Silversea’s Silver Explorer to Sail Northwest Passage

It’s been an exciting week of news for ultra-luxury line Silversea.  They officially opened their new season of sailings to the Galapagos aboard the forthcoming Silver Galapagos for booking, introduced a brand-new fare structure, and unveiled their entire 2014 lineup.  Have a peek at it; there’s some absolutely stunning itineraries offered right across the fleet.

Silversea Expeditions’ Silver Explorer, at anchor off Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

But what interested me was where the line’s luxurious expedition pathfinder, the 132-guest Silver Explorer, was headed.  After experiencing firsthand the absolutely jaw-dropping, spine-tingling expedition product offered onboard this past May on a voyage around the British Isles, the Silver Explorer is in my blood.

Here’s the good news: they’ve crafted an astonishing season of luxury expeditions in 2014.

The supercool news: they’re sending Silver Explorer on a transit of the fabled Northwest Passage for the very first time, from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland to Nome, Alaska, in July 2014.

The bad news: it’s already waitlist-only.

If, like me, you just pounded your fist on your desk, looked up at the sky and screamed, “Nooooo!”, rather dramatically, I have good news for you: the itineraries that book-end this historic passage happen to be just as cool as the transit itself.

If you’re looking for a taste of exploration, Silver Explorer’s call on Providenya, Russia provides just that. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia / Creative Commons

Take, for instance, the drool-inducing Voyage 7419 from Nome to Otaru, Japan.  Departing September 1, 2014 from Nome, this exciting expedition features 17 days of cruising Russia’s Far East. But there’s more than just the usual call to Petropavlovsk in Russia’s Kamchatka region (in itself a rather cool place to visit): there are visits to ports of call that are just never, ever, offered on any other cruise line.

Have you heard of Provideniya, Russia? It is Silver Explorer’s first port of call after departing Nome, located just across the International Date Line and spectacularly close to Alaska. In 2010, less than 2,000 people called Provideniya – a former Soviet-era port city – home.  Nestled in the shadow of a large, barren mountain, this Russian settlement just screams “exploration.”

As nimble as Silver Explorer is, inflatable Zodiac rafts allow for shore landings in even the most remote places. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Much of Silver Explorer’s time is spent discovering remote inlets, bays and islands on her way to Korsakov, Japan.  If that doesn’t sound particularly Japanese, there’s good reason for that: the town has passed between Russian and Japanese rule for hundreds of years.

If remote polar exploration is your deal, Voyage 7417 from Reykjavik, Iceland to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland is sure to fit the bill. Departing Monday, July 28, 2014, the most fascinating ports of call in Iceland and Greenland await, including a day of cruising the spectacularly scenic Prince Christian Sound.

Of course, this is the Silver Explorer, so expect the unexpected: the ship’s dedicated team of Expedition Leaders and Staff will divert, detour, or even wake you up during the wee hours if something very, very special is going on outside.

In 2013, Silversea expands their expedition product with a full-time ship dedicated to sailing the Galapagos Islands: the aptly-named Silver Galapagos. Photo courtesy of Silversea.

The Northwest Passage might be wait-list only, but there’s still a world of luxurious exploration out there, waiting to be discovered – Silversea-style!

Get a taste of what an expedition aboard Silversea’s luxurious Silver Explorer is like by reading our Voyage Report from onboard as we journeyed from Portsmouth, England to Greenock, Scotland!