The Silver Cloud, Silversea Cruises’ newly refurbished expedition ship, has arrived in Antarctica after performing repairs in Puerto Madryn.
The Silver Cloud was forced to cancel its first expedition voyage to Antarctica before Thanksgiving due to a mechanical malfunction that forced the ship to return to Puerto Madryn. The ship had been sailing its first expedition voyage out of Buenos Aires, which was originally scheduled to last for 16 days. Guests onboard were repatriated, and the ship was scheduled to depart on its next cruise from Ushuaia on December 1.
Now Silversea reports that the Silver Cloud has arrived in Antarctica as part of a 10-night Antarctic Peninsula expedition cruise roundtrip form Ushuaia. The ship is fresh of a $40 million refurbishment that converted it into an ice-class expedition vessel. The renovation project updated the ship’s suites, most of which have a private verandah, as well as added a number of redesigned public spaces, including the new Tor’s Observation Lounge, which offers commanding views of the scenery, as well as boutiques stocked with expedition gear. The ship also has a heated, resort-style pool, the new Zagara Spa, and a new Photo Studio where a manager and professional equipment and photo editing software can assist guests with their photography. The ship also has a fleet of 16 Zodiacs and 10 kayaks for up-close exploration, as well as a team of between 20 and 22 Expedition Team members who give lectures, run workshops, lead Zodiac and kayak trips and guide nature walks.
After this cruise the Silver Cloud will continue to offer 10-day roundtrip luxury expedition voyages to Antarctica through February, after which it will embark on an itinerary from the southernmost tip of South America to the southernmost point of South Africa. From there, the ship will make its way up the western coast of Africa to Northern Europe and Arctic Svalbard, where it will spend the summer in the High Arctic, visiting Iceland, Greenland and Arctic Canada. The ship will then sail a mini-season in Central and South American and return to Antarctica again next fall.
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