We talk with Silversea’s Conrad Combrink about the future of expedition cruising, destination-specific ships, and the dreaded Drake Passage.
Monaco-based cruise line Silversea has made the transition from conventional cruising to a leader in expedition cruising in lavish style, defining the scene with new vessels, bold new itineraries, and a dedication to bringing the finer things in life to the world’s most remote corners. With the launch of the new Antarctic Bridge program, which allows Antarctica-bound travelers the opportunity to skip the often-tumultuous Drake Passage, and to do so in true comfort, we chat with line’s expedition guru Conrad Combrink on the changing face of expedition cruising post-COVID-19.
Silversea recently launched its new Antarctica Bridge initiative, which will offer passengers the chance to fly to Antarctica in business class comfort from December 2021. What was the major motivation behind creating this new experience?
At Silversea, we are constantly looking for ways to expand and enrich our incredible range of destination experiences for our guests. We already offer the polar traveler a wide range of Antarctica expeditions, but we felt that there was a gap in the market to fly travelers to Antarctica in business-class comfort to join our expedition ship. Our aim was to open the White Continent up to the luxury traveler who is short on time and to those who would prefer not to cross the Drake Passage by ship. With Antarctica Bridge, our industry-leading offering is broader than ever.
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Will cruisers still have the opportunity to sail the Drake Passage with Silversea on some of its itineraries?
Absolutely. The majority of our voyages will continue to depart from the South American continent, with only one of our ships offering the Antarctica Bridge program. Many see the Drake Passage as an amazing part of the journey, with opportunities to spot whales and albatrosses and to prepare for the inimitable experience that awaits in Antarctica. Often, when conditions are calm and the body of water could well be named the Drake Lake, we have guests saying to us that they were disappointed that it was not a little rougher!
How is the Antarctica cruise experience evolving and how does Silversea compare to the many other companies offering cruises to the White Continent?
Shortly after we became the world’s first luxury cruise line to launch a range of expedition voyages in 2008, we also became the first luxury brand to offer an Antarctic expedition experience. Our aim from the start was to create a true expedition company, with a distinctive focus on once-in-a-lifetime destination experiences – delivered in luxurious comfort. Silversea had expertise in delivering a unique, luxury onboard experience, and one that our guests have truly appreciated since our cruise line’s launch over 25 years ago.
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We have some of the most experienced team members, not only planning the programs but also working onboard our ships as expedition staff. Building on their wealth of experience, we constantly offer skills development training for our teams. We have a large expedition team, with a large fleet of zodiacs – the most important tool for exploration in the polar regions. We take great pride in the fact that our Hotel Operations and Expedition teams are true professionals who are passionate about turning our guest’s dreams into unforgettable memories.
Asia is increasingly sought after by cruise passengers, especially those looking to get away from the big cities; what do Silversea itineraries offer in the region in 2021 and 2022?
Our Asia collection is vast and we are focusing on looking toward the more remote parts of the region. Areas such as the Philippines offer unique opportunities to explore, from local villages to exciting natural history encounters. Similarly exciting is Indonesia, a vast country with so much to offer, including spectacular scenery and a diverse cultural offering. You can literally spend months exploring this diverse country and we have a collection of voyages that will unlock incredible experiences in this region, from seeing orangutans in Sumatra to snorkeling on the amazing reefs of Raja Ampat.
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The cruise industry has been hit hard by the global coronavirus epidemic; how will the expedition cruise experience change and what initiatives has Silversea put in place to help safeguard passengers in the future?
We are proud of the work that is being done by Silversea, by our partners, and by our parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, with its Healthy Sail Panel. Informed by the findings of the panel, which comprises a team of 11 world-leading health experts, we will be perfectly placed to return to sailing safely when the time is right.
The destination delivery piece is an incredibly important part of the experience for Silversea, both for our more classic style cruise operations, as well as our expedition operations. We continue to learn from experts in the field and challenge ourselves and our partners around the globe to find and implement the best ways to ensure a safe and enriching destination experience. Our leadership teams, both at Silversea and Royal Caribbean Group, have maintained the commitment that we will return to service when it is safe to do so, without any compromise to the health and safety of our guests, who are our top priority.
Tell us about Silver Origin; what goes into creating a destination-specific ship and what will the vessel offer would-be travelers to the Galapagos?
We are incredibly proud of our new purpose-built expedition ship, Silver Origin, the first destination-specific ship in our history. Working with our new-build team and the shipyard to create something unique for our guests visiting the Galapagos Islands has been a wonderfully enriching experience.
We wanted to really bring the destination experience on board. This has been achieved with floor-to-ceiling windows that accentuate the iconic landscapes of the Galapagos; an innovative culinary offering that has been inspired by local cuisine and a farm-to-table approach; a regionally-inspired art collection that is truly remarkable; and a unique interactive LED wall, which has been loaded with exclusive content to complement guests’ travels, among other amazing features.
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The most elegant ship to ever sail in the region, Silver Origin will deliver a level of unprecedented luxury in the Galapagos, but in her heart and soul, she is an expedition ship, designed and built to deliver the most immersive destination experience ever for our guests. The technology used to educate our guests is unique, while the Zodiac embarkation/disembarkation process is new and enhanced, with the expedition team having the opportunity to meet and brief their intimate group before each landing at in newly created Basecamp.
What other developments can we expect from Silversea in the coming year?
We very much look forward to the conversion of Silver Wind, the sister ship of Silver Cloud, into an expedition ship. This will solidify our position as the leader in the luxury expedition segment further still. We will be looking at launching some new expeditions for our 2022 collection and we are excited about the new and enhanced itineraries our guest will be able to participate in with Silversea – more information on which will be released soon.
We are also operating the world’s first-ever expedition world cruise in 2022, which will be a once-in-a-lifetime voyage for sure. As a destination experience leader, we constantly seek ways to improve how we think about and deliver the expedition experience for our guests. Aboard Silversea’s intimate, ultra-luxury ships, travelers can look forward to some very interesting shore experiences that the team and I have been working on.
Conrad Combrink is Silversea Cruises’ Senior Vice President of Expeditions, Tour Operations, and Destination Management.
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