Silversea’s ‘Silver Spirit’ is due to enter drydock at Fincantieri’s Palermo shipyard on 5th March, where she will remain until 1st May.
She will undergo large-scale refurbishment work, which will include the insertion of a pre-built 15 m long section amidships, making her the first luxury ship to be lengthened, the company claimed.
With the aim of augmenting the on board experience for Silversea guests, the project will enhance each of the ship’s public spaces with a new interior design, taking inspiration from the cruise line’s flagship, ‘Silver Muse’, which was delivered by Fincantieri in April of last year.
“Based on the wonderful feedback from guests sailing aboard our beautiful ‘Silver Muse’, we believe the comprehensive makeover we have planned for ‘Silver Spirit’ will enrich the on board experience and be equally appreciated by guests. They will see many of ‘Silver Muse’s’ innovations and elevated comforts embodied by our re-imagined ‘Silver Spirit’,” said Christian Sauleau, Silversea’s executive vice president fleet operations.
While some of the ship’s areas will be enlarged, to evoke the feel of spaciousness and enhancing comfort, special measures have been made to retain the ship’s bijou feel. Silversea’s trademark level of service will also continue, as the lengthened ‘Silver Spirit’ will enjoy a crew-to-guest ratio of 1:1.48.
Following a lengthy research phase, the turnkey transformation of ‘Silver Spirit’ will include – dining options will increase in variation and advance in quality; additional suites will be installed; décor enhancements will be made to existing suites and the ship’s public areas; the pool deck area will be enlarged and re-designed; a new health and fitness centre will be added; and various other amenities, such as the casino, will undergo upgrading.
Following the success of the distinct dining concepts offered on board ‘Silver Muse’, the options on ‘Silver Spirit’ will be fundamentally changed to increase choice and improve guests’ experience. Delivering gastronomic authenticity from across the world, Atlantide, Indochine, Spaccanapoli, and Silver Note will be installed to complement the existing Seishin, La Dame, The Grill, and La Terrazza – each of which will undergo refurbishment. Inspired by guests feedback, menus will be altered and refined across the ship’s prevailing restaurants.
Elsewhere, new public spaces will be created and a new Arts Café fitted – a modern, multi-faceted area – sited on the eighth deck. Inspired by Silversea’s Italian heritage, Dolce Vita will be a venue in which guests can gather.
Also to be installed is a Zagara spa – an amenity that proved to be popular on ‘Silver Muse’ – and a fitness centre that will boast up-to-date facilities.
The lengthening project will create 34 new luxury suites, as well as a Balsorano suite, claimed to be the pinnacle of on board accommodation, which will be fitted with decorative items that are of personal value to Silversea’s chairman, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio di Balsorano de Clunieres.
In addition, the best existing suites on ‘Silver Spirit’ will have handmade patented Savoir mattresses, horse hair toppers, and new HD screens added.
‘Silver Spirit’ is due to re-enter service on 6th May with a seven-day cruise between Civitavecchia (Rome) and Barcelona.