07 January 2009

Silversea unveils inaugural voyage for Silver Spirit

Silversea has announced that its new ship, Silver Spirit, will debut with a Grand Inaugural Voyage on January 21 2010.

The 91-day journey, dubbed Ã¢â¬ËœThe Spirit of South AmericaÃ¢â¬â¢, will see the ship sail from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles and back to New York.

The highlights will be a visit to Rio de Janeiro in time for Carnival, a journey around the end of the earth at Cape Horn, an in-depth exploration of the Mexican Riviera, a crossing of the Panama Canal and a Statue of Liberty event in New York Harbour.

Fares start at Ã&#pound;23,597 per person, based on double occupancy.

Silversea will begin accepting reservations on 12 January.

The itinerary involves visiting more than 45 ports in over 20 different countries and island destinations across two continents.

It includes overnight stays in Fort Lauderdale, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Punta Arenas, Lima, Acapulco and Los Angeles.

In addition, guests will also be invited to attend the naming ceremony, a gala dinner event on the eve of departure with accommodation aboard ship, and exclusive shore-side events in select ports of call, such as a VIP evening at the Rio Carnival, special commemorative gifts and a $2,000 spending credit per suite.

Other highlights of the inaugural itineraries include an 11-day Ã¢â¬ËœHoliday SpiritÃ¢â¬â¢ maiden voyage on 23 December, 2009, sailing from Barcelona to Lisbon, a Ã¢â¬ËœMaiden CrossingÃ¢â¬â¢ departing 3 January from Lisbon for 16 days exploring the Atlantic and Caribbean islands before arriving in Fort Lauderdale, and a two-week grand Ã¢â¬ËœAtlantic CrossingÃ¢â¬â¢ to Southampton from New York on 23 April.

Silver Spirit will spend the summer in the Mediterranean and then reposition to the Caribbean for autumn and winter cruises.

A new full-colour, 36-page brochure showcasing Silver Spirit and her inaugural season will be available in the coming weeks.

By Bev Fearis