Celebrations involved a voyage from the departure port for the line’s first expedition cruise
By
Elizabeth Robinson |
Silversea has celebrated 10 years of expedition cruising with a two-day gala voyage between London, UK and Dublin in the Republic of Ireland onboard Silver Cloud.
Silversea’s first expedition ship was christened as Prince Albert II (now Silver Explorer) in 2008 by namesake His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco. The first expedition voyage took guests from London to Svalbard, Norway. Silversea now has 11 ships in its expedition fleet.
To mark the anniversary, Silver Cloud paid homage to the first expedition cruise by sailing under London’s Tower Bridge. The vessel, which was converted into an ice-class expedition ship in 2017, also crossed paths with Silver Spirit in Greenwich, London.
During the celebratory voyage, guests and crew were able to watch a congratulatory video message from HSH Albert II.
“We are delighted to be celebrating this important milestone,” said Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, chairman of Silversea. “I am glad to see that my vision has been successfully realised and we are now recognised for our destination leadership. Since the launch of our expedition itineraries, we have connected people with the world’s most spectacular landscapes and cultures, and, in the process, we have fostered respect and greater care for our planet and its inhabitants. I am very proud of my team and our mission. We will continue to scout new destinations to bring innovation to the world of expedition cruising.”
Over the past 10 years, Silversea has also developed its commitment to environmental sustainability through its expeditions programme. In 2015, for example, guests visiting the Cook and Phoenix islands took part in a mammal acoustic survey that successfully added three new species of animals to the national registry.
In Bangladesh, Silversea visited a remote village where guests purchased regional produce to benefit the local community and in 2017, Silversea engaged in a partnership with conservation charity ORCA, which allowed guests to discover marine life and contribute to the charity’s ongoing conservation work.
Silversea will continue to expand its expedition itineraries in future. It has a Northeast Passage crossing voyage planned, and additional voyages to the Bay of Bengal, the Russian Far East, Antarctica and Australia’s Kimberley Coast.