Passengers: 120
Best for: High-end cruisers who love adventure and luxury
Sails: Alaska, Asia, Australia, the Seychelles, the South Pacific
At a Glance: This is Silversea Expeditions’ third ship. Whereas the Silver Explorer was built for polar regions and the Silver Galapagos tours the Galapagos year-round, the Silver Discoverer, with its shallow draft, was made to navigate remote coastlines, like the Maldives, the Seychelles, and Australia’s Kimberley Coast.
The Excursions Are Epic
As stunning as this ship is, a trip on Silver Discoverer is really about what happens off the boat. Experts ranging from marine biologists to historians take small groups via Zodiac to bucket-list sites like the dome-shaped Bungle Bungle mountain range on Australia’s Kimberley Coast and Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives. Don’t worry about packing your gear: snorkels, wet suits, and even a backpack and water bottle are provided.
Related: Five Things to Know About Silversea Cruises' Silver Wind Cruise Ship
Five Things to Know About Silversea Cruises' Silver Galapagos Cruise Ship
Five Things to Know About Silversea Cruises' Silver Explorer Cruise Ship
Everything Is Included
No need to agonize over which excursions—or cocktails—to splurge on, since every trip ashore and many wines and liquors are wrapped into the cruise rate. Also complimentary: unlimited WiFi and gratuities.
Choose Among Restaurants
Dinner at The Restaurant, Silver Discoverer’s main dining room, is a white-tablecloth-and-fine-china, multicourse affair. The menu is a mix of traditional cruise fare and regional dishes, and on sea days, dishes from La Collection du Monde—created by Relais & Chateaux’s grand chefs—also make an appearance. When you feel like dinner outdoors, make a reservation at The Grill. At night, the space is dedicated to Silversea’s signature hot-rocks dining in which guests cook up their own meal on a hot volcanic rock at their table.
There Are Plenty of Places to Relax
When guests aren’t out snorkeling pristine reefs or searching for Alaskan brown bears, they’re on the ship recovering from one excursion and resting up for the next. They might do so while taking in a lecture over cocktails in the Observation Lounge, or by signing up for a mani pedi in the beauty salon or a rubdown in the massage room. Or if the ship is in warmer climes, they might take a dip in the pool, a rarity on expedition ships.
You’ll Have a Butler
Awash in earth tones, even the smallest 186-square-foot suites onboard feel luxe. That’s because every cabin comes with a flat-screen TV, Pratesi linens, a fridge stocked with your favorite beverages, and, yes, butler service. If you want to splurge, book the Medallion Suite: at 408 square feet with a separate living room, it’s the biggest stateroom on the ship.
