By Mark Flager, Sales Manager | December 10, 2018 ( Comments)
The luxury expedition cruise market is booming, and Silversea can take credit. As Conrad Combrink, Silversea's SVP strategic development and former expedition leader, told us last night, “they thought we were crazy” in 2008 when the line acquired the Prince Albert II for luxury expedition cruises. That was its first expedition ship; it now has four. Ponant is a major entrant, with nine ships by 2019; Seabourn and Scenic will each have one. The expedition market in general is on a roll, with 20 new ships launching in 2018-19, for a total of 83 ships and a market capacity of just over 309,000, a 27% increase over 2018. (IAATO projects that 45,864 people will visit Antarctica in the 2018-19 season, a 7% increase over 2017-18.)
Combrink spoke at the Captain's farewell cocktail party. His department has gotten a lot bigger over the last decade. The Prince Albert II (144 guests) was renamed the Silver Explorer in 2011. In 2013, the line acquired Silver Galapagos (100 guests); in 2014, Silver Discoverer (116 guests). It was big news when the line announced the refitting of Silver Cloud (244 guests) for expedition cruising that began in 2017.
Silver Cloud was Silversea's first ship, launched in 1994, and among some of the most-traveled Venetian Society members, their favorite. A sister ship, Silver Wind, followed in 1995. Two slightly larger ships (382 guests), arrived in 2000 and 2001, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper. In 2009, Silver Spirit debuted with 608 guests. Silver Muse (596) launched last year. Silver Moon (2020) and Silver Dawn (2021) are underway.
The polar expedition cruises operate in the Arctic and Antarctic in their respective summers; the ships operate the rest of the year in Africa and the Indian Ocean, Central and South America, Asia, the South Pacific, Galapagos, Canada/New England and the Russian Far East. Zodiac landings and cruises, a squadron of naturalists and expedition guides, and hard-to-reach destinations are a staple.
The expedition ships include the same level of service, cuisine and professionalism as the “classic” fleet. Fares include all-suite accommodations, butler service, complimentary wifi (one-hour per day for all guests; some suite categories receive unlimited service), stocked bar and refrigerator, Bulgari bath amenities, walk-in wardrobe with a safe, premium mattresses and fine bed linens, a choice of pillows, bathrobes and slippers and umbrella and hair dryer. Upper-category suites offer Bose sound systems and Illy espresso machines.
The least expensive suite on Silver Cloud is the Vista category, with a picture window. At 244 square feet, it is as large as the owner's suite on other expedition ships. All other suites have verandas: Veranda/Deluxe Veranda (295 sq ft, not counting the veranda), Silver Suites/Medallion Suites (541 sq ft), Royal Suite (736 sq ft), Grand Suite (1,019 sq ft) and the Owner's Suite, slightly smaller than the Grand suite but so noted for its midship location and views.
Silver Cloud is the largest expedition ship in the luxury market, but at 16,800 GRT, is hardly “large” by today's cruise standards. It is, to many, perfectly sized – one of everything you might wish for, expertly done. One main restaurant (The Restaurant); one Italian restaurant (La Terrazza) doubling as a buffet and a la carte venue for breakfast and lunch (outside of the Drake Passage that is); one Relais and Chateaux venue (La Dame) offering wine-paired French cuisine; a Pool Bar/Grill with the best hamburgers at sea, and in the evening, Hot Rocks, with blankets, heaters and a superheated stone for each diner for cooking ribeye steaks, chicken or fish.
The cuisine has been uniformly great on this expedition. There has been no shortage of fresh fruit or produce; lots of salad makings, sushi and roasts always are available at the lunch buffets. Pescatarians could thrive on the swordfish, grouper, tuna, tiger prawns, snapper, Arctic char, squid, mahi mahi, sole, monkfish, mussels, sea bass, scallops, halibut, lobster and turbot that has been served so far. Carnivores fare well: leg of lamb, filets, veal, venison, pork belly, wild boar, often in South American iterations. Vegetarians found something new every day, including Italian vegetable dishes, ragouts, stir-fry, dahl, quinoa-based entrees and a pumpkin and calabash vindaloo that I hope appears again on the menu.
The Panorama Lounge at the aft serves early-riser's coffee, bouillon at 10, trivia at 4, drinks all day and into the evening, and is a great spot to hang out. A forward observation lounge does not have a bar but it has the distinction of superb views, a well-stocked library and a novel namesake – it is called Tor's Observation Lounge, named for the good friend of Silversea's original owner, Manfredi Lefebvre: Torstein Hagen, owner of Viking River Cruises and Viking Ocean cruise line.
One gift shop, one jewelry shop, one gym, one sauna, one spa, one pool, two libraries, two Jacuzzis. For 244 well-looked-after guests, perfection.
Today we sailed toward our early call at Ushuaia; the ship has arranged complimentary tours tomorrow, including the Tierra del Fuego National Park and a five-hour really strenuous hike. I have a personal quota of Argentinian national parks to visit, so alas I will not be joining the hikers.
We watched a video recap of the cruise this afternoon in the Explorer Lounge, a well-edited and -scored recap of shipboard life, landings, zodiac cruises and wildlife encountered and experienced these past nine days. It is available for $150, and comes with a thumb drive of the ship's photographer's still shots during the cruise and a recap of all the wildlife seen during the expedition. It is worth far more than the price.
The expedition staff was brought on stage for a final farewell, and then a beautifully appended navigational chart of the area – now with hand-drawn penguins, the ship's bow, sea birds, ice formations and signed by the captain, hotel director and expedition leader – was auctioned for the benefit of the crew welfare fund. Expedition leader Schalk proved to be an expert auctioneer as well, and fetched $2500 for the chart in a spirited bidding war between principals from the UK, China and Chile. (Chile prevailed.)
That Schalk was able to handle duties as an old-school cruise director should have been no surprise. His “melodious voice,” clear leadership of his team (and the respect they showed for him), unflappable demeanor and affable nature (delivering champagne flutes by tender, no less) stood for everything Silversea does right with expedition cruising.
