(Miami Beach, FL — March 11, 2008) Today at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami Beach, Florida, Silversea Cruises announced that its newest all-suite ship will be named Silver Spirit. Currently under construction at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard, the 540-guest vessel is scheduled to join the fleet in late 2009. Renowned Italian architect Giacomo Mortola is overseeing the design of the 36,000-ton, ultra-luxury vessel. The company also revealed a number of architectural details.
“Silver Spirit’s design will mirror the distinctive silhouette of our existing ships and will offer the same standards of luxury that our guests have come to expect,” said Manfredi Lefebvre, Silversea’s chairman. “But there will also be several significant enhancements, including a new supper club, an Asian-themed restaurant and an expanded spa facility that will rival the best spas on land.”
Added Silversea president and CEO Amerigo Perasso, “Like our other ships, Silver Spirit will be a work of art for the most discerning eye. It will be a further testament to our chairman’s vision of creating a travel experience of unsurpassed quality by melding together the finer elements of authentic luxury — starting with the signature grace and elegance of our ships’ Italian design.”
With a total of 270 all ocean-view suites, the new ship will maintain the line’s reputation for intimate yet spacious ships and will increase the number of accommodations in the most popular suite categories. Silver Spirit will feature more of the quick-to-sell-out Silver Suites, with a total of 26, and more Veranda Suites, 222. There will also be six Grand Suites and two Owner’s Suites. All but 12 suites will have verandas.
When the newest addition to Silversea’s fleet sets sail, the ship’s privileged complement of guests will not only experience the line’s hallmark easy-going luxury, warm Italian hospitality, highly personalized service and all-inclusive amenities, but also a few innovations that will raise the bar in luxury travel. Plans call for an exciting new supper club, offering sumptuous gourmet cuisine served in an intimate, club-like ambiance, and a new Asian restaurant.
The new ship will also feature those dining venues that have become favorites of Silversea guests, such as The Restaurant, the elegant main dining room; The Wine Restaurant, where the menu celebrates the most rarefied vintages; and the Pool Grille, offering casual poolside dining.
The new Spa at Silversea, which premiered aboard Silver Shadow’s World Cruise last year, will be rolled out aboard the new vessel in grand style with dramatically more space available to incorporate new design elements. Guests will enjoy an aesthetically pleasing sanctuary where they can relax, de-stress and detox with an expanded menu of treatment options.
And Silver Spirit will feature many of the same public lounges found on the line’s existing ships, including an Observation Lounge, Vista Lounge (similar to Panorama Lounge on current fleet), Show Lounge, Humidor and Pool Bar, plus a new Lobby Bar styled along the lines of a European hotel, featuring Italian coffees complemented by champagne, wine and spirits — all served at no charge.
Silversea Cruises is recognized as an innovator in the luxury segment, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard four intimate vessels, Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, and Silver Whisper, all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the addition of the regal expedition ship Prince Albert II in 2008, the company’s itineraries encompass all seven continents. In the U.S., Silversea has been voted “World’s Best” by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler nine times and six times by the readers of Travel & Leisure. International awards include “World’s Leading Luxury Cruise Line” from World Travel Awards (2007); “Five Star Diamond Award” from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (2007); “Number One” small-ship line in the Readers’ Choice” survey conducted by Britain’s Condé Nast Traveller magazine (2007); “Five Anchors” for Gastronomy and Service in Germany’s Kreuzfahrt Guide (2007); “Best Small Cruise Line” by Australia’s Luxury Travel Magazine (2007); and Best Luxury Cruise Operator according to Asia’s Travel Weekly (2007).
