The expedition ships are different than Silversea’s classic fleet of ultra-luxury ships - Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and Silver Spirit.
But with its latest acquisition, it’s clear the line sees great potential for luxury guests who want to walk on the wild side on a Silversea Expeditions cruise across the globe.