Silversea Cruises has ordered a new ship and unveiled plans to build two more, as it looks to capitalise on a strong and buoyant market.
The luxury line has confirmed it has placed an order with the Fincantieri shipyard for a sister ship for Silver Muse, with two more options open.
The new vessel will launch in 2020 and will be called Silver Moon. It will be the luxury line’s 10th ship, taking owner Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio closer to his dream of having a fleet of at least 12 ships.
The contract between Silversea and Fincantieri to build the new 596-passenger vessel is worth €310 million.
This announcement is the latest sign of the strength of the luxury cruise sector, with Ritz-Carlton recently announcing its plans to enter the cruise sector with three yachts. Meanwhile, Celebrity Cruises has three ships on order, Ponant has four, and Crystal Cruises, Scenic, Seabourn and Star Clippers also have new vessels set to launch.
Speaking exclusively to Travel Weekly, Silversea’s chairman Lefebvre d’Ovidio said the order reflected the success of Silver Muse and the strength of the luxury market. He said UK guests were the most loyal for the brand and thanked agents for their support.
“We had three options with Fincantieri and we’re exercising one at this time – a sister to Silver Muse.
“This will be the same as Silver Muse, with a few minor adjustments such as enhancing the restaurant areas. There will also be a few more surprises.
“My father always dreamed of 12 ships – this takes us closer to that. I interrupt his words to mean at least 12 ships, so we will keep growing.
“We have two more ships on option and they will be exercised as soon as we see further good signs from the market. We are very happy and the growth we’re seeing is very good.
“The UK has its issues at the moment around currency and concerns over Brexit, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the UK has always been the most loyal guests”
When asked whether Silver Moon would be part of the brand’s classic or expedition fleet or might offer a mixture of sailings, Lefebvre d’Ovidio said: “This ship is purely for the classic fleet. We have other plans for the expedition side of the company. We have the Silver Cloud [refurbishment} project and that’s the main focus but we are contemplating a lot about how we expand the expedition side.
The contract between Silversea and Fincantieri to build the new 596-passenger vessel is worth €310 million.
Silver Moon will have a ‘Green Star 3 Design’, meaning it will be designed, built and equipped in order to prevent air and water pollution.