Silversea Cruises has plans to enhance its Antarctic voyages – and the luxurious experience will begin on land.
The Royal Caribbean-owned brand is known for offering intimate expeditions to the โWhite Continentโ – and is currently the only cruise line that homeports in Puerto Williams, Chile, during the Antarctic season, which typically lasts from early November to late March annually.
This port is in a prime location for the voyages as the world’s southernmost city, located in the sub-Antarctic zone of the Patagonia region of Chile. But in order to make traveling to the port easier, the luxury cruise line is building a brand new hotel.
โWe’re thrilled to enhance the Antarctic travel experience by offering seamless journeys that remove traditional barriers for guests to this region,โ said Bert Hernandez, president, Silversea.
The most direct route is to fly to Puerto Williams from Santiago, which is the Capital city of Chile, and is doable through Silverseaโs Antarctica Bridge fly-cruise program, which includes charter flights to and from the homeport.
But when construction is completed in 2025, guests will have a brand new hotel to relax in before and after their expedition, which will certainly elevate the already luxurious experience.
โThis development not only differentiates us from other polar expeditions but also reaffirms our commitment to innovation and excellence as Silversea continues to set the standard in experiential luxury travel,โ continued Hernandez.
The new hotel will feature 150 rooms and will overlook the Beagle Channel. Depending on which window guests look through, theyโll be met with beautiful views of forests, water, and snow-capped mountains.
Inside, guests will find amenities like a large restaurant, a bar, a lounge, a fitness center, and a gift shop that sells goods and crafts made by local artisans – which supports the city’s economy.
An Innovator in Polar Expeditions
Silversea Cruises was designed to be a luxury brand with a fleet of small-ship vessels that could take guests on voyages to destinations bigger ships canโt go.
As of the time of publication, there are currently 13 vessels that sail under the Silversea brand. The smallest vessel, Silver Origin, has a maximum capacity of 100 guests, while the biggest two ships, Silver Ray and Silver Nova, can accommodate up to 728 passengers.
For over 15 years, the cruise line has been an innovator in exploring the Polar regions and the new hotel in Puerto Williams will help further solidify the brandโs position as an industry leader.
Indeed, the new hotel is being developed in partnership with Chilean investors and is also being built with the purpose of creating opportunities for local economic growth while maintaining the unique cultural heritage of the South American city.
โPartnering with our experienced teams in Chile, we are providing guests with a unique opportunity to explore one of the world’s most breathtaking and remote destinations that advances our promise to deliver a lifetime of vacations,โ said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group.
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Currently, Silversea is gearing up for the 2024 and 2025 season with a variety of six to 20-day Antarctic voyages to be operated by Silver Endeavour, Silver Wind, and Silver Cloud.
The very first sailing of the season will embark later this month on October 29, 2024, onboard Silver Endeavour and will be a round-trip voyage based out of Puerto Williams.
The 18-night voyage will start by calling on New Island, West Point Island, and Port Stanley, in the Falkland Islands.
The itinerary then calls for two days at sea before spending three days exploring South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands – with some shore excursions already included in the price of the cruise fare.
The 200-guest vessel will finally arrive in Antarctica on November 9 – visiting Elephant Island, the Antarctic Sound, the Antarctic Peninsula, and the South Shetland Islands.
Of course, this was only one example of Silverseaโs many Antarctic itineraries. With the season lasting until March of 2025, there are many options to choose from.