Silversea Cruises is responding to the ‘slow travel’ movement, with its new itineraries offering guests more time in port, overnight stays, late departures, new tailored shore excursions and visiting smaller communities in lesser-known locations.

Speaking about luxury cruising in general following the recent release of Silversea’s 2027/28 Voyage Collection, Adam Radwanski, Managing Director of Asia Pacific said: “There’s an evident shift to experiences, to immerse yourself within destinations.”

“Not to escape the world but to escape into the world, and to see how the locals live, how the small communities operate,” he told media, including LATTE, at the Japanese themed, Five at Prefecture 48 in Sydney’s CBD on Tuesday.

“We don’t flood the villages and small towns with thousands of guests.”

“Our classic fleet is only 388 guests to 728, so small enough, especially, as we have a great selection of shore excursions to disperse the client across the communities so there is very little to no impact…apart from them benefitting from it, of course.”

“Having smaller ships gives us increased flexibility where itineraries can visit major, well-known ports, in addition to several lesser-known boutique local ports. The big ports have the global appeal and recogntion, and everybody wants to visit them, coupled with some small ports in places like Corsica or Sicily.”

“There’s the curosity element of something new and the comfort of the known, and I think that’s the ‘golden recipe’ for Silversea’s success.”

“414 itineraries. 606 destinations. That makes us truly, the most global luxury cruise line in the world,” he boasted.

“We can be proud of this. Covering all seven continents, 600-plus destinations, a lot of those destinations that are small, unique ports, thanks to the size of our ships, but also thanks to our itinerary stewardship.”

Sailings are focussed on immersive experiences and exclusive access. The program features shorter, combinable itineraries and a stand out is the luxury cruise line’s first summer season in Japan. There are also expedition voyages in Japan and Asia, along with new shore excursions, Silversea’s Director of Brand Marketing for Asia Pacific, Philippa Walker, said.

Grand Voyages

Three Grand Voyages that unlock a destination “from the inside out” are available in the 2027/28 program, including the close-to-home 51-day Grand Voyage Asia 2028 on Silver Muse, the 77-day Grand Voyage South America 2028 aboard Silver Ray and before those, the 60-day Grand Voyage of the Mediterranean in 2027, aboard Silver Dawn.

New shore excursions where the customer has full control over how they want to experience a destination. Accessing many more small ports, and overnights. 

Guests are telling us they don’t want to come to a destination for five hours and then have to run away. They want to stay for maybe 8 to 12 hours, or even to overnight and experience a destination in the evening versus during the day. 

Marquee Events and Local Festivals

A key pillar of the 2027/28 season is positioning Silversea’s ships to destinations hosting major key events. Honing in on the events segment, the cruise line is working with tourism boards where annual events are taking place, forward planning its port calls to coincide with major events and festivals.

That includes the Australian Open in Melbourne in January, the Amori Nebuta Festival in Japan, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Monaco Grand Prix, Rio’s Carnival, and more, Radwanski said.

In a lot of these places Silversea will be the only cruise line in our segment to give a flavour. Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Rio Carnival, and many others. 

“This is testament to our vision to provide our guests with something beyond just cruise. Our ships are amazing, floating luxury hotels, our customers want something more than just cruising. They want destination immersion,” Radwanski said.

First time Japan summer season deployment

The program features Silversea’s debut summer season in Japan, with a retrofitted Silver Muse to offer its S.A.L.T. ecosystem, “to meet the needs of the market and to enhance the culinary offering”.

“We are the first luxury cruise line basing our ship in Japan throughout the year. Usually, cruise ships will operate during the cherry blossom season and then in autumn. We are keeping Silver Muse in Japan,” he said.

“Our guests see Asia as almost an extension of the ‘close to home’ market”.

Silversea will have 41 voyages spread across two ships in Asia, with Silver Moon joining Silver Muse.

He highlighted the benefits for guests sailing to Asia over summer, instead of Europe, including the less likelihood for Australian travellers off suffering jetlag, as the destination is within easy reach – about 6-10 hours flying time.

“In exchange, the guest is getting this incredible, rich cultural and culinary experience.”

“The season in Japan gives our guests an alternative to the Mediterranean to escape te Australian winter, with a reasonable cost of travel, even for those flying Business Class.” 

The cost is half that of flying to Europe in Business, there’s the time saving and the culture and culinary experiene in Japan. Itineraries feature a variety of destinations in Japan, plus Korea which is trending, and Beijing and Shanghai in China.

“We have very high hopes for this season and we’re very proud that we are literally the only luxury offering in this part of the world,” Radwanski reiterated.

Mediterranean commitment with dual Nova Class ships

In the Mediterranean, Silversea will have four ships, including its two Nova Class sister ships, Silver Nova and Silver Ray.

Silver Nova will operate exclusively in the Greek Islands, navigating to smaller islands and communities the brand hasn’t yet explored. That program has no ‘sea days’, providing “great value in terms of experiences,” Radwanski said. Itineraries have been designed so guests can book back-to-back sailings and avoid doubling up on common ports.

Meanwhile, Silver Nova will sail the Western Med, based mostly from Lisbon, Nice, Barcelona and Rome.

Expedition cruising

Silversea Expeditions will cruise the polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctic, Western Africa, the Galapagos, French Polynesia the Kimberley, “which we’ve been coming to for years with a highly successful product,” the Melbourne-based cruise chief adds.

New for Silversea are voyages in Melanesia, Micronesia, Southeast Asia and through to Japan. The program will feature a positioning voyage from Okinawa through the Philippines and into Darwin.

Private charter aircraft with Silversea product

Radwanski lauded the “incredible support” from parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, saying the company is continually investing in Silversea to enhance the product to “stay ahead of the competition”.

That includes the investment in an exclusive chartered aircraft that now features an elevated Silversea branding and product onboard.

He said the aircraft was necessary as the quality of the product on commercial airlines “is not always the best” and was bringing guests’ first touchpoint and experience of Silversea’s Antarctic experience down.

Silversea’s aircraft is based in Santiago in a private jet terminal, “avoiding the hustle and bustle” of the busy main commercial terminal. Guests then fly into Puerto Williams to join a classic cruise across the Drake Passage, or Silversea’s fly/cruise program, either a six- or nine-day itinerary, which Radwanski says represents “the pinnacle… and most premium and amazing Antarctic experience”.

Two of Silversea’s three ships in Antarctica are devoted to the fly/cruise program, including it’s benchmark expedition ship, Silver Endeavour, and Silver Wind. Meanwhile, Silver Cloud operates the luxury cruise brand’s other Antarctic sailings of 10, 12 and 18 nights.

Silversea’s first hotel nearing completion

And soon, Silversea will also have its own hotel in Puerto Williams, The Cormorant 55 South, primarily to cater for the fly/cruise client. At the hotel, guests will be able to kayak or join a curated walking excursion, experience Chilean cuisine and the indigenous cultures.

The property broke ground in October last year, and has been pre-assembled in Mendoza, Argentina, more than 3,450 kilometres away from the site in Patagonia, where the hotel is being pieced together.

Silversea’s website states the 150-key hotel will begin welcoming guests in January 2026.

Staff at the waterfront property are being trained the Silversea way, “so guests can expect the same smooth, amazing service” they are familiar with on the water.

Lead image: Silversea Cruises’ Adam Radwanski, Managing Director APAC and Philippa Walker, Director – Brand Marketing APAC | Image: Guy Dundas