Silversea Cruises accepted its new luxury flagship, the 40,700-ton, 596-passenger Silver Muse, on April 3 from Fincantieri's shipyard in Genoa, Italy. Just hours later, hundreds of travel agents and journalists boarded the ship for an unusual shakedown cruise.
The brand-new ship looks stunning.
After the first day, we saw none of the problems sometimes found on a ship's very first voyage: There were no water leaks, no plastic wrap still on the carpeting, and no loose wires dangling from ceilings.
"I've never seen a delivery like this," Silversea CEO Roberto Martinoli said at an April 4 press conference.
The Silver Muse-which the line calls "Simply Divine"-is the ninth ship in a fleet that includes five classic luxury ships and three expedition vessels. (The Silver Cloud is transferring to the expedition division in November after a major renovation). The Silver Muse will be christened on April 19 by the 17-year-old daughter of Silversea Chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio.
Silversea's previous new build was the Silver Spirit in 2009. The company says this newest ship is an evolution of the Silver Spirit, not a revolution. Indeed, there are many similarities to the Silver Spirit, which is slightly smaller at 36,000 gross tons and accommodating 540 guests.
One change, however, is that the color scheme is a more soothing and subtle palette of silvers, greys and beiges. Chief Marketing Officer Barbara Muckermann characterized it as a more European décor that "whispers luxury."
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Another major development is that the ship has eight restaurants serving as much locally sourced food as possible, as well as the world's finest ingredients-such as truffles from Alba, Italy, and milk-fed veal from Holland, according to Culinary Director Rudi Scholdis.
The Silver Muse also offers the exclusive gourmet restaurant La Dame by Relais & Châteaux, which is similar to Le Champagne on the other classic ships. La Dame has a $60 cover charge, primarily to control demand.
Silversea is on a path to grow, with three options to build ships for delivery in the early 2020s, Martinoli said. In welcome remarks on April 3, Lefebvre told travel agents that, if they fill the Silver Muse, he'll build them.
It was said jokingly, but there's undoubtedly truth behind his words. He said he envisions up to 12 ships in the Silversea fleet.
Stay tuned: We'll keep you posted if and when those options become firm orders.
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