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News / Silversea kicks off its 2024/2025 Antarctica season
Three ships, 34 voyages, up to 80 landing sites
Silversea, the leading experiential luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, has kicked off its 2024/2025 Antarctica season with Silver Endeavour hosting guests on an 18-day voyage to South Georgia, the South Shetland Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Between October 29, 2024, and March 10, 2025, Silversea will deploy three ships to the continent, undertaking 34 voyages in the austral summer as part of one of the broadest and most diverse Antarctica offerings in luxury expedition travel.
Highlights of Silver Endeavour’s first Antarctica voyage of the 2024/2025 season include the moment guests witnessed a pod of approximately 50 orca whales; a landing at the very rarely visited site of Baily Head in the South Shetland Islands, which is home to approximately 45,000 pairs of chinstrap penguins; and calls in the scenic destinations of South Georgia, Wilhelmina Bay, and Neko Harbour.
Among the broadest, most diverse offerings of luxury Antarctica expeditions
Catering to the diverse needs and preferences of an array of travelers, Silver Endeavour, Silver Wind, and Silver Cloud will offer a range of six- to 22-day Antarctica voyages in the 2024/2025 season. Silversea’s innovative six-day Antarctica Bridge fly-cruise offerings allow guests to fly over the Drake Passage, providing a shorter travel option without compromising on the time spent in the destination. The company’s 10-day Antarctica Peninsula sailings from Puerto Williams provide the quintessential polar experience with approximately six days in the destination, while the 12-day variation extends deeper into the Polar Circle. Longer expedition options of 15-22 days allow for some of the most immersive deep dives into Antarctica and the Southern Ocean available to travelers.
Opening in 2025: The southernmost hotel on Earth
Creating an unrivaled experience for guests to explore the rugged landscape of Antarctica, Silversea is developing a hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile – the southernmost city on Earth. The hotel will facilitate a uniquely frictionless journey to the continent, allowing guests to enjoy Silversea’s personalized service and warm hospitality throughout their entire travel experience. Guests embarking on the cruise line’s innovative Antarctica Bridge fly-cruise program – the fastest and most direct route to Antarctica – will fly directly to Puerto Williams from Santiago, Chile’s capital city, and then on to King George Island in Antarctica for a superior and seamless experience.
Enhancing the experience with 15+ years of destination leadership
Having pioneered the luxury expedition cruise concept in 2008, Silversea became the first travel brand to offer luxury Antarctica expeditions. Through its learnings in the region, Silversea now offers the most enriching and personalized destination experiences available on the continent, with an industry-leading expedition team that comprises up to 28 experts in their field, knowledgeable kayak instructors, world-class onboard lectures, and some of the highest Zodiac-to-guest ratios in the industry, among other enriching features.
Silversea’s expedition experts host guided walks ashore, identifying wildlife species, unique glacial and geological structures, and other fascinating features only found on an Antarctic expedition. Back on board, the team delivers insightful lectures that provide guests with an overview of the day’s sightings and experiences.
One such lecture topic which has gained interest since the ship was located in 2022 is that of Ernest Shackleton and Endurance. Silversea’s talented historians bring the story of Shackleton to life, contextualized within the golden age of exploration, through captivating storytelling and visual materials. In December 2022, Nicholas Crane, former president of the Royal Geographical Society, gave a series of talks on the history of polar exploration to guests, presenting original lantern slides from the Endurance expedition aboard Silver Endeavour. Moreover, Captain Freddie Lighthelm - one of Silversea’s Masters - was part of the expedition team that discovered Shackleton’s ship.
For more information on Silversea's Antarctica voyages, please visit: silversea.com.