Silversea grows expedition fleet with acquisition of Crystal Endeavour

Silversea has expanded its expedition fleet with the acquisition of Crystal Endeavour.

Renamed Silver Endeavour, the line’s fifth expedition ship brings its total fleet number to 11 and broadens Silversea’s polar offering.

Silver Endeavour is expected to enter service in November and will replace Silver Explorer from the 2022/2023 Antarctica season—including the ship’s highly popular Antarctica Bridge sailings.

“One of the most luxurious expedition ships afloat, Silver Endeavour will accelerate our strategy of growth, enriching our offering to unprecedented levels and reaffirming our position as the leading ultra-luxury expedition cruise line,” said Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO, Silversea Cruises.

“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.

“With the ongoing support of Royal Caribbean Group, we are enhancing the cruise experience for our guests, unlocking the world’s most rewarding destinations in a way that only Silversea can.”

Silversea’s chief commercial officer, Barbara Muckermann, said the name Silver Endeavour is meant to honour the “spirit of expedition travel”.

“Aboard Silver Endeavour, travellers will channel the same sense of discovery that guided pioneering explorers, such as James Cook, in bygone eras,” she said.

Built to PC6 polar class specifications, Silver Endeavour features state-of-the-art amenities, with an industry-leading Zodiac-to-guest ratio; kayaks; and cutting-edge navigation and exploration technology.

With eight public decks, the all-suite Silver Endeavour offers travellers the most spacious accommodations in expedition cruising, as well as multiple restaurants, bars and lounges; an expansive spa; a two-storied solarium with a swimming pool and whirlpool; and an array of indoor and outdoor observation areas.

Silversea purchased the ship from the now defunct Crystal Cruises fleet for US$275 million ($398,132,350), according to Cruise Industry News.

Royal Caribbean Group, Silversea’s parent company, said it will protect the deposits of travellers 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 and 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. They are invited to sail on any Silversea ship from our beautiful fleet of 11,” said Martinoli.

Where 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.

Last month, Silversea’s previous owner and current chairperson Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio teamed up with Abercrombie & Kent founder Geoffrey Kent to acquire the Crystal Cruises brand and two of its ships and revealed plans to return Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony to service in 2023 following an “extensive refurbishment”.

The two ships will operate under the Crystal Cruises brand which was also acquired by A&K Travel Group.

Crystal Cruises collapsed earlier this year after its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, ran out of cash due to the insolvency of its German shipbuilding subsidiary MV Werften.