Silver Endeavour Redefines Polar Cruise Luxury

by David Swanson

Caviar and white-glove service. Glittering crystal chandeliers and infinity pools that melt into the horizon. Haute cuisine and fine wines. All are hallmarks of luxury travel.

The November 2022 debut of Silver Endeavour, the newest member of the Silversea fleet, raises the bar for amenities. The vessel is said to be, on a per-berth basis, the most expensive cruise ship ever built and boasts public spaces and private places amenities that most of us have never dreamed of. Which begs these questions: Do hardy travelers in search of adventure in the world’s most inhospitable places really need a butler? Caviar? A spa? “Why not? Comfort is important in travel, and attention to detail and a sense of seamlessness enhance the cruise experience,” says Barbara Muckermann, President & CEO of Silversea.

“But luxury, increasingly, is defined partly by what does not happen. It’s the absence of unnecessary stress. It’s the millions of details that must be attended to and the realization that all of them have been addressed. That’s also the experience we want to give the Silversea passenger.”

Removing the friction points in travel matters more than ever, says Wendy Perrin, Editor in Chief of trip-planning advisory WendyPerrin.com.

“I don’t want to spend my vacation time dealing with hassles and annoyances,” she says. “I want to be relaxed. People want to eliminate the work from their vacation, and the more a company can eliminate logistics and give the time back to you, the better.”

When the pandemic swept in, travelers watched helplessly as their options evaporated. Vacations were canceled, sometimes repeatedly, and even when the world began to travel again, beloved cities and ports remained closed.

“The true definition of luxury today is when you get to keep your options,” says Peter Greenberg, a longtime journalist who is CBS News’ Travel Editor.“ We redefined what mattered. It’s no longer just rich Corinthian leather, but space, breathability, clarity. “

Just as there is no longer one definition of luxury, there is no one perception of it either. Luxury, Perrin says, means different things to different people. If you want to live this dream and many others go to page 24.

Discover more about the destinations you love on discover.silversea.com

No need to wait for embarkation. You can ‘begin’ your Silversea voyage today with a dose of destination inspiration from our Discover travel blog –an extensive library of first-person articles, photosets from around the world, engaging podcasts, and behind-the-scenes videos shot by iconic photographer Steve McCurry. No matter where your plans for global wanderlust lead, chances are good the blog’s authentically chronicled dispatches will kindle your sense of anticipation.