Fully converted into an Ice Class ship, it’s also now prepared to meet the challenge of exploring the polar regions. On a luxury cruise aboard Silver Cloud, you’ll be able to get close to wild creatures without giving up your own creature comforts. With the highest crew-to-guest ratio in expedition cruising and a butler assigned to every suite, your preferences are well considered and your every wish anticipated and acted on. And with every excursion, and cocktail, included in your cruise rate, you needn’t dwell on which activity to join or drink to toast your good taste with. You won’t feel underequipped either, as Silversea will kit you out with the necessary technical gear, including a complimentary parka for all polar expeditions.
Accommodation
Expedition cruising is notorious for not being the height of comfort, at least in comparison to other luxury cruises. That can’t be said for Silver Cloud though, which has the largest suites in expedition cruising. Make yourself at home. Choose from a queen or twin-size beds. Select a firm or soft mattress. Pick from a pillow menu. Ask for Bulgari or Ferragamo toiletries. Request your bar be stocked with your favourite wines and spirits. It’s your choice and you can personalise your home away from home to an exceptional extent. All the suites have ocean views and more than three quarters of them have their own secluded verandah, for when you want to enjoy the scenery and landscapes in private. Together, just the two of you can watch the drama unfold as orcas chase a sea lion or a whale breaches. Whichever suite you sail in, enjoy the ultimate in personalised service with a highly trained butler on hand to arrange your reservations, secure you a spa slot or help you host an impromptu cocktail party in your suite. Could you want for anything more at the ends of the world? See below for more detail on each category.
Vista Suite
As you weave between destinations, spread out on your seating area to admire the views from your large picture windows, perhaps calling your butler for a refill of wine or making a choice from your complimentary minibar. It’s always stocked to your preferences. Along with the usual on-demand entertainment from the flatscreen television, there’s a series of welcome little touches, ranging from marbled accents to a pillow menu and Bulgari amenities.
Veranda Suite
As its name suggests, the standout attraction of this category is its verandah, beautifully dressed in teak. Here, you’ll be able to watch as the scenery drifts by, making the most of your complimentary minibar and butler service. And, while the rest of the ship tempts with superb facilities, you’ll be forgiven for wanting to spend some time in your suite, with plush Etro bathrobes, fine Pratesi linens and a designerly sitting area making for cosy stays. The walk-in wardrobe is a welcome addition.
Deluxe Veranda Suite
Enjoying all the comforts of its Veranda Suite counterpart, the Deluxe offering mixes in a prime, central location. As such, it’s ideal for those who want to have all of the Silver Cloud’s myriad dining options and luxurious facilities on their doorstep.
Medallion Suite
The Medallion Suite is set up just so that you’ll be able to watch the gentle sunrise from the comfort of your bed. Then, once awake, you’ll have the run of a truly expansive living area, complemented by a teak verandah, floor-to-ceiling glass doors and a cosy sofa that can convert to accommodate an additional guest.
Silver Suite
A favourite among wildlife lovers, the midship Silver Suites offer larger verandahs – ideal for spreading out and snapping a photo or two. The interiors are equally well thought out, with the usual pillow menus and Bose sound joined by a pair of marbled bathrooms, both featuring showers.
Royal Suite
At a giant 69m², the Royal Suite really does live up to its name. The bathroom comes with a soaking tub, the bed is queen-sized and the living room is particularly spacious. There’s also the option of bringing in a second bedroom – a Veranda Suite – making it ideal for groups.
Grand Suite
For those looking to entertain, look no further than the Grand Suite. After a day of exciting expeditions, return to your suite to host both new friends and old, taking full advantage of the superbly attentive butler service and the complimentary minibar that’s stocked, as always, with your favourite tipples. It can also be adjoined to a Veranda Suite.
Owner’s Suite
No more just a suite, this is a luxurious apartment at sea. Spread across several rooms, you’ll have ample space to entertain or simply unwind with the oversized teak verandah, full-sized bath and a vanity table, complemented by a powder room.
Excursions
Take advantage of the highest expedition team-to-guest ratio and join an excursion led by a marine biologist, geologist, ornithologist or naturalist. They’re all handpicked for their expertise and ability to bring the region you’re exploring to life. Accomplished experts in their fields, these expedition team members make ideal companions for your adventure and can bring you closer to wildlife, nature and cultures than you would have imagined. Join daily forays ashore in small groups, using Silver Cloud’s 18 Zodiac boats to uncover hidden corners and secret shores. Immerse yourself in your surroundings. Hike across glaciers, trek through the tundra, navigate an ice-choked fjord and experience a close-up wildlife encounter. One moment you’ll be watching battle-scarred elephant seals guard their harem and the next tiptoeing around huddles of tuxedoed penguins or watching entranced as blue-footed boobies engage in their courtship ritual. Track polar bears or puffins. Witness a whale calf surfing a swell close to its mother and be amazed by the wingspan of a wandering albatross as it cruises overhead. You’ll find every encounter is astonishing. Then there are the opportunities for cultural exchange with indigenous people as you’re introduced to the Inuits of Greenland, the Aymara of Chile and the hunter-gatherers who live in the rainforests of West Africa, communities carrying on exactly as their ancestors have done for hundreds of years.
RIB excursion
Entertainment
When you’re not out standing amid rookeries of penguins or enjoying a close-up encounter with bears, take time onboard to recharge. Immerse yourself in the region you’re sailing through with a lecture in the Explorer Theatre, hit the books in the library, enjoy piano music in the Panorama Lounge as the sun sets, gaze out on the seascape from Tor’s Observation Lounge or simply spoil yourself with a seriously good cognac (and a cigar if you feel inclined) in the Connoisseur’s Corner as you swap stories with your fellow explorers. Then, join a masterclass in photo editing or take advantage of Silver Cloud’s state-of-the-art photo studio to edit and print your pictures from that incredible excursion earlier in the day. Between it all, be sure to find time to relax and rebalance in the Zagara Spa with a facial, body wrap or massage to ease away the aches incurred by trekking across the tundra or scaling a glacier. Or, take a dip in the bubbling whirlpools and heated water of the swimming pool out on deck, where attentive staff wait with an oversized towel and a top-up of your favourite tipple. We can’t think of a better way to watch a 10-story iceberg drift by.
Casino
Dining
Having spent your days exploring, you’ll be able to take advantage of Silver Cloud’s five dining options. The fine-dining specialities of Le Dame are a special favourite, where a set six-course tasting menu is complemented by fine wines. As you indulge in an evening of palette pampering in the world’s southernmost Relais & Châteaux restaurant, you’ll realise that you needn’t sacrifice the finer things in life just because you are in the most remote places in the planet. You can also eat regional dishes unique to the destination you’re sailing through in The Restaurant, the ship’s main dining room, or choose from a series of signature dishes created especially for Silver Cloud by the Grands Chefs Relais & Chaâteaux. Then, take a table at La Terrazza, an intimate Italian restaurant, for perfect pasta and seasonal produce or, for a romantic dining experience, sit out on the deck under the stars at the Hot Rocks poolside grill. Here, you’ll cook your meal exactly to your liking while enjoying unmatched ocean views. Or you could indulge with dinner in the comfort of your own suite, served course-by-course.
Dining, Silver Cloud