Silversea unveils second expedition ship

Silversea has announced Silver Galapagos as the name for its second small-sized expedition ship, which is currently sailing as the Galapagos Explorer II. The new name signals the company’s intent to maintain a consistent level of elegance throughout its fleet, and will take effect after the all-suite, 100-guest vessel undergoes a major refurbishment in September 2013. In a related move, the hull of the Galapagos Explorer II has already been painted the same dark blue as Silver Explorer, the company’s other expedition ship. According to officials, Silver Galapagos will be the only luxury expedition ship “offering socially and environmentally responsible eco-tourism”to the Galápagos archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This enables Silversea to broaden its portfolio of expedition cruises tailored to tap into the rising interest in green tourism. Silversea has also revealed that it will start selling its 2013 Galápagos program in mid-November, offering two new seven-day itineraries that will begin operating in late September 2013 as follows: Sailing Saturday to Saturday roundtrip from Baltra Island, Silver Galapagos will trace a path across the western, southern and eastern islands, including Santiago, Bartolomé, Isabela, Fernandina, Floreana, San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz; and sailing Saturday to Saturday roundtrip from Baltra Island, this itinerary encompasses the northeast, central and southeast islands of Santa Cruz, Genovesa, Seymour Norte, San Cristóbal, Española, and Plazas Sur.