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September 22, 2020

Prominently displayed at a recent Webinar hosted by Barbara Muckermann, Chief Marketing Officer of Silversea Cruises, were the words of Charles Darwin. “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” The irony of this statement was not lost on the audience of travel professionals who gathered to hear the story of one of the most extraordinary new ship launches in the history of cruising.

The Lounge Terrace aboard Silver Origin. Note the ‘Fire Pit”. Rendering Courtesy Silversea.

 

Silver Origin will be the single-most luxurious vessel ever to sail the Galapagos.

The ship in question is Silver Origin. It is the cruise line’s first destination-specific design in Silversea history. It was purpose-built to serve Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, the background for Darwin’s “Origin of the Species”.

The ship itself is incomparable. True to Silversea’s position as arguably the world’s most luxurious cruise line, the ship boasts All-Suite accommodations all with balconies for a mere 100 passengers. Served by the highest crew-to-guest ratio and the highest guest-to-guide ratio in the Galapagos, 8 Zodiacs will ferry its guests on excursions led by a team of expert Ecuadorian national guides.

Silver Origin’s Owners Suite, the largest in the Galapagos with a spectacular 180 degree view. Rendering Courtesy Silversea.

 

Upon returning to the ship, where every Suite is assigned a Butler, a Silversea exclusive, guests will revel in pure Italian luxury. Sophisticated Interiors, designed by Giacomo Mortola and his firm GEM, feature innovations like bathtubs with ocean views, balcony showers, and lighting that transforms each suite at the touch of a button.

In The Restaurant, Ecuadorian-inspired cuisine will introduce Silver Origin’s guests to the food heritage of the country. A wide range of International specialties will also be served. And to the delight of past passengers, the popular Grill, an open-air restaurant and bar, will feature Silversea’s signature lava stone cooking with an Ecuadorian twist.

Both The Dining Room and the Grill can accommodate all guests at full capacity. Rendering Courtesy of Silversea.

 

Silver Origin ushers in a new era of environmental consciousness.

Silver Origin is the most environmentally conscious ship Silversea has ever built, a likely prototype for their ever-expanding audience for Expedition voyages. To preserve the extraordinary environment in which she sails, Silver Origin was created to keep its carbon footprint well below industry standards. The ship features a “Dynamic Positioning” system so that it hovers over the seabed, no anchor ever touching the delicate ecosystem there.

In lieu of any plastic aboard at all, guests will be gifted a metallic reusable water bottle. This will be filled by reverse osmosis where sea water is turned into drinking water. This will eliminate the need for at least 17,000 plastic bottles. But before its first voyage, scheduled for later this year, Silver Origin made a most extraordinary voyage to come into being.

To build Silver Origin, Silversea selected a Dutch Shipyard 186 kilometers (115 miles) from the sea.

Shipyard De Hoop of the Netherlands has a 130-year history of building both inland and sea-going vessels. It is best known in the cruise world as a builder of river cruise ships. Silversea chose it for the building of Silver Origin on the basis of its focus on designing, engineering and craftsmanship in building custom vessels. But no one at De Hoop or Silversea could have ever imagined the incredible challenges that the Coronavirus pandemic posed to complete delivery of the ship.

Silver Origin takes shape at De Hoop in Lobith, Netherlands on the Waal River. Photo Courtesy Silversea Cruises.

 

Ingenuity, resilience and determination prevailed despite our darkest hours in recent history.

Four days after the global pandemic was proclaimed, the Netherlands went into lockdown. Due to the location of the shipyard in Lobith, a town on the Waal River that forms the border between Northern Germany and the Netherlands, its isolation was a blessing.

Over 250 people had been assigned to build Silver Origin. De Hoop offered its craftsmen the option to stop working or to remain on the job. Many had no choice but to return to their home countries and their families before the borders shut down. But 200 skilled workers opted to continue. For safety’s sake only 100 workers were kept on assignment.

Living in an on-site residential facility, De Hoop went even further than the rigorous protocol instituted by the Dutch Government. Daily temperature checks, enhanced cleaning procedures in the living quarters, the crew mess and throughout the ship itself were added to mandatory social distancing measures.

100 Craftsmen kept on building Silver Origin in the time of the Coronavirus. Photo Courtesy of Silversea.

 

Everything imaginable changed. And yet De Hoop persisted against all odds.

No meetings could be held, fewer people were allowed to work in each area of the ship, Video conferencing replaced face-to-face encounters. Flight cancellations meant contractors could not reach Lobith. The supply chain was cut off. Carpeting, furniture, the on-board Art Collection were all delayed. The complete shutdown of Italy meant the installation of the ship’s windows and galley was stopped in its tracks. And yet they persevered. The world around them may have stopped but De Hoop did not. Not one employee caught the virus and the team spirit never waned. If anything, it grew stronger.

Silver Origin’s Float Out was a month behind schedule due to low water levels on the Waal. Photo Courtesy of Silversea.

 

First a drought, then a flood before Silver Origin could make her run to the sea.

Low levels on the Waal River delayed the float out of Silver Origin from November to the end of December. Then January and February’s heavy rains led to high water levels that made passage under the 12 bridges spanning the Waal impossible. Finally, on March 26 th, a month later than originally planned, Silver Origin and Barge Rossini made the journey to Rotterdam for the long-awaited sea trials just four weeks away.

Silver Origin passes with high marks in a completely unique way.

Off the coast in the North Sea, from April 27 th to 29 th , the sea trials gave the Captain his first opportunity to put the ship through its paces. While the De Hoop shipbuilders were able to demonstrate the proper operation of the mechanical systems, one element had to done completely remotely by an expert 1800 kilometers (1100 miles) away.

The test of the ship’s Dynamic Positioning system, the one that allows the ship to remain within 10 cm. (3.9 inches) from a fixed point on the ocean floor, was remotely tuned and calibrated. Using a fast internet connection, with the ship’s Captain as his lookout, there was near instant communication between ship and shore. It was another first for De Hoop that amazingly took no longer than usual. In fact, it may now become an industry standard.

Silver Origin passed her Sea Trials with flying colors and an extraordinary collaboration. Photo Courtesy of Silversea.

 

The finishing touches are added before the ship sets sail to its final destination, Ecuador and the Galapagos.

At its heart, Silversea embodies “Italian whispered luxury” favored by Silversea’s founder, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, now its Executive Chairman. Generations of his family have sailed the seas, just as his brainchild, Silversea does today. Its ultra-luxury ships will soon number 10 sailing in supreme comfort and as they explore 900 ports on all 7 continents. For more information visit www.silversea.com

Find more informations, offers and Reviews of Silver Origin on Cruising Journal.

Monte Mathews

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