PRINCE ALBERT II
NEW SILVERSEA EXPEDITION CRUISE SHIP
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Silversea Cruises purchased the 175-passenger World Discoverer and renamed it HSH Prince Albert II. "We felt there was a real need to have an expedition ship that lives up to the standard of Silversea," says Brad Ball, director corporate communications.
The name honors Prince Albert II of Monaco. His great great grandfather, Prince Albert I, first explored the Arctic Svalbard archipelago in the early 1900s, and later founded Monaco's Oceanographic Institute. In 2006, Prince Albert II traveled to the North Pole to raise awareness of global warming. The world headquarters of Silversea Cruises is in Monaco.
After a multi-million dollar renovation, the HSH Prince Albert II launched in June 2008. "We reduced the number of suites and enlarged them to create 66 ocean view staterooms," says Ball. Many staterooms and suites have private verandas.
All suites and staterooms have flat-screen televisions. In the ship's lounges, passengers can enjoy drinks, music and entertainment, as well as lectures by guest experts on high definition video screens.
Wi Fi access
Guests dine in a specialty restaurant and a single-seating main dining room. The ship also features a boutique shop, beauty salon, fitness center, sauna, spa and two Jacuzzi pools.
Passengers can use their WiFi-enabled laptops and PDAs for accessing the Internet and their e-mails, because Silversea's Prince Albert II boasts state-of-the-art satellite communications.
Wireless Internet access is available in staterooms and public areas, including the library, which has desktop computers and Internet access. Guests can use cell phones when the ship is at sea.
Exotic destinations
HSH Prince Albert II caters to travelers who want adventure travel combined with luxury suites, fine dining and five-star service. The expedition ship has a Lloyd's Register 1A ice-strengthened hull, so it can cruise in Antarctica and the Arctic. "Our challenge is finding destinations where other ships don't go," says Brad Ball.
Expeditions on the 6,072-ton ship include stimulating shore excursions and enrichment programs. Experts provide lectures on the culture, wildlife and history of the destinations that Prince Albert II visits. Eight new Zodiacs use Yamaha four-stroke engines to reduce emissions and allow passengers to explore remote and unspoiled areas of the world.
2008 voyages
HSH Prince Albert II cruises range from 10 to 21 days in length. The new Silversea expedition ship cruises to the Arctic Circle, Svalbard, Iceland and Greenland this summer. Between mid-August and November, Prince Albert II cruises from North America's east coast through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles. On the repositioning cruise to Ushuaia, passengers can explore the Sea of Cortez, the Galapagos, Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island.
Prices for HSH Prince Albert II cruises begin at $3,867 per person for double occupancy. The cost includes shore excursions and Silversea Cruises all-inclusive amenities.
Luxury expedition cruise
With a crew of 106, and only 132 passengers, the crew-to-guest ratio of Prince Albert II is similar to the service standards of the Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper.
The expedition ship brings the Silversea fleet to five ships in 2008, and six in 2009, when Silversea launches the Silver Spirit, a new 540-passenger ultra-luxury ship. The Silversea fleet cruises to the seven continents.
Silversea Cruises: www.silversea.com
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