John Lithgow to Perform Aboard Silver Whisper

John Lithgow from the popular sitcom 3^rd Rock from the Sun will be joining Silversea’s Silver Whisper as a celebrity guest speaker aboard its 5 July voyage from Athens to Venice.

The award-winning actor best known for his starring role as Dr Dick Soloman will be treating quests sailing on the luxury ship to a section of his new one-man show, Stories by Heart, now playing a limited engagement at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi R, Newhouse Theatre in New York.

In the show Lithgow traces his own history as an actor and storyteller, the show being a comic mediation on the art and essence of storytelling. Spanning three generations the show includes tales of his father and grandmother before him.

The actor won the first of two Tony Awards following his Broadway debut in David Storey’s The Changing Room. He went on to make films such as The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment, of which both performances were nominated for an Oscar. Lithgow has been nominated for ten Emmy Awards for his work in television. He won three Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe, two SAG Awards and an American Comedy Award.

"We're thrilled and honored to have such a renowned stage, film and television actor on board to entertain our guests," said Cliff Perry, Silversea's director of entertainment. "The intimate, club-like ambience of Silver Whisper will make it the perfect venue to showcase Mr. Lithgow's formidable talents."

Silversea Cruises Renews Agreement with Relais & Châteaux

Silversea Cruises, the super luxurious cruise line, have announced that they will be renewing its culinary and marketing partnership with Relais & Chateaux throughout 2009, the prestigious international association of boutique hotels and fine dining restaurants.

The partnership is now in its eight year and will be highlighted by the creation of new signature dishes for La Collection du Monde, a sampling of specialty dishes featured regularly on all Siversea cruises. The sampling of specialty dishes is a collaboration of Jacques Thorel, Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux of L'Auberge Bretonne (La Roche-Bernard, Brittany) and Silversea's own master chefs.

There will be a number of other enhancements such as new wine-inspired menus for Silversea’s Wine Restaurant by Relais & Chateaux and the development of programs to ensure the highest quality gourmet dining experience for guests. In addition both of the companies will be working together to design a range of unique shore excursions that will have a culinary and wine focus.

The Culinary Arts program is the foundation stone of the alliance and is the perfect opportunity for Relais & Chateaux to showcase the culinary talents of their Grand Chefs. Informative and entertaining cooking demonstrations will be hosted by the Relais & Chateaux guest chefs and in addition the enriched Culinary Arts voyages will feature trips to international marls, food and wine pairings, creative regional dishes and a five-course grand gourmet dinner.

"We are very pleased with our Relais & Châteaux alliance," said Silversea president and CEO Amerigo Perasso. "Our two organizations share a passion for quality and excellence achieved through exacting standards and this partnership allows us to work together to create new and innovative programs that will further enhance the cruise and dining experience for our guests."

For Jacques-Olivier Chauvin, CEO of Relais & Châteaux, "Our partnership with Silversea continues to be an excellent arrangement for us as both organizations are strongly committed to presenting a level of luxury, charm and hospitality that is unsurpassed. We look forward to continuing to work together."

Relais & Châteaux is an exclusive collection of 475 of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in 55 countries. Established in France in 1954, the Association's mission is to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character.

Silversea Cruises Named Number One Luxury Cruise Line

Silversea Cruises has been named number one overall luxury cruise liner by consumers in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey, topping 19 other well known cruise companies.

The survey was carried out by independent New York based Luxury Institute who have reported that consumers would recommend Silversea as it is “by far the best in cuisine, service and luxury” and they have commented on the “classy personalised experiences”.

Silversea Cruises create exceptional ocean journeys with unique opportunities to explore remote ports of call from an intimate haven of incomparable luxury, each voyage is a unique masterpiece. Silversea are currently expanding the fleet to include it’s first luxury expedition ship. The Prince Albert II is scheduled to join the fleet in June 2008. Also under construction is Silver Spirit, a 540 guest all-suite liner due to join the fleet in December 2009.

