What’s Silver Endeavour Really Like? We Show You
After a week aboard Silver Endeavour, which made its Silversea debut in Antarctica in November 2022, it’s clear that it’s not just a lovely ultra-luxury expedition vessel. It’s also the most comfortable possible home for intrepid polar explorers. Beyond all of this, let’s just say that Silver Endeavour is a game-changer. It exudes a sense of space. The expedition areas (and you’ll come to appreciate a really well-designed mud room, trust me) are superb. Ultimately, these amenities are a backdrop to exploring, in safety and comfort, the world’s most rugged places.
We’ve teamed up with Silversea President Barbara Muckermann to show off Silver Endeavour. Join Barbara on a video tour through its suites and spa, restaurants, bars and lounges, outdoor deck spaces and expedition venues.
And, having traveled to Antarctica in November to experience the destination and Silver Endeavour, I weigh in with some observations. Silver Endeavour is a beautiful way to complement the experience you have when exploring Antarctica, in this case, and the Arctic and Northern Europe, where the ship is currently spending the 2023 summer season. This is not like any other cruise you’ve ever taken. It’s rigorous and adventurous, and when you get back onboard, you’ve definitely earned some pampering.
Landings in Antarctica and the Arctic are physically demanding (and emotionally uplifting, but that’s another story). Having creature comforts awaiting at the end of each experience ashore makes for a special vacation. There are multiple restaurants, a spa, a well-equipped gym with fitness classes. Every suite has a butler (and in this case, besides polishing your shoes or ironing an outfit, he or she will keep your gear clean and dry).
There’s an indoor pool, covered in lofty glazing, and an outdoor whirlpool, where you’ll feel the atmosphere from the comfort of its warm waters. Onboard, you’re pampered just like any other cruise destination on Silversea. The contrast between the land and the ship experience feels just right.
Silver Endeavour: restaurants, bars and lounges
As Barbara walks us through the options of venues for eating, drinking and, frankly, just relaxing after an vigorous day on the Antarctic Peninsula, a couple of highlights have stayed with me.
The Observation Lounge: At any time of the day or night (whether you’re in the Antarctic in the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, or the Arctic in the Northern Hemisphere in its summer, because there’s daylight most of the time. It’s a wonderful place to suss out the view around you and is low-key and quiet during the day.
It was our go-to before dinner and sometimes after, when a pianist played show tunes and other popular music as we absorbed the sky-scraping mountains we passed. A tip: If you want to breathe in the icy, pure air, check out the forward-facing deck off the Observation Lounge.
Where to Dine: From a restaurant perspective, La Dame, Silversea’s classic French restaurant, is definitely a special meal. More regularly, we found that The Grill feels like a lofty, airy conservatory (that happens to have a pool in the center). It has buffet options at breakfast and lunch and a menu at dinner and was a popular spot. There are tables on two levels, and the views are magnificent.
One hint: At lunch and dinner, you can order a “special,” and it’s always great comfort food. The pool and the hot tub, tucked beneath floor-to-ceiling glazed windows to the outside, are typically covered during meal times but open at other times in the day; check the Chronicle for the schedule.
On days when long, leisurely breakfasts were encouraged — and there were those days — we loved the Restaurant, which has everything you could possibly want, and also the signature grilled peaches with honey that Silversea offers on all ships. It’s often open for lunch and always for dinner, no reservations are needed.
Definitely don’t miss a meal at Il Terrazzino. Inspired by Silversea’s popular La Terrazza, its Italian restaurant, this “little terrace” features a smaller menu at dinner, but you’ll find your favorites there.
And the Arts Cafe, a new addition to Silversea on Silver Moon and Silver Dawn, is even more special on Silver Endeavour. Besides a lovely spread of culinary options (breakfast through to afternoon tea, until 6 p.m.) it has a full bar – and great views of the outside, along with a warming fireplace. It’s a lovely spot for afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream.
Room service is available 24 hours, and every now and then, it was the perfect option.
