Silversea plan to turn Silver Wind into ice-class ship during polar refit

Silver Wind is to become an ice-class cruise ship, capable of polar cruising, during her upcoming 2020 refit and refurbishment, Silversea Cruises has announced.

The ‘Musification’ refurbishment, intended to give the ship a modern interior design akin to the line’s newest ship, Silver Muse, will involve a number of upgrades to her décor and internal architecture, but down below the biggest changes will take place.

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The cruise ship’s hull will be strengthened and reinforced, allowing her to navigate in polar climates, opening up the door to destinations such as Antarctica and the Arctic.

Silver Wind will also get a fleet of Zodiacs and kayaks to be used during tours to glaciers and floating ice bergs as she joins Silver Cloud Expedition in the cruise line’s explorer fleet.

In the passenger areas, Silver Wind will undergo renovations of its spa, atrium and guest services area, La Dame and La Terrazza restaurants, Main Bar, Observation Lounge, Panorama Lounge, Pool Bar, public bathrooms and Theatre.

The ship’s passenger capacity also will decrease slightly from 298 to 254, thanks to the addition of larger suites (the Silver Suites and Medallion Suites in place of smaller accommodations like the Veranda and Vista Suites).

These upgrades come on top of a refurbishment in December, 2018 that saw all-new upholstery and furnishings, new TVs, upgraded bathrooms with new marble and new balcony floors installed in all her staterooms.

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The main restaurant was also completely redesigned and new carpeting was installed throughout the ship. Up top, the exterior decks were refreshed with new furniture and other venues including the Show Lounge, the card and conference room, and the library were given makeovers.

The two refurbishments are part of Project Invictus, a fleetwide refit program aimed at enhancing the cruise line’s ships to remain up to the standard demanded by the modern luxury cruise sector.

Even the brand new Silver Muse wasn’t exempt, she received a new champagne and caviar experience in August 2018, and Silver Whisper underwent a bow-to-stern overhaul in December 2018.

Once re-launched as an ice-class ship, Silver Whisper will offer a 15-night Antarctica cruise, roundtrip from Ushuaia, Argentina, that includes stops in the Falkland Islands, Drake Passage, Antarctic Sound, Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

“We are delighted to announce that our beloved Silver Wind will undergo a further extensive refurbishment in the summer of 2020, completing the enhancements made in December 2018,” said Silversea’s CEO, Roberto Martinoli.

“Evolving the ship into an ice-class vessel, complete with Zodiacs and kayaks, will diversify her offering for our guests: she will be capable of unlocking deep travel experiences in both classic and expedition destinations, from the Caribbean to Antarctica, and everywhere in between,” he added.