Silversea Offers Record Number of Voyages in 2010

Silversea Cruises has rolled out its schedule for 2010 with a record number of voyages visiting more than 355 ports in 95 countries and island destinations. In total, over 175 itineraries will be offered aboard the company’s ships –Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and the new Silver Spirit.

Among the 2010 highlights are Silver Shadow’s return to Alaska plus nine new Silversea destinations: Le Verdon, France; Rimini, Italy; Ile Rousse, Corsica; Cardiff, Wales; Sendai, Japan; Chan May, Vietnam; Lakshadweep, India; Buzios, Brazil; and Seydisfjordur, Iceland.

Silver Cloud starts the year exploring South America before heading to the Caribbean. After spending May in the Mediterranean, the ship will be positioned in Northern Europe from June through mid-September exploring the British Isles, Iceland, and Norway, plus Baltic voyages with extended stopovers in St. Petersburg.

Other highlights include Voyage 1016, offering a first-time visit to Le Verdon, gateway to France’s Medoc vineyards, and Voyage 1025, featuring an inaugural call to Seydisfjordur, Iceland. In autumn, the ship heads south, kicking off its first-ever year-round deployment in the Mediterranean with explorations of Egypt, Israel and Turkey.

For Silver Wind, 2010 begins in South Africa with a series of roundtrips from Capetown, followed by a cruise along the west coast of Africa positioning the ship in the Mediterranean for spring and summer cruises.

The Mediterranean season will feature maiden calls to Ile Rousse on Corsica’s northwest coast and Rimini on Italy’s Adriatic coast. Voyage 2016 overnights in Monte Carlo during the Grand Prix. In the fall, the ship heads to the Indian Ocean to make a first-ever call to India’s Lakshadweep archipelago.

Silver Shadow kicks off the year with a series of Caribbean voyages highlighted by three Panama Canal transits. It returns to Alaska for the summer, offering 14 cruises ranging from seven to 12 days, including round-trip or open-jaw departures from San Francisco, Seward and Vancouver.

For the first time, the ship will reposition by sailing the Bering Sea from Alaska to the Far East and also make a maiden call in Sendai, Japan. During October and November, the ship will offer cruises focusing on China and Vietnam before heading to the South Pacific to holiday in Australia and New Zealand.

For Silver Whisper, the year opens with Australia, New Zealand and the Far East featured on six itineraries, ranging from nine to 18 days. Highlights include an inaugural call to Chan May, Vietnam, gateway to the former imperial city of Hue. During spring, the Arabian Peninsula is showcased with departures from Dubai.

The summer finds Silver Whisper exploring Northern Europe on a series of mostly seven-day voyages, many offering extended stays in St. Petersburg. A trans-Atlantic crossing from Southampton to New York will reposition the ship for fall foliage cruises through Canada and New England before heading to Bermuda, the Caribbean and South America for the balance of the year.

During spring 2010, Silver Spirit will embark on a two-week trans-Atlantic crossing from New York to Southampton, highlighted by Silversea’s maiden call in Cardiff, Wales. From May through October, the line’s newest ship will explore the Mediterranean, offering mostly seven-night cruises that can be combined. Silver Spirit wraps up her first year of service back in the Caribbean.