5 best Silversea Cruises destinations

Ultraluxury line Silversea Cruises offers a jaw-dropping array of worldwide destinations on both classic — as the line calls its traditional cruise ships — and expedition vessels. Initially, Silversea was the only luxury line offering both voyage styles; perhaps its success led the way for others, such as Viking and Seabourn, which have followed.

Between its classic and expedition vessels, Silversea features more than a dozen ships visiting more than 900 destinations across all seven continents. Among classic cruise destinations, Silversea maintains a strong presence in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean. (Company headquarters are in Monaco.) It also sails the British Isles and Northern Europe from spring into late fall, and its Canada and New England leaf-peeping cruises generate much buzz in the autumn months.

Come winter, ships head to the always-sunny Caribbean, as well as summery Australia, New Zealand, South America and Asia.

Silversea caters to travelers looking for extra-long sailings to multiple destinations. The line offers a limited number of "combination cruises," where itineraries combine two or three cruises into one for in-depth regional exploration.

Grand Voyages, its next-longest options, can run from 59 to 131 days. The ultimate in destination-bagging, world cruises are the longest itineraries on offer and run once per year; for example, the 137-day voyage in 2025 departs from Tokyo and visits 59 ports across 30 countries — including Turkey, Italy, Sweden, India, Saudi Arabia and Greenland — before ending in New York. (The 2024 world cruise is already sold out.)

Silversea's expedition vessels seek more-remote locales. Three ships — Silver Cloud, Silver Endeavour (formerly Crystal Endeavor) and Silver Wind — extensively explore the Arctic and Antarctica during polar seasons. Silver Origin, custom-built to sail the Galapagos, cruises in the wildlife-rich islands year-round with just 100 passengers. Meanwhile, 144-passenger Silver Explorer spends much of its time in Australia's Kimberley region and also in the South Pacific islands.

When not sailing polar regions, Silversea's expedition vessels venture literally to every country permitted, from the American West Coast and the Indian Ocean to the South Pacific and South America.

The line's first expedition Grand Voyage in 2024 is a 125-day cruise on Silver Wind, sailing from the South Pole to the North Pole, offering the best of both Antarctica and the Arctic. Along the way, it will call on major highlight cities — Lisbon, London, Buenos Aires and Reykjavik, for example — across several continents.

With Silversea offering most of the world on a silver platter, the challenge becomes choosing a sole destination. Here, we offer five regions where Silversea consistently shines, promising a cruise meeting — if not exceeding — anyone's idea of a dream vacation.

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Galapagos Islands

Silversea is a longtime player in the Galapagos; now-retired Silver Galapagos began cruising there in 2013. The more polished 100-passenger Silver Origin, Silversea's first destination-specific ship, debuted in 2021 and sails between the islands year-round. All-suite accommodations with ocean-view showers, butlers for all guests, an interactive base camp, Ecuadorian cooking classes and a stargazing platform set this expedition ship apart from the exploratory pack.

Most cruises are seven days long, sailing round-trip from San Cristobal, Ecuador, and visiting Floreana and Santa Cruz among the isles. During the December holidays, 10- and 11-day voyages make onboard celebrating relaxed and easy, and 14-day cruises are ideal for travelers wanting a full two-week experience.

Arctic

With two Silversea expedition ships — Silver Cloud and Silver Wind — cruising the Arctic, you can count on plenty of choice in this rugged, bucket list destination. The 254-passenger twin expedition vessels deliver a multitude of itineraries and voyage lengths from late May through early October.

Options include full circumnavigations of Svalbard that last more than a week and Northwest Passage crossings that can stretch more than three weeks. Some nine-day cruises are Greenland exclusive, while some of the longer sailings explore Canadian islands, such as Lower Savage, with opportunities to spot polar bears. These voyages allow passengers to learn about Inuit culture by visiting local attractions like the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, with its impressive collection of local and regional Inuit artifacts and artwork.

Related: I didn't think I'd like my 1st Arctic expedition cruise; here's what proved me wrong

Antarctica

Silversea now devotes three posh expedition ships — Silver Cloud, Silver Endeavour and Silver Wind — to Antarctica from late October until late March, making it a major regional player. (Veteran polar vessel Silver Explorer now focuses on the South Pacific, such as Australia's Kimberley.)

Silver Endeavour possesses a PC6 ice-class rating, one of the industry's highest, and advanced exploration technology, including a remotely operated underwater vehicle and a remote gimbal camera system.

