Leading the luxury segment with investment in innovation

Roberto Martinoli explains to Sandra Speares how Silversea Cruises is strengthening its position

Leading the luxury segment with investment in innovation
Silver Nova will introduce the next iterations of Silversea’s culinary programme S.A.L.T

By Sandra Speares |


Silversea Cruises, together with parent company Royal Caribbean Group, has long been committed to investing in innovation to create unforgettable experiences for guests and remain at the forefront of the ultra-luxury cruise industry. This will remain a key focus to ensure continued success in the future.  

“It is important that our growth enables us to offer guests even more immersive experiences in the world’s most enriching destinations, while maintaining our signature level of luxury and comfort,” says Roberto Martinoli, CEO of Silversea Cruises.  

“This requires us to go above and beyond the expectations of our loyal guests and new-to-cruise luxury travellers. We are focused on innovation, sustainability, and elevating the guest experience and these key areas will remain at the forefront of Silversea’s business operations to ensure that we continue to lead the way in ultra-luxury travel.”  

Martinoli shares an insight into how some of the newest ships and the innovative experiences Silversea plans to offer to guests in the coming years.  

“Silver Nova, set to join our fleet in 2023, and our future Nova-class ships exemplify how we are creating a new era of ultra-luxury cruising that prioritises both sustainability and the guest experience,” he says. “Silver Nova will be the world’s first low-emission cruise ship with advanced hybrid technology that includes fuel cells, enabling it to be free of local emissions at port. We are proud to mark that as an industry first.”  

Silversea’s industry-leading onboard service will continue to play a key role in the future too, adds Martinoli. “We proudly deliver a highly personalised service where every wish is anticipated and promptly delivered. Marking the next iteration of our unique take on luxury, Silver Nova will offer one of the most personalised services at sea, with a 1:1.3 crew-to-guest ratio and butler services for all suites. Privacy, exclusivity, safety and comfort have always ranked highly in individual needs for the luxury traveller and these core pillars will be enhanced aboard our newest ship. Silver Nova will be one of the most spacious cruise ships ever built when considering her space-to-guest ratio of 75gt per passenger. She will introduce the next iterations of our renowned culinary programme, S.A.L.T., and our Roman-inspired wellness programme, Otium.” 

Martinoli says that Silversea’s commitment to sustainability also focuses on reducing its environmental impact and preserving the very remote and beautiful locations that its ships visit, while actively enhancing destinations and communities. As part of this project, the company introduced the Silversea Fund for the Galapagos to safeguard the islands’ well-being through education. 

“Another of our top priorities is supporting and engaging our trade partners who are invaluable to us,” says Martinoli. “We remain focused on delivering a wealth of dedicated activities and support for our partners who work at the core of the industry. Most recently, we launched our Trade Appreciation Month initiative to thank our travel advisor partners.”  

With demand for ultra-luxury cruising has come an interest in expedition cruising. Travellers are increasingly keen to journey to remote destinations in comfort. In response to guests’ growing needs and desires, Silversea has invested heavily to cement its leading position in the ultra-luxury polar travel segment. One initiative was to form a strong collaboration with the authorities in Chile. 

“We became the first cruise line to introduce Puerto Williams, Chile, as our turnaround port for Antarctica voyages,” says Martinoli. “Guests sailing aboard Silver Cloud, Silver Explorer and our newly converted Silver Wind will enjoy more convenient flight times, personalised service during a private charter flight, and quicker transfers to the ship from Puerto Williams.”  

In addition, Silversea has strengthened its “destination leadership” with a fly-cruise programme – Antarctica Bridge. “It provides the fastest, most direct route to Antarctica, enabling guests to fly over the Drake Passage in European business-class comfort,” explains Martinoli. “We recently added three new fly-cruise Antarctica Bridge voyages for the 2023-2024 season, offering even more choice to guests.  

“We are on a trajectory of growth and we will continue to diversify our offering for our guests’ enjoyment as the leader in ultra-luxury cruising. We will keep pushing boundaries with new, immersive experiences across all seven continents, pioneering product enhancements, and sustainability-focused innovations.”  

This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2022 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.      

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