On longer luxury cruises, you may be more inclined to embark on day-trip shore excursions or even spend a few days away from the ship in order to delve deeper into the region you're visiting.
Silversea is making this easier to do in 2011 with the launch of seven new—and very cool!—mid-voyage land excursions.
According to Silversea, these single- and multiple-day inland adventures provide guests with a more intimate, in-depth, and personal encounter with the local people, history, wildlife, and natural attractions that lie just beyond the ports of call.
"We continue to develop new programs that will allow our guests to enjoy authentic onshore experiences," said Darius Mehta, Silversea's associate vice president of air and land programs. "These mid-voyage adventures are carefully designed to take guests further into a specific region, giving them plenty of time to actively engage in its scenery, activities and cultural heritage."
Here's a snapshot of a few of the mid-voyage land adventures that are available from Silversea in 2011:
Kangaroo Island Luxury Eco Expedition—Widely regarded as Australia's Galapagos, Kangaroo Island is brimming with diverse wildlife and natural beauty. Enjoy luxurious accommodations at the Southern Ocean Lodge and a staff of naturalist guides to lead your exploration of the island's unique attractions. Memorable sightings might include kangaroos, rare Cape Barron Geese, koalas, and sea lions. To join this three-day adventure, guests disembark
Silver Shadow in Adelaide and rejoin the ship in Melbourne. Priced at $4,799 per guest, the program is offered on
Silver Shadow's January 19 voyage (#3102), sailing roundtrip from Sydney.
Australian Frontiers & Train Journey—Discover the heart of the Australian outback by rail aboard the glamorous Indian Pacific train as you watch unique landscapes unfold. Visit the opal-mining town of Coober Pedy, then travel to Adelaide to enjoy a culinary and wine adventure that takes in the famous Barossa Valley. To join this six-day adventure, guests disembark
Silver Shadow in Fremantle and rejoin the ship in Adelaide. Priced at $7,799 per guest, the program is offered on
Silver Shadow's January 19 voyage (#3102), sailing roundtrip from Sydney.
The Great Ocean Road—Discover one of Australia's great scenic coastline drives. The road was built by some 3,000 returning servicemen and dedicated as a memorial to those killed in World War I. The Great Ocean Road passes through diverse and dramatic scenery with breathtaking mountain ranges, rainforests, national parks, historic ports, and the famous Twelve Apostles, the craggy limestone stacks that rise from the Southern Ocean. This 12-hour program, priced at $269 per guest, is offered on
Silver Shadow's January 19 sailing (#3102) and
Silver Spirit's voyage of February 12 (#5105). Guests depart from Geelong and rejoin the ship in Melbourne.
Principality of Andorra—Venture into the eastern Pyrenees and visit the tiny, landlocked Principality of Andorra. Although only about half the size of New York City, Andorra comprises a region of seven narrow valleys and is hemmed in by mountain peaks reaching more than 8,800 feet (2,700 meters). This one-and-a-half-day package, priced at $999 per guest, is offered on
Silver Spirit's May 3 sailing (#5110) from Athens to Southampton. Guests depart from and rejoin the ship in Barcelona.
Inverlochy Castle & Scottish Highlands—Enjoy a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the legends and lore of the Scottish Highlands and discover what is considered by many to be Scotland's most stunning scenery and important historic sites. A visit to a well-known distillery offers a taste of Scotland's best-known national spirit, malt whiskey. This two-day package, priced at $1,899 per guest, is offered on
Silver Cloud voyages of June 25 and August 26 (#1118 and 1123). Participants will depart and rejoin the ship in two different ports, Edinburgh (Leith) and Invergordon, as determined by the voyage itinerary.
Solovki: Pearl of the Russian North—Take advantage of this rare opportunity to visit Big Solovetsky Island, once a former Soviet gulag and today known as the "Pearl of the Russian North." Visit the famous Solovetsky Kremlin and learn the history of the monastery complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 12-hour adventure, priced at $1,299 per guest, is offered on
Silver Cloud's July 30 voyage (#1121), sailing roundtrip from Copenhagen. Guests depart from and rejoin the ship in Archangel.
Arequipa & Colca Valley—The great Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa called it the "Valley of Wonders," a land of imposing, snow-capped volcanoes, deep gorges, agricultural terraces, remote traditional villages, and some of Peru's most celebrated wildlife—llamas, vicuñas, alpacas, and the rare Andean condor. This three-day package, priced at $1,829 per guest, is offered on
Silver Whisper's December 20 sailing (#4137) from Santiago to Fort Lauderdale. Guests depart from Matarani and rejoin the ship in Callao.
