A Day Onboard Silver Explorer
Our Cruising Specialist, Ann, recently travelled up to the port of Edinburgh Leith to see the newly refurbished Silver Explorer.
Fri 7 Jul 2017
After a journey passing through beautiful English and Scottish countryside I arrived in a sunny Leith. This was my first time on board an explorer ship and although she wasn't one of the largest, she looked fantastic in her blue and white livery. Silver Explorer was specifically designed for navigating some of the world’s most remote destinations including the polar regions.
We boarded at Reception which was tastefully decorated in a soft brown with chrome lines, and just off Reception was the boot room. The rubber boots are worn on landings ashore and zodiac trips on the expedition voyages. Guests exchange their casual footwear for rubber boots and on their return, they clean off their boots in the boot room and change back to their casual footwear. This prevents dirt being spread all over the ship – a very good idea!
We went up to the Panorama Lounge, where embarkation usually takes place for passengers, and enjoyed a welcome glass of Bucks Fizz. From there we were taken to the Theatre for a presentation on Silversea's four expedition ships. The Theatre is used by the expedition team to give talks and lectures to guests on the wildlife, culture and scenery of the destinations visited. The expedition team also accompany Zodiac landings to remote and unspoiled islands. We then continued to the Observation Lounge at the front of the ship which was the perfect place to enjoy the vistas. It also housed a library with reference books to enhance guests' overall experiences.
The suites were beautifully appointed and featured the new softer colours of sage green, pale gold and beige which made them feel very spacious. The bathrooms had the beautiful Bvlgari toiletries which smelt divine and most had a bath as well as a shower. The majority also had a walk in wardrobe.
No compromise was made with dining. There was the formal Restaurant and the alfesco Grill on Deck 6 which offered more relaxed dining. Guests also have the option to dine in their suite if they wish. We had lunch in the Restaurant which was a beautiful five course meal with paired wines. Needless to say it did not disappoint and to think that this was the standard of food served in some of the most remote places on the planet - amazing!
Silversea's expedition ships carry between 100 and 130 passengers making them the smallest at sea and allowing passengers to experience niche cruising at its best. Guests do not need to have a high fitness level or be like Bear Grylls. They just need to be able to walk on and off the ship unaided. Surpisingly, the expedition ships offer a butler service to all suite grades at 1 to 1 for the polar regions and 1 to 3 for the non polar regions. The level of service from your butler is dependent upon the suite grade booked.
Sadly it was time to leave this beautiful ship and head back home through the stunning countryside of Scotland and England. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on board the newly refurbished Silver Explorer, and feel that it is definitely the ideal ship for expedition cruises around the world.