Silversea offers two styles of Antarctic voyages. The quickest, dubbed Antarctica Bridge, usually run six days. Passengers skip the potentially rough waters of the Drake Passage by flying directly to King George Island (the largest of all the South Shetland Islands) from Punta Arenas, Chile. From there, it's just two hours by ship to the Antarctic Peninsula for immediate polar gratification. Some nine-day Antarctica Bridge sailings are offered, too; they also bypass the Drake and provide more Antarctic exploration time.

Antarctic cruises sailing the Drake Passage cruise round-trip from Puerto Williams, Chile, and run from 10 to 18 days. These longer, more comprehensive cruises can include three days in the Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island or Elephant Island.

Related: 6 ways to travel to Antarctica in style and luxury

Mediterranean

Silversea claims the Med as its home base and plies its waters accordingly. The line delivers access to both tiny ports and big hitters so passengers can experience an authentic Mediterranean cruise, either in classic or expedition style.

The fleet's classic ships are magnets for luxe-loving cruisers; the arrival of Silver Ray in 2024 means Silversea will soon have six classic ships and one expedition vessel in the region.

Count on diverse itineraries and cruise lengths, with many voyages spanning 10 or 11 days. Look for more off-the-beaten-path ports, not just marquee cities. Ships might stop in Giardini Naxos, Sicily; Bari, Italy; Casablanca, Morocco (with cool excursions like lunch at Rick's Cafe, from the iconic film); or Collioure on the south coast of France, where you'll have a chance to visit medieval Carcassonne.

When Silversea ships visit glam, big-name ports, they go beyond offering just the typical shore excursions featured on other lines' vessels — perhaps, in part, because many Silversea cruisers have already been to top European cities and are looking for something more.

In Monaco's Monte Carlo, this luxe line provides flightseeing over the Cote d'Azur and explorations of Dolceacqua, Italy, a beautifully preserved medieval town in Liguria at France's border. When a ship visits Livorno, Italy, passengers can go truffle-hunting, sip Super Tuscan wines or embark on a S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) shore excursion, savoring an Italian barbecue feast with fine wine in the Tuscan hills.

Even Silversea's expedition ships indulge in Med time, although with a smaller footprint. These cruises will unfold differently than on classic ships, with an emphasis on remote towns and villages.

Expect an expedition team of experts in fields like history to lead many of the outings. Passengers might engage in active pursuits like hikes and Zodiac rides. For example, on a Silver Cloud cruise from Athens to Lisbon, passengers visit Tunisia and Algeria, venturing to seaside ports with 16th-century mosques, old casbahs and Spanish fortresses.

Related: Best Mediterranean cruise tips to enhance your European vacation

Australia and New Zealand

Silversea dives deep into South Pacific offerings, with five classic ships and two expedition vessels presenting itineraries to a whopping 150 destinations.

Cruises hovering around two weeks — such as those between Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney or Melbourne in Australia — are plentiful. Many home in on New Zealand's pristine splendors, visiting beckoning ports like Dunedin and Wellington. Ships also stop in Hobart, Tasmania, where more than a dozen excursions await passengers.

Classic itineraries covering more of Australia include a 17-day trip from Singapore to Brisbane on Silver Muse, including ports like Cairns to view the Great Barrier Reef or join a rainforest journey. In Darwin, Australia's capital of the north, head out on the Adelaide River to look for jumping crocodiles.

Silver Muse also sails a fascinating route between Cairns, Australia, and Auckland, visiting the Great Barrier Reef; Noumea, New Caledonia's capital; and remote Mystery Island in Vanuatu. Expect to choose between several excursions from New Zealand's Bay of Islands.

For adventuresome cruisers, Silver Cloud offers multiple expeditions between late May and early September in Australia's unspoiled Kimberley, primarily sailing 10 days between Darwin and Broome. This fascinating western Australia region features horizontal waterfalls (not a typo), saltwater and freshwater crocodiles, and rock art that possibly dates back 40,000 years.

Bottom line

Silversea presents an eye-popping array of both far-flung and close-to-home itineraries for traditional cruising or adventuring in utmost luxury. Expect a significant focus on Arctic and Antarctic itineraries for expedition ships, with Galapagos cruises year-round. Classic ships offer close-to-home fall foliage, Alaska and Caribbean voyages, yet also venture globally, with an emphasis on Europe from spring to fall and Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand in our winter.

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