Ultra-luxury cruiseline Silversea has reported record demand this year through its worldwide programme of offers and promotions.
Silversea executive vice-president and chief operating officer Ken Watson said bookings and calls since the end of April have been at an all-time high, with record revenues for the past two months.
Watson, who is based in Fort Lauderdale and joined the cruiseline in April, said: “For 2009, we have seen a lot of pent-up demand unleashed by our offers; for 2010, the business is being driven by our new ship Silver Spirit.
“This year we have had a lot of bookings from people who have not cruised with Silversea. For 2010, we are getting more past passengers as they all want to try the new ship.”
Watson said Silversea has also benefited during the recession from being an international brand.
“If there is a downturn in one area, we are able to source more clients from another. There are signs now that the UK, Europe and Australia are coming out of the recession faster than the US.”
Silver Spirit, launching in December, will be Silversea’s biggest ship with capacity for 540 passengers. Its maiden voyage is an 11-night cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon on December 23, to be followed by a 16-night transatlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale, which is fully booked. On January 21, it sets off on a 91-day South America voyage.
Watson said there may be an opportunity for a few UK agents to see Silver Spirit while it is in Monaco for three days before the maiden cruise, but the plan is for a big showcase for the UK trade in May 2010, when it will be in Southampton overnight.
Because of its size, Silversea is able to introduce additional dining options on the ship. There is a new paid-for Asian restaurant, which will cost between $50 and $150 per person, and a new dining-under-the-stars grill.
Watson said: “We are in the luxury business and the more inclusive we can be the better, but we are charging for the Asian restaurant as it is very small and it is the only way to control numbers.”
He added: “Luxury is all about choice, so the more choice in dining we can offer the better.”
On Silversea, drinks and gratuities are included in the price.