Major Refurbishments Planned for Silversea

Silversea Cruises have just announced that they will be carrying out major dry-dock refurbishments on the Silver Cloud and Silver Wind. These 296 guest capacity ships are to be refurbished to make the interiors equivalent to that of the Silver Spirit. The 540 guest Silver Spirit is the newest ship in the Silversea Cruises fleet and is scheduled for delivery in December 2009.

Upgrades will include new bathrooms, carpets, flat screen televisions and balconies are also going to be revamped. It is believed that all of the public spaces and corridors will receive substantial enhancements with new furnishings and carpets.

The Silver Cloud and Silver Wind will also be receiving new ocean view spas and fitness centers, a new observation lounge, eight new large suites and a new guest elevator. Silver Wind’s month long refurbishment will take place this November and Silver Cloud’s in May 2009.

Silversea’s president has said these projects indicate the firms commitment to making sure Silversea is at the forefront of ultra-luxury cruising.

SILVERSEA CRUISES ROLLS OUT 2009 CRUISE SCHEDULE

Silversea Cruises has announced its 2009 worldwide voyage schedule and is now accepting reservations.

Silversea's four all-suite ships are set to visit over 320 different ports in 108 countries on a diverse schedule of over 140 itineraries ranging from seven to 92 days. Complete day-by-day itineraries can be found at www.silversea.com.

Silversea will add its first-ever Grand Pacific Voyage, a 92-day extended odyssey that explores the azure waters and pristine beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Following a diverse route from Los Angeles to Papeete, Sydney, and the Far East, with final stops in Alaska and Vancouver, Silver Shadow will visit 45 ports, 15 countries and two hemispheres.


Other highlights include return visits to Alaska plus 10 new destinations: Szczecin (pronounced Stettin, as it was once known), Poland; Malmo, Sweden; Skagen, Denmark; Gozo Island, Malta; Symi, Greece; Koper, Slovenia; Olhahali Island, Maldives; Nemuro, Japan; Visakhapatnam and New Mangalore, India.

SILVERSEA ACQUIRES ADVENTURE SHIP

Silversea Cruises has purchased small expedition ship World Discoverer for an undisclosed sum. The vessel will undergo a multi-million dollar refurbishment before it enters service with the four-ship luxury line in spring 2008.

World Discoverer will accommodate around 140 guests (reduced from current 175), in ocean-view cabins, including Owner's Suites, Grand Suites, and 12 yet-unnamed suites that will be similar to the line's popular Silver Suites offering a "club-like ambiance".

The 6,072-ton vessel has a strengthened hull appropriate for navigating waters in some of the world's most remote regions, including Antarctica.

The addition of Discoverer is in addition to Silversea's plans to purchase one 540-passenger, ultra-luxury vessel from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2009 and an option for a sister ship.

Silversea chairman Manfredi Lefebvre said: "We're very excited about this acquisition, as it means we'll be able to further tap that segment of the luxury travel market that is adventure driven.

"We have been looking into this segment for quite some time. When we were informed about the opportunity to buy World Discoverer, we took immediate action in a matter of days.

"We believe that exploration cruises can combine extremely well with an utterly exclusive product.

"With the addition of World Discoverer, our current fleet increases to five ships and to six from 2009, offering a more-expansive cruise schedule that encompasses all seven continents."

The line's president Amerigo Perasso added: "We will be unveiling more details about World Discoverer, including the new name, in the next few weeks, when all the elements of the project will be finalised.

"However, at this time, I can advise that the refurbishment will extend to virtually every area of the ship.

"Although we will maintain much of the vessel's current configuration, which features all ocean-view accommodation, we will dramatically enhance and redesign a number of public spaces, as well as some of the accommodation, and even some aspects of the ship's external appearance.

"This will bring World Discoverer in line with our usual high standards, but with some modifications to better adapt the ship for the special needs of expedition cruises."