Silversea: the back story

About Silversea: the back story

By the ULTIMATE the world’s cruise lines Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Silversea built its name on small ships with large suites and a butler for every one of them. Today the fleet runs from the 100-guest Silver Origin in the Galápagos to the 728-guest Nova-class ships, with four expedition ships for the polar regions.

Small ships, by design

Silversea’s idea has always been that a ship should be small enough to slip into the harbours that larger ones cannot reach, and generous enough inside that nobody feels the squeeze. In the line’s own words, its ships “can sail up narrow waterways into the heart of a city or tie up right at the pier while others must anchor offshore”. The fleet today runs from 51 to 364 suites, and every one of them is looked after by a butler.

Two kinds of voyage

The fleet divides neatly in two. The eight Classic ships, from the veteran Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper to the Nova-class Silver Nova and Silver Ray, sail the great cruising regions: the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and the long World Cruises and Grand Voyages. The four expedition ships carry Zodiacs, expert teams and, on the polar ships, strengthened hulls. Silver Endeavour was designed for polar exploration, and Silver Origin was built specifically for the Galápagos, with a team of Ecuadorian naturalist guides.

Our ships range in size from 51 to 364 suites.

A table that travels

Food is where Silversea has done its most original thinking. S.A.L.T. treats each voyage as a culinary journey: S.A.L.T. Kitchen changes its menu with the coastline, S.A.L.T. Bar mixes cocktails from regional spirits, and S.A.L.T. Lab runs hands-on cooking classes, both of them complimentary. Beside it sit La Dame for French tasting menus, Kaiseki for Japanese cooking and Silver Note, a jazz supper club.

The Nova way

Silver Nova (2023) and Silver Ray (2024) mark the latest chapter. Their asymmetrical, horizontal design opens the public rooms to the sea, gives many suites a 270-degree view and brings the largest pool deck in the fleet. The Otium spa and a wider choice of bars complete a ship that still carries fewer than 750 guests.

What the fare covers

Silversea sells two fares on its Classic voyages. The All-Inclusive fare covers the suite and butler, dining, unlimited champagne, spirits and up to 50 wines from the Silversea Cellar, Wi-Fi, onboard gratuities, port taxes and fees. All-Inclusive Plus adds a shore-excursion credit and a fully refundable deposit. On expedition voyages, landings and shore excursions are included.

Our advice: choose the ship by the voyage, not the other way round. For a first Silversea trip, a week on one of the Muse-class ships in the Mediterranean shows the line at its best; for the voyage of a lifetime, Silver Endeavour in Antarctica or Silver Origin in the Galápagos takes the same service to the ends of the earth.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Silversea: the back story before you go.