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March 23, 2023

We have known Barbara Muckermann for a long time, and we have greatly appreciated her strategic role in the development of Silversea‘s strategy and for her ability and lucidity in leading an international team of professionals who, especially in recent years, thanks to the far-sighted leadership of Roberto Martinoli, have led the leading luxury cruise company to achieve unparalleled success and expansion.

Today, we get to know another Barbara Muckermann, the one who has taken over the helm of the company herself, becoming its new CEO. Her management immediately conveys a sense of continuity, and this is certainly reassuring where the trend was already towards growth and continuous improvement of the product offered. But at the same time, we can already glimpse elements of novelty and new evolution, which, on the one hand, will complete the direction indicated by Martinoli, and on the other introduce us to new initiatives and further improvements.

Barbara, first of all, how are you getting on in your new role? What is your philosophy as a manager, how do you organise the large team that supports you every day? You are already familiar with the world of Silversea, but something will certainly have changed in your relations with colleagues given your new position.

I believe that delegating tasks to people you hold in high esteem and trust is very important; it has always been part of my approach and strategy and it is even more important now, in my new role. Communicating transparently, openly, and regularly is one of the things that makes this easier for us: it not only allows us to be aligned but also allows me to provide my team with the tools and information they need to be able to move forward and make decisions independently. We meet and talk to colleagues regularly. This is something I wanted to strengthen from the beginning with meetings dedicated to this objective.

How do you experience your role in a still predominantly male world? How do you interpret your position and how has the relationship with your colleagues been since your ascension to the company management?

This is not the first time I have been in a mainly male environment. But this time, I certainly hold a top position, which is my first such experience. Relations are obviously optimal with everyone, and I am proud and happy that my example can be a testimony to everyone that something is moving in a positive direction and that it is not impossible to rebalance the genders even in management positions such as the one I have been called upon to hold. But our industry has many positive examples in this sense. I am now an Executive Committee of the Royal Caribbean group and one nice thing I have noticed is that there are many women on the board, perhaps the majority!

We really hope so, not least because figures like yours should be given all the space they need to be able to engage in such roles and bring fundamental resources to the companies. Coming to your role in concrete terms: what is happening at Silversea? What are the recent results and what are the most immediate strategies?

The novelties, and the changes, are many. In recent years we have significantly expanded the fleet, with a series of expedition ships such as Silver Origin and Silver Endeavour, and the Muse class, with the entry into service, after Silver Muse, of Silver Moon and Silver Dawn. But radical changes have also been made in the offer of services and itineraries to our guests.

We are certainly familiar with some of them, such as the all-inclusive, door-to-door, the Otium Spa, and the S.A.L.T. culinary programme. Incredible innovations, not only within the fleet but in the world cruise scene. What are the most achievements and what else will we discover in the short term?

It is true, our guests really appreciated the new wellness philosophy launched with the Otium programme, and also the culinary and cultural immersion we offer our passengers through the S.A.L.T culinary programme, dedicated to cultural traditions linked to the itineraries. Silver Endeavour’s “Antarctica-bridge” cruises, which we offered throughout the recent winter period, marked a significant turning point in the offer of Antarctica cruises by attracting a new customer segment. Door-to-door is an extremely convenient service that we offer to give our guests that includes maximum transfer and travel comfort. But alongside all this, there is also a lot of new technology, and above all the protection of the environment.

Certainly, sustainability is a hot topic in the cruise industry. Silversea already has ships that excellently protect the environment, but the Silver Nova will be great news in this too, won’t it?

The Nova class will be designed entirely around the concept of sustainability. It will be a great innovation in this respect, both within our fleet and in general. It will be the world’s first luxury ship with pioneering hybrid propulsion technology, including LNG as the main fuel, batteries, and cells, and a conventional backup power supply.

A class that will also bring many innovations in terms of design and hospitality. How do you reconcile the traditional luxury of the Silversea fleet with the larger size of the new class of ships?

The Muse class can accommodate just under 600 guests; on the Silver Nova, it will now be 728. We are not going in the direction of bigger and bigger ships. The real reason for the size of the Nova class is the use of LNG as the main fuel, which requires larger tanks. Batteries and fuel cells also require a lot of space. On the other hand, however, all this has given us the opportunity to design large rooms on board, more space for suites and lounges for guests. We add experiences, without taking away from the exceptional space and liveability that characterises our fleet.

A truly interesting prospect is to imagine the luxury and elegance that characterise Silversea within a project as different and innovative as that of Silver Nova and the future Silver Ray. We must prepare ourselves for a future with a renewed fleet and new initiatives also on the itineraries and services front. Unfortunately, the international context is not the most positive. How are you managing the recovery of the cruise sector at a time of inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, and economic instability?

During the pandemic, we worked hard to plan our work as soon as cruise operations would resume. We progressively resumed operations, enjoying the confidence of our guests and the fruit of our efforts. The international situation prevents us from operating in some areas, although we have recently returned to the East with great satisfaction. Within the group, we constantly monitor the evolving geopolitical situation and adapt our itineraries with the main aim of ensuring the safety of our passengers and crew. The pandemic period has accustomed us to flexibility. The economic crisis inevitably also affects our industry, but our target audience, proportionally, may be less affected. For our part, we work assiduously to acquire new customers, constantly improving in terms of services and route innovation.

In August we will have the launch of Silver Nova, which will certainly put all the new things we are extremely interested in front of us. What other upcoming initiatives are we looking forward to in 2023/2024?

We have high ambitions, mainly to continue to grow our market share and strengthen our leading position in ultra-luxury cruises without compromising our pricing strategy. We will continue to optimise our itineraries, products, and prices, adapting our offer to the needs and interests of our guests, and offering variety and choice. We will continue to explore new locations around the world for our itineraries, as innovation in this regard is extremely important to us. At the fleet level, all renovations and new builds are supported by the Royal Caribbean Group, which provides us with the security and peace of mind that is essential for an expanding cruise line.

Thanks to Barbara, Silversea’s programme is very interesting and forward-looking, both in terms of the sustainability and avant-garde nature of the ships and the services offered. A reality in the making, which we really feel is once again in the right hands. We look forward to meeting you on board the Silver Nova next August to discover first-hand the beauty and technology of what will be Silversea Cruises’ new flagship.

Don’t miss information and reviews of Silversea Cruises on Cruising Journal, with photos, videos and cruises on offer.

Gabriele Bassi

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