It's official. After months of speculation within the industry about the sale of Crystal Cruises' nearly new expedition ship, Crystal Endeavor, the expedition vessel has a new home—with Silversea Expeditions. It will sail as Silver Endeavour.
Silversea Cruises announced Monday that it had welcomed Silver Endeavour to its fleet and that the ship will enter service in November 2022. Marina Vivian, Silversea's director of communication, Monte Carlo, Monaco, told Travel Agent that the court in Gibraltar, U.K., had accepted the purchase offer from Royal Caribbean Group, which owns Silversea.
Silver Endeavour will replace Silver Explorer on 2022-2023 Antarctica sailings, including the popular Antarctica Bridge sailings (eliminating the infamous Drake Passage transit). There was no word yet of new itineraries or other plans for Silver Explorer.
Silversea's Fifth Expedition Ship
Silver Endeavour becomes the fifth expedition ship in the line's fleet of 11 ships. Built to PC6 Class polar specifications, the expedition ship is designed to take travelers to the world's most remote locations including both Antarctica and the Arctic region.
“One of the most luxurious expedition ships afloat, Silver Endeavour will accelerate our strategy of growth, enriching our offering to unprecedented levels," said Roberto Martinoli, president and CEO, Silversea Cruises. He indicated that the expedition cruising industry is poised to resume accelerated growth, driven by demand among high-end, affluent customers for travel to remote and hard-to-access destinations.
"Silver Endeavour will strengthen our polar offering, further diversifying our broad-ranging product," says Martinoli, also crediting the "ongoing support of Royal Caribbean Group."
In the 18th century, British explorer James Cook's vessel was HMS Endeavour. “To honor the spirit of expedition travel, we have renamed the ship Silver Endeavour—paying testament to one of history’s most famous vessels,” said Barbara Muckermann, chief commercial officer, Silversea Cruises. “Aboard Silver Endeavour, travelers will channel the same sense of discovery that guided pioneering explorers, such as James Cook, in bygone eras.”
Silver Endeavour carries state-of-the-art amenities including Zodiacs, kayaks and cutting-edge navigation and exploration technology. For example, the ship's remote gimbal camera system can capture high-quality images at up to 3.2 miles away.
The line said the all-suite expedition vessel will maintain Silversea’s level of luxury with a crew-to-guest ratio of approximately 1-to-1. Spread over eight public decks, Silver Endeavour offers spacious suites; multiple restaurants; bars and lounges; an expansive spa; two-storied solarium with a swimming pool and whirlpool; and an array of indoor and outdoor observation areas.
Some Crystal Guest Assistance
As part of the ongoing RCL Cares program, Royal Caribbean Group will protect the deposits of guests who were originally booked on Crystal Endeavor and make a new booking on one of the Group's global brands—Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises or Silversea Cruises.
“We are delighted to offer an additional incentive to all guests who were booked on the former Endeavor to experience the Silversea difference," said Martinoli. If those guests choose to book on Silversea, "they are invited to sail on any Silversea ship from our beautiful fleet of 11."
To the extent the Crystal Endeavor guests do not receive their deposits back from Crystal or other sources, the Royal Caribbean Group will refund any amount paid on their new booking up to the amount of their lost deposits from Crystal. Complete terms of the offer will be provided on www.silversea.com soon.
In addition, the cruise line hopes to welcome the former Crystal Endeavor crew members to the Silversea family, where they will receive priority. For more information, those former crew members can visit crewcareer.silversea.com.
Bookings for Silver Endeavour open immediately. Guests can book their voyage aboard Silver Endeavour for the upcoming Antarctica season under Silver Explorer. Silversea’s website will reflect the change of ship in the coming weeks.
This story originally appeared on www.luxurytraveladvisor.com.
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