Expedition Antarctica—For most globe trekkers, this is the ultimate destination. Fly by chartered aircraft to King George Island on the Antarctic Peninsula and discover the many natural wonders of the world's last pristine wilderness. Memorable sightings might include penguins, seals, and whales. This 13-hour adventure, priced from $6,899 to $6,959, is offered from Punta Arenas, Chile on S
ilver Whisper voyages of January 20 and December 4 (#4102 and 4136).
Camp Jabulani—Indulge your senses in this tailor-made adventure trip to Camp Jabulani, set within the Kapama Private Game Reserve of Kruger National Park. Highlights include a ride through the bush atop an elephant's back and an open-vehicle game drive through prime big-game territory that supports elephant, buffalo, rhino, giraffe, zebra, and other species. This three-day package, priced at $4,999, is offered on
Silver Wind voyages of February 10, 20 and March 2 (#2104, 2105 and 2106). Guests depart from Richards Bay and rejoin the ship in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Futuristic Brasilia—Visit Brazil's capital and you'll discover a fascinating city designed for the twenty-first century, a masterpiece of modernist architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Brazil's finest designers, architects, and artists were commissioned to create Brasilia's monuments and buildings, which attract architecture aficionados worldwide. This three-day adventure, priced at $1,699, is offered on
Silver Whisper's November 8 sailing (#4134) from Fort Lauderdale to Rio de Janeiro. Guests depart from Fortaleza and rejoin the ship in Salvador.
The prices listed above are per person, based on double occupancy. The optional mid-voyage land programs feature deluxe accommodations (if overnight stays are required), all transportation, transfers, guided sightseeing, and some meals.
For more information, talk with your travel agent or contact
Silversea directly at 1-(877) 215-9986.
Ngaire Keene and Ken Hutyra of Brown & Keene Travel will escort a group to Antarctica in January 2012 aboard Silversea's expedition ship, Prince Albert II. The cruise, from January 13–30, 2012, will visit the Falkland Islands, South George, and Antarctica.
Just a reminder that several luxury cruise lines plan to raise fares at the end of 2010. That means you've got just shy of two weeks to make plans at lower rates.
Calling all Silversea fans!
On longer luxury cruises, you may be more inclined to embark on day-trip shore excursions or even spend a few days away from the ship in order to delve deeper into the region you're visiting. Silversea is making this easier to do in 2011 with the launch of seven new—and very cool!—mid-voyage land excursions.
Porthole Cruise Magazine has been running its annual Readers' Choice Awards for the past 12 years and the 2010 results are now in.
MARCH 2, 2011
MAY 9, 2011
Whenever friends get together to talk about recent vacations, the conversation inevitably ends up revolving around food and wine. For us, dining experiences often define a voyage and if the food and wine don't make the cut, we won't sail with that cruise line again. I'm happy to say that we thoroughly enjoyed all of the restaurants we sampled aboard Silversea Silver Spirit. (See our Silversea Silver Spirit food and wine photo gallery here.)
This spacious main dining room on Deck 4 is beautiful and the menus, designed exclusively for Silversea by Relais & Chateaux, will make your mouth water. Here's an example:
Most people I spoke with during our cruise loved the atmosphere and food at La Terrazza. I have to agree. This restaurant, located aft on Deck 7, offers both indoor and outdoor seating. We lingered over several lunches and dinners on the outdoor deck of La Terrazza. The waiters are excellent at this spot and were very helpful in explaining the specials and the particulars of what was in each sauce, etc.
Located outdoors on Deck 10, directly above the Pool Grill, Hot Rocks is a special evening spent under the stars. We loved this intimate spot for dinner and ate here twice. We would have gone for a trifecta, but we couldn't get reservations for an additional night! Here you'll be able to watch the sun set while you enjoy tortillas and guacamole before moving on to the salad course.
Wine aficionados gravitate to Silver Spirit's specialty restaurant Le Champagne. This Relais & Chateaux experience pairs fine wines with a six-course meal. Guests may reserve dinner at this restaurant for $30 per person plus a $200 per person charge for the vintage wines. No complimentary wines are served at Le Champagne so if you wish to drink vino with your meal, you must purchase the $200 wine package.
Seishin is Silver Spirit’s specialty Asian restaurant, which offers three degustation menus. The surcharge is $30 per person. The menu changes nightly but many items, like the sashimi platter and spider crab roll, are served several times during a cruise.
Silversea is an all-inclusive luxury cruise line that prides itself on serving a wide range of complimentary wines as well as offering a special "Connoisseur's Wine List" for travelers who wish to purchase alternative wines in the lounges and restaurants.
The island of Hvar, Croatia was our favorite port on this Eastern Mediterranean cruise with Silversea's Silver Spirit. The little villages were so quaint and the landscape was resplendent with wildflowers, lavender fields, and olives groves. The bumble bee and butterfly population was also impressive!
