Silversea Celebrates Ten Years of Expedition Cruising

Image: Silver Whisper cruise ship at Saint Petersburg's English Embankment pier on Neva river. (Photo courtesy of aquatarkus/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus)

by Ana Figueroa
Last updated: 6:00 PM ET, Tue April 10, 2018

This June, Silversea will celebrate ten years in luxury expedition cruising. It's a milestone marked by a number of industry firsts.

"A decade ago, we set out to unlock the world's most authentic travelling experiences for those with a sense of curiosity,' said Silversea Chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio.

"In superlative comfort, we have enabled our expedition guests to enjoy the planet's remotest, most beautiful destinations, many of which were previously unvisited by any cruise line. Whether visited by land or sea, there exists an endless number of stunning places to explore. I look forward to discovering these destinations with our guests in the future," added Lefebvre.

The line's first expedition cruises ventured to the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard aboard Silversea's Silver Explorer (then HSH Prince Albert II). Antarctic expeditions followed in that inaugural year of 2008.

In 2012, Silversea became the first line to offer itineraries to the Russian Arctic and West Coast of Africa. In 2013, Silversea acquired Silver Galapagos. The following year, it launched its ultra-luxury expedition product in the Galapagos Islands.

Silversea acquired Silver Discoverer in 2014, enabling it to expand into new destinations. Among them: the Northwest Passage and Russian Far East. The line launched the Shackleton expedition collection in 2015, built around the travels of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

In 2017, Silversea added Bangladesh to its list of destinations, an industry first. And, it celebrated the conversion of Silver Cloud to a new "crossover" status in the expedition fleet.

Silversea has also added the Philippines to its offerings. And nine new itineraries will form the Explorer's Collection. They'll feature, among other things, onboard lectures from historians, archeologists, and VIP speakers from the Royal Geographical Society.

"The experiences that we have delivered to our guests were once considered untenable in a luxurious context. Yet we have transformed the industry to enable travelers to reach the world's most beautiful and secluded destinations in utmost comfort. Our new Explorer's Collection is the ultimate in Silversea expedition and I am excited to share these experiences with our guests," said SVP Strategic Development Expeditions and Experiences, Conrad Combrink.

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.