Silversea Cruises hosted an intimate event for VIP media, including LATTE, at the Opal Suite at Crown Towers Sydney yesterday [Thursday 1 September], with special guest and acclaimed photographer, Steve McCurry, in attendance.
Adam Radwanski, Silversea’s Managing Director for APAC said the ultra-luxury cruise line’s long-running collaboration with McCurry provides a unique perspective on the places Silversea’s ships explore, with the photographer uniquely immersing himself in each destination.
McCurry’s artwork is not only used in Silversea’s marketing and promotional activity but features as a gallery aboard two ships – Silver Origin and Silver Dawn. He and his voice are also used in Silversea’s TV commercial, The World is Opening Up, which rolled out nearly 12 months ago.
Radwanski said Silversea is looking forward to seeing more of the world through McCurry’s lens into the future.
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The cruise line’s regional head of two years reported that Silversea has just completed a successful and safe season in the Kimberley following a COVID-pause, operated by Silver Explorer, and is now eagerly anticipating the return of Silver Muse to Australasian waters, arriving on 20 December 2022.
The upcoming summer season Down Under will also see Silver Shadow deployed on the first-ever World Cruise by a luxury cruise line to operate from Sydney. Departing on 10 January 2023, the 139-day voyage will explore New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Amazon, and the Caribbean, before concluding in Fort Lauderdale.
“This will provide a great boost for the Australian economy,” Radwanski said, with guests likely to spend a few days pre-cruise in and around Sydney. This particular world cruise also included Qantas Business class flights to Sydney as standard for inbound guests.
A third ship, Silver Whisper, will also operate locally this coming season, with all but two sailings sold out.
Before then however Silversea will launch the former Crystal Endeavor as Silver Endeavour in Antarctica – commencing in November 2022.
“We believe this ship is the most expensive and most luxurious ever built,” he said, confirming that following its debut Antarctic program it will head to the Northern Hemisphere and the Arctic, after which returning to Antarctica again.
“We’re really excited about this ship as it is raising the bar for the entire industry.”
Radwanski enthused about Silversea’s reinvention of the dining and spa & wellness experience aboard the latest ships – S.A.L.T. and Otium, saying the concepts were a “reinvention of our offering to enhance the onboard experience for our guests”.
“S.A.L.T. is an incredible concept where the cuisine and beverages are changing with each port visited, which no other operator has, or will have for years,” he stated. “For example in the Greek Islands, during a season the menu will change 900 times and there will be 50 different Greek wines.
“If you want to go really deep into cultures, whether it’s Greek, Asian or another culture, you’ll get the best and the most comprehenisve culinary and wine experience at S.A.L.T.”
Silversea’s Otium concept – offered aboard Silver Moon and Silver Dawn, and is destined be rolled out fleetwide in the future – alters the concept, he said.
“Now when you go to our fitness centre and spa you can have a workout and a massage, and afterward you’ll enjoy your bottomless champagne and strawberries, chocolates or truffles, so everything is there for you to make it an incredibly indulgent experience. We take that experience to your suite as well, to your balcony with hot chocolate and Baileys.
Radwanski also spoke with excitement about the next class of ships, launching from 2023, which will come with “very, very strong environmental credentials”.
“Every new ship joining our fleet from next July is LNG and hydrogen-powered, meaning when it is docked in ports such as White Bay here in Sydney, the momemt the ship arrives into Sydney Harbour it is fully propelled by hydrogen. They won’t produce any local exhaust emissions and will be capable of operating for hours and days on hydrogen,” he said.
Lead image: Adam Radwanski, Silversea Managing Director APAC with Liz Glover, Silversea Marketing Director, APAC at the Opal Suite, Crown Sydney.