Silversea has named Moss Hills as Cruise Director for its 132-day Far East-West World Cruise 2024 aboard Silver Shadow.

Hills is a veteran Cruise Director who first joined Silversea in 2014 and has since sailed to all seven continents with the cruise line, but is best known in the industry for his leadership of the rescue operation aboard the cruise ship Oceanos in 1991. 

Hills was a musician aboard the cruise ship when it began to sink in heavy seas off the South African coast. When he discovered that the ship’s senior officers had abandoned their posts and left passengers to fend for themselves, Hills led the onboard effort to evacuate the ship.

He was also working as an entertainer aboard the ill-fated ocean liner Achille Lauro three years later when she sank off the east coast of Africa after catching fire on a repositioning voyage from South Africa to Europe. Although he was involved in the rescue effort on the ship, he didn’t have to lead it as the crew did not abandon the ship without passengers.

The Far-East World Cruise 2024 will mark his first global voyage with Silversea, but the cruise line said in a statement that his popularity with Silversea guests makes him the perfect choice. 

“We are delighted to have Moss Hills, a popular senior officer who is favoured among our Venetian Society guests, as our Cruise Director for our Far East-West World Cruise 2024,” said Barbara Muckermann, President of Silversea. 

“Moss’ skills and talents make him the perfect host for this once-in-a-lifetime sailing, and we trust our guests will enjoy his company while benefitting from such a strong addition to our onboard team,” she added. “Moss joins a stellar line-up of senior officers, which includes Captain Michele Macarone Palmieri; Flavio Gioia, Hotel Director; and Julio Miranda, Associate Hotel Director.”

Departing from San Francisco on January 15th, 2024, the World Cruise aboard Silver Shadow will take guests on a roundtrip journey from east to west that encompasses most of the Pacific Rim. 

Guests will explore destinations such as Hawaii and the remote Pacific Isles, Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan, Alaska, Canada and California, among others. 

“While I’ve been with Silversea for almost a decade, this will be my first World Cruise, and it will be a great honour for me to serve as Cruise Director for the entirety of such an extraordinary voyage, hosting our guests for the trip of a lifetime,” said Hills. 

“There’s a special sense of camaraderie that develops on these longer cruises and I am looking forward to reuniting with familiar faces — especially our Venetian Society guests, who return year after year — and making new friends. I’m particularly looking forward to returning to Japan with Silversea, one of my favourite places in the world.”