Silversea announces full 2008 cruise schedule

**Ally** · 06-28-2007, 02:19 PM

28 June 2007 - Silversea Cruises
Highlights Include 29 New Ports, Cruises to Alaska and Hawaii, and a Second World Cruise to Completely Circle the Globe

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises has announced its 2008 worldwide voyage schedule and is now accepting reservations. Complete day-by-day itineraries can be found at Silversea Cruises.

The company's four all-suite ships are set to visit over 340 different ports in 116 countries on a diverse schedule of over 140 itineraries ranging from six to 110 days. Highlights include return visits to Alaska and Hawaii, plus 29 new destinations, including first-ever visits to Taiwan, Okinawa, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, the Marquesas and Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific; The Gambia and Mozambique in Africa; and Saudi Arabia.

"It's our goal to blend a luxury lifestyle with exciting and enriching travel experiences," said Trudy Redfern, Silversea's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for UK, Ireland and Middle East. "Our 2008 schedule has been carefully designed to offer a broad range of travel choices, including multiple-day calls and overnight stays showcasing some of the most historically and culturally significant destinations in the world, as well as myriad opportunities to explore the most exotic regions."

Silver Cloud
The 296-guest Silver Cloud begins 2008 with cruises to Africa, the Seychelles and the Arabian Peninsula, highlighted by inaugural calls to the remote Farquhar Islands in the Seychelles and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -- marking the line's first-ever visit to this fabled kingdom. From mid-April to early November, the ultra-luxury ship will traverse the Mediterranean and Northern Europe on 20 cruises ranging from seven to 15 days. New destinations include Formentera, the smallest of Spain's Balearic Islands; Belle Ile, the charming French island off the coast of Brittany; the German island of Sylt in the North Sea; and historic Sibenik, located on Croatia's southwest coast. In the autumn, Silver Cloud crosses the Atlantic to explore the Caribbean and South America.

Silver Wind
The 296-guest Silver Wind starts the year exploring South America on four cruises of eight to 16 days and then offers a series of mostly seven-day cruises to the most exclusive destinations of the Caribbean, including several round-trip departures from San Juan. From May to early November, Silver Wind offers 19 cruises of seven to 15 days, journeying through the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
Highlights include an inaugural call to the cozy Finnish town of Kokkola on the Gulf of Bothnia. The ship repositions to Africa for the autumn, making the company's first-ever visit to The Gambia, with a call in its capital city of Banjul. Silver Wind also breaks ground with an inaugural call in Mozambique, visiting its bustling capital of Maputo.

Silver Shadow
After completing its World Cruise in May, the 382-guest Silver Shadow returns to majestic Alaska after a one-year hiatus. On the schedule is a series of ten cruises ranging from nine to 12 days, including several round-trip departures from San Francisco and Vancouver. During the autumn, two cruises showcase the island jewels of Hawaii and French Polynesia, including the company's first-ever visit to Rangiroa, an atoll of white coral beaches, and Nuku Hiva, the largest of the Marquesas Islands, renowned for its lush valleys and rushing waterfalls. Alternatively, guests can visit these enchanting islands at a more leisurely pace on a special 53-day "South Pacific Explorer" cruise, sailing roundtrip from Los Angeles. During the balance of the year, Silver Shadow transits the Panama Canal and continues on a course exploring the warm waters and sunny beaches of the Caribbean.

Silver Whisper
For the 382-guest Silver Whisper, 2008 opens with the sights, sounds and flavours of Australia, New Zealand, the Far East and South Pacific featured on eight itineraries, ranging from nine to 18 days. Highlights include inaugural calls to Wewak, Papua New Guinea and Jayapura, Indonesia (both regions of significance during World War II) and Cebu Island in the Philippines. Silver Whisper will also make the line's first-ever visits to Taiwan with calls in Keelung and Kaohsiung. An extended summer season in the Mediterranean offers the opportunity to explore the region in absolute luxury with 18 mostly seven-day voyages, many of which can be combined for a more expansive journey without duplicating any ports. New destinations include the Medieval French town of Collioure; the sun-drenched beaches of Palamos, on Spain's Costa Brava; Algeria's historic city of Annaba; the Greek island of Tinos; and the Croatian towns of Porec and Trogir. Silver Whisper wraps up the year exploring the Arabian Peninsula, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East. Highlights include another new destination for Silversea, the town of Krabi, gateway to some of Thailand's most beautiful beaches.

Silversea Cruises is recognised as an innovator in the luxury segment, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard four intimate vessels, Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, and Silver Whisper, all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. For the seventh year, Silversea was named "Number One" small-ship line in the 2006 "Readers' Choice" survey conducted by Condé Nast Traveller magazine. For the fourth time, Silversea was voted "Best Cruise Operator" by readers of the Telegraph in 2005.