Ten years of Silversea Expeditions

June 2018 saw Silversea Expeditions celebrate ten years of offering their uniquely immersive expedition sailings.

Since launching its first ship in 2008 and becoming the world’s first luxury cruise line to offer expedition voyages, Silversea have established a trend of ultra-luxury which continues to surpass and develop to continually enrich guest experience and environmental change.

A momentous milestone

Silversea celebrated the occasion with a two-day gala voyage, during which it left London Tower Bridge – a testament to the initial sailing of Prince Albert II’s inaugural expedition voyage which symbolised a new age of expedition cruising.

Silversea Expeditions initially launched when Chairman, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio outlined his desire to create the world’s first luxury expedition cruise line. Speaking on the anniversary, he said:

“A decade ago, we set out to unlock the world’s most authentic travelling experiences for those with a sense of curiosity. 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.”

A short video featuring the last ten years of expedition cruising with Silversea can be seen below:

Since 2008, Silversea Expedition’s cruise fleet has grown to a feature four stunning ships, Prince Albert II was renamed Silver Explorer and Silver Galapagos, Silver Discoverer and Silver Cloud were all acquired over a four-year period.

One port ahead

Silversea has consistently remained at the forefront of the expedition cruise trend, not only with luxury cruise expedition sailings but also with their relationships alongside environmental and academic organisations.

The first partnership for Silversea Expeditions was the Royal Geographical Society in 2013 to help enrich guests’ experience during expeditions. In the following year, Silversea also became the first company to bring an ultra-luxury product to the Galapagos Islands, where they trained up local guides to combine their expert knowledge of the Galapagos with Silversea’s high-quality service.

Other partnerships include:

• Working alongside research and conservation agencies in the Cook Island and Phoenix Islands
  • Silversea conducted the first marine mammal acoustic survey which was attended by the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands and resulted in three new species being added to the national registry
• Partnership with Dr. Galdikas and Camp Leakey which offered unique access to the orangutan rehabilitation centre
• Ernest Shackleton Expedition in partnership with the Royal Geographic Society
• Partnership with ORCA – a whale and dolphin protection charity – to benefit conservation efforts and enrich the experience for guests as they participate in a Citizen Science Project

Through the cruise line itself, Silversea also launched the Expedition Leadership Training Academy, which recruits and develops talented expedition experts. The Explorer’s Collection was also launched in 2018, which offers itineraries following the footsteps previously taken by famous expedition leaders of the past.

Silversea Expeditions now boasts the highest expedition team to guests ratio in the industry, with your Expedition Leader and Captain working together to ensure the best possible opportunities for adventure and exploration.

Reaching new destinations first

Each new destination is individually scouted by Silversea’s team of experts, often taking a number of years and analysis to ensure guest safety and comfort, as well as the potential for an enriching travel experience. During these scouts, Silversea became the first to launch itineraries to the Russian Arctic and West Coast of Africa.

Silver Explorer was one of the only ships to successfully navigate through the Northwest Passage in 2014, with here and Kimberly in Australia added to the expedition itineraries in the same year.

More recently, Silversea also added Bangladesh to its list of destinations – a world first for the cruising industry.

Celebrate on-board with Silversea

What better way to celebrate ten years of Silversea Expeditions than enjoying a sailing yourself? Throughout the remainder of 2018 and 2019, Silversea are offering a vast selection of all-inclusive packages on-board their expedition ships.

Step aboard Silver Discover for a 16-night sailing from Zanzibar to Durban, or experience Antarctica with Silver Cloud on a ten-night cruise beginning in Ushuaia. The choices are endless, with remarkable adventures and inspiring landscapes offered at every opportunity.

Experience it all and more with ultra-luxurious amenities including ocean-view suites, personalised butler service, complimentary beverages, in-suite beverage cabinet and unlimited free Wi-Fi.

Call our Cruise Concierge for further information or assistance with your booking on 0808 202 6105.