It’s full speed ahead for Silversea. The luxury expedition cruise line continually pushes the boundaries of adventure, with a globe-spanning portfolio of more than 900 destinations across all seven continents. Silversea’s fleet of 12 — eight classic ships and four expedition vessels, including the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Silver Endeavour — has never sacrificed comfort for adventure.
And like any passionate explorer, Silversea refuses to stand still. This season, the company leans further into the idea that a voyage should be shaped by the place itself — not just pass through it. New itineraries spotlight a destination’s most vivid traditions, the cruise line finds fresh ways to taste a region through its harvest and a soon-to-open, first-of-its-kind hotel extends the journey before the ship even sets sail.
Here are three things we’re most excited to see on Silversea’s horizon.
S.A.L.T. Comes Ashore
S.A.L.T. (which stands for “Sea And Land Taste”), the experiential dining program built around each region’s distinct culinary traditions, has done much to earn Silversea its reputation as a foodie-approved cruise line. Now, with the launch of S.A.L.T. Culinary Voyages, the brand has prepared something even more special.
On August 27, Silver Spirit launches the first of the Grape Harvest voyages, a series of seven sailings timed to Europe’s autumn harvest season across Portugal, Spain, France and the United Kingdom. Each stop brings its own flavor to the journey. In Portugal, passengers cook alongside a countess at her historic estate. In Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, France, they join a black truffle hunt, followed by a tour of the château and a leisurely, three-course lunch revolving around the day’s forage.
Onboard programming bridges land and sea just as seamlessly. Guests can savor a chef-led, nine-course tasting menu at La Dame spotlighting Portugal and northern Spain’s seasonal bites, participate in a Bordeaux wine tasting hosted by the ship’s sommelier or take part in a live seafood masterclass, starring the Atlantic coast’s catch, with the executive chef.
Although each itinerary charts its own course, certain signature moments carry through all sailings, among them a caviar presentation to welcome guests aboard and a harvest brunch featuring the season’s bounty.
All voyages are further united by four themes: gather, craft, celebrate and indulge. With “gather,” passengers share a meal together. “Craft” centers on hands-on techniques, from blending your own port in the Douro Valley to crafting cocktails at the S.A.L.T. Bar mixology class. “Celebrate” ties each stop to a local custom, perhaps a champagne toast after a successful truffle hunt. And “indulge” covers the collection’s more decadent highlights such as cognac tastings, caviar offerings and multi-course lunches.
Silversea’s Summer in Japan
Japan has long been a mainstay of Silversea’s Asian cruise routes, but passengers can now experience it in a new way: the line’s first full summer season in the country. Next summer, Silversea will have six sailings designed around Japan’s most important festivals.
Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri — a monthlong celebration featuring ornate, multi-ton floats — dates back to the ninth century. Two July sailings place passengers at the heart of the festival, widely considered Japan’s most famous. Passengers on the earlier journey get the vibrant pre-parade evenings, with paper lanterns, crowds and food stalls taking over the streets. Meanwhile, those on the later sailing catch the pinnacle procession of intricately decorated wooden floats on July 17 and 24.
Another option is a two-week, round-trip cruise departing Tokyo on July 27, with a port of call at Osaka and visits to Hokkaido and Busan in South Korea as the festival season shifts north. The voyage features the Aomori prefecture’s lauded Nebuta Matsuri, where gigantic, colorful washi paper floats illuminate the night sky.
Finally, an August sailing from Tokyo to Seoul gives passengers a front-row seat for the Awa Odori dance festival in Tokushima, which attracts more than a million people each year. From reserved seating, guests will take in Japanese folk dance during the more than 400-year-old tradition.
An Elevated Basecamp
As a luxury cruise line, Silversea aims to make the journey as memorable as the destination, so the debut of the brand’s first hotel feels like a natural evolution. The Cormorant at 55 South will open October 19 in Puerto Williams, Chile, the world’s southernmost city. The property gives passengers on the line’s Antarctica Fly Cruise a place to stay while skipping the demanding four-day crossing of the Drake Passage. Instead, the journey begins and ends at The Cormorant at 55 South, with a chartered flight of just under two hours carrying passengers to and from the King George Island research station, where the ship departs.
The 150-room lodge shares the cruise line’s essential design principles: spacious, soaring ceilings; windows that overlook stunning views of the Patagonian landscape; abundant natural light; and local materials like wood sourced from Andean forests to ground a sense of place.
Expect culinary programming on par with Silversea’s ships. Guests can start with Chilean cacao and pastries, then return in the evening to swap stories over meals and cocktails starring native ingredients. Latitude 55 takes a warm, family-style approach to dining, with a menu focused on the region’s distinctive flavors. Bar Sur serves as the property’s social hub. As at sea, S.A.L.T.’s immersive culinary experiences provide a deeper taste of the region.
The days saved by skipping the Drake Passage crossing opens the trip to travelers who once had to wait to make the logistics work, since the old route demanded two full weeks away. Above all, the new Antarctica Fly Cruise amenity brings a sense of ease, offering comfort and more flexibility if the weather turns.
