Two new ships on the way

March 16, 2007-  Silversea is expanding its luxury cruise operation. It has ordered a 36,000-ton, 540-guest vessel from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for delivery late 2009, with an option for a second.

The agreement with Fincantieri is conditional to final contract and financing, which is unlikely to be a problem.

Silversea chairman Manfredi Lefebvre, announcing the order, said:

"This is a very exciting time for our company as we are now poised to further develop our unique style of luxury travel with a new generation of ship design. Fincantieri is the ideal shipbuilder to craft our new luxury vessel that will carry on our tradition of being an innovator and trendsetter in ultra-luxury cruising."

Silversea president Amerigo Perasso added:

"This newbuild order shows great confidence in the luxury segment's potential for greater demand. Silversea will be well positioned to fully meet this future demand in North America and our international markets."

The newbuild order is the first for Silversea since 1998 when contracts for Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper were signed. The award-winning vessels entered into service in 2000 and 2001, respectively.

With the newbuild, Silversea's overall fleet capacity grows 40 per cent, from 1,356 berths to 1,896 berths.

The purchase price and design details about the new vessel have yert to be disclosed.