Silversea overhauls fare structure and shore excursion programme

Silversea has added three new fare types and broadened its shore excursion range to offer more ways to personalise voyages.

The all-inclusive onboard offering will remain the same on ocean and expedition ships, regardless of a passenger’s chosen fare.

There will be a series of webinars for the trade about the changes, with the UK and Ireland webinar slated for September 17 at 2pm.

The three new fares are: the All-Inclusive Plus Fare, the All-Inclusive Fare and the Last-Minute Fare.

The All-Inclusive Plus Fare offers a fully refundable deposit in addition to a shore excursion credit which depends on the length and region of sailing.

All expedition voyages will continue to offer shore excursions as part of the experience, plus Zodiac tours, lectures, in-country flights and pre or post-cruise hotel nights as required.

This fare will also be part of the line’s Fare Guarantee Programme.

The All-Inclusive Fare is only available on ocean voyages and requires a non-refundable deposit.

It allows passengers to purchase shore excursions either before the cruise or while on board.

The Last-Minute Fare is available on selected ocean and expedition voyages within five months of departure, and provides “favourable savings”.

The deposit is non-refundable and the total payment must be paid in full at the time of booking.

From September 11, there are also five new categories of land experiences passengers can choose from.

Highlight Experiences will be tours of iconic sites, Signature Experiences will be smaller tours designed by Silversea, Private Experiences will be exclusive tours for a group of guests, Custom Experiences will be tailor-made tours and Overland Experiences will two or three-day mid-cruise inland tours which are only available on selected voyages.

These are in addition to the recent launch of City Stays by Silversea which comprise pre and post-cruise luxury hotel stays in destinations such as Copenhagen, Rome, Barcelona and Athens.

The city stay will include dining experiences, curated tours of historical and cultural sites and “meaningful interactions with the local community”.

Silversea president Bert Hernandez said: “The Luxury of Choice reflects our deep commitment to delivering on the feedback of our guests.

“Our guests consistently tell us that they value flexibility in their travels.

“With our new fare options, we’re empowering them to personalise every aspect of their journey — from start to finish — while continuing to enjoy our signature all-inclusive onboard experience, which is one of the most comprehensive at sea.”