Silver Endeavour: suites and spa
Silversea’s all-suite accommodations means every stateroom has a balcony – and a butler. They’re also larger than you typically find on polar itineraries. And here’s a tip: We didn’t expect to use our balcony much, but Antarctica wasn’t as cold as we expected (on typical days temperatures were around 32, Fahrenheit and it gets warmer as you move into prime summer season) and often the balconies and the ship protected us from the wind. We never breakfasted on our veranda (the living room with an expandable table in our deluxe veranda was right by the sliding balcony doors) but we often darted out there to enjoy the views.
Following the ship’s inaugural Antarctica season, Silver Endeavour goes into dry dock at Genoa’s San Giorgio del Porto, to get some new additions. From an accommodations standpoint, Silversea will establish two new suite categories: the Master and Signature suites. The pair of 1,163 square ft. Master suites will feature large living and dining areas, separate bedrooms and a roomy bathroom with a whirlpool tub and shower. The verandah itself measures 312 square ft.
There will also be four new Signature suites (ranging from 721 square ft. to 850 square ft.) with separate living and sleeping spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, and verandahs ranging from 167 square ft. to 269 square ft.
Otium Spa: My biggest question about Silver Endeavour’s Otium Spa, the third in this Silversea concept that promotes indulgence instead of sacrifice, was this: When will we have the time? We managed. And don’t miss out on a visit to the sauna, with its window open to the outside – and to always changing, always fascinating views.
Fitness Center: Onboard Silver Endeavour, the fitness center is much bigger than you’d ever expect for a ship plying Antarctica and the Arctic. You get great workouts on the landings, on the hikes and in the kayaks and such. Anyone who has another regimen, however, will find classes and equipment.
Silver Endeavour: expedition spaces
The Study: During quiet times onboard – before the first landing of the day, during the lunch break and before each night’s expedition presentation – the Study on Deck 8 just across the hall from the gorgeous, cozy library is where the expedition staff gathers. Sometimes there are formal presentations; other times it’s an open space for whatever questions you may have. Don’t miss the amazing selection of books on Antarctica.
The mud room was like a magic tunnel, transitioning you from your luxury suite and its creature comforts to kicking you into the mindset of being a polar explorer
The Explorers Lounge: The lounge quickly became one of our favorite rituals each night before dinner because that’s where all of us would gather for cocktails, hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, and fantastic presentations by the expedition team. We would start with recaps of the day ashore, complete with fabulous, candid visuals the expedition team members had taken (and you would always see something there that you somehow had missed).
Also key: The team leader, in our case Marieke Egan, would give us a brief look at what tomorrow might bring. I say might because every stop depends on decent weather, conditions at the landing, and not-too-roiling seas. The priorities are to give you an awesome experience ashore or on a Zodiac and to keep you safe.
Most nights, a handful of expedition lecturers would give 10-minute presentations on an aspect of the Antarctic related to their specialties, such as ornithology, maritime history or marine mammals. If you want to catch these, try to make sure you don’t plan to head to dinner before 7:15 p.m.
The Mud Room: A purely functional room, the mud room is where you store your boots, get ready for landings or remove your outdoor gear after returning. It definitely was more than functional for me; the mud room was like a magic tunnel, transitioning you from your luxury suite and its creature comforts to kicking you into the mindset of being a polar explorer. Returning to Endeavour, you prepared to head in the opposite direction. As well as the anticipation of the next landing, I also loved the camaraderie of fellow passengers (most of whom you get to know because you travel the entire voyage with a color group that tends to go together).
The boots are stored on pegs that have heaters that dry them. There’s a marvelous contraption that helps you toe-off your boots, and a waiter is always on hand, just as you head back to your suite, with a tray of hot drinks.
Curious to learn more about Silver Endeavour? And stay tuned for new stories, debuting regularly.
Editor’s Note: Following Silver Endeavour’s refurbishment in Genoa, she will undertake two voyages in the British Isles and Iceland, before embarking upon her inaugural Arctic season from June 3, with nine voyages set to include many of the Polar Region’s most remote destinations, including Pond Inlet, Cape York, and Qaanaaq, among others.