By
Rebecca Gibson |
Rebecca Gibson gained a rare opportunity to catch up with Silversea’s director of expedition cruising Conrad Combrink at a recent event in London. In this exclusive interview he explains the importance of destination diversity as the company prepares to launch its third expedition ship
Silversea has been associated with luxury cruising since it entered the market 20 years ago with its ship Silver Cloud. However, for the last five years, the family-owned company has also become synonymous with another well-known and well-loved form of travel: expedition and adventure cruises.
“When the idea of launching expedition ships was first raised, some people at Silversea were sceptical. However opinions have significantly changed and the company has embraced expedition cruising completely,” says Conrad Combrink, who has been Silversea’s director of expedition cruises since 2007.
Explaining that far from being a divergent product, the expeditions are a perfect fit with the company’s classic cruises, he adds: “A lot of people see us as a luxury cruise line that offers expeditions, but that isn’t the case – we are an expedition cruise line that offers luxury experiences and we will never forget that. There’s no reason why travellers who want to go on an expedition ship should suffer, share bunks and eat nothing more than boiled potatoes. Passengers on our expedition ships can expect the same level of service as on all of our classic vessels.”
Driven by his infectious passion for travel, culture and the natural beauty of the world, Combrink has visited some of the most remote destinations in all seven continents. His personal thirst for travel and his extensive expedition experience is reflected in the itineraries he creates for Silversea.
“The appeal of the Silversea product is that we continually deliver real, authentic and unique itineraries; we travel to remote regions untouched by Western influences – villages that seldom see outsiders and offer a collection of unique experiences that allow guests to view destinations from a new, up-close perspective,” explains Combrink, highlighting the company’s focus on delivering on the destination, rather than simply providing the onboard experience. “In fact, some of the places are so remote that we need to collaborate closely with the local authorities or native tribes to obtain permits before we can even plan the visits. For instance, it is notoriously difficult to visit the Russian Far East, but as it is one of the most unique and diverse areas of the planet, we have worked hard to ensure we can sail there on our ships.”
This unwavering focus on destination delivery has seen consumer desire for Silversea’s offering rocket since the operator’s first expedition ship Silver Explorer began sailing to the polar regions in 2008. Buoyed by the continued success of the expeditions programme, the line purchased Ecuadorian tourism firm Canodros and its 100-passenger, all-suite expedition ship Galapagos Explorer 2 in June 2012. The 4,077 gt ship was extensively refurbished and relaunched as Silver Galapagos on 28 September 2013, enabling the line to expand its expedition programme and offer year-round itineraries in the Galápagos region.
Silversea also recently purchased a third expedition ship to enable passengers to travel to remote Pacific destinations such as Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, the Russian Far East, Southeast Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Formerly Noble Caledonia’s Clipper Odyssey, the 128-passenger vessel will undergo extensive refurbishment to install Silversea’s signature features before embarking on its inaugural voyage as Silver Discoverer from Benoa, Bali in March 2014.
“Silver Discoverer will provide the opportunity for active, intuitive travellers to discover the unusual and unique regions of the Pacific, making it possible for them to visit places they wouldn’t be able to get to any other way,” says Combrink. “Following her inaugural journey, she will sail to the rarely visited Kimberley region in western Australia, which is only accessible by plane, helicopter or ship. Here, guests will be able to explore the Montgomery Reef, ride on the King George Fall and enjoy an inclusive helicopter trip over the Bungle Bungles – not many of them would have the chance to do this without Silversea.”
As with Silver Explorer and Silver Galapagos, Silver Discoverer’s expeditions will be led by a high calibre team of eminent naturalists, geologists, biologists, historians and ornithologists, who are carefully selected according to the detailed insight they can provide the passengers when visiting destinations. “Our expedition teams are an integral part of the company and we work hard to ensure we employ engaged and dedicated people whose education, research and personal accomplishments make them ideal companions on Silversea’s expedition adventures,” says Combrink, who spends an extended period of the year as an active senior leader on many of Silversea’s expeditions. “These people understand the regions they are travelling in and are also trained to drive our Zodiacs on small-group excursions, which means they are able to build a rapport with our guests and offer immediate expert knowledge throughout the trips.”
While Combrink coordinates the strategic planning and programme development for all of Silversea’s expedition itineraries, the individual expedition teams also have a large input during planning stages and help to approve each proposed destination before trips are finalised. “It is crucial that the expedition teams feel connected to the product and the individual itineraries – if they don’t feel connected, neither will the guests,” explains Combrink. “Our trips are very flexible and only the first and last days are planned; the rest is up to the expedition leader who will determine the schedule depending on sea and weather conditions, as well as the expertise and advice of the expedition crew.”
It is this dedicated, proactive approach to expedition cruising that Conrad believes will help Silversea to retain its competitive edge, despite having to deal with the upcoming challenges posed by new emissions control areas and limits, and other operators branching into adventure cruising.
“Silversea travels to more than 350 global destinations and enables people to see places and cultures they don’t even know exist, which is what is so exciting about our product. We find unique places and offer new experiences to all of our passengers, even those who have travelled with us before,” concludes Combrink. “We aim to continue discovering new destinations and keep the concept of expedition real by taking inspiration from the true era of cruising in the 1980s and 1990s. This will ensure we continue to make people’s dreams a reality – if people’s dreams are realised and perhaps even surpassed, you know you’re definitely doing it right.”