Silver Cloud

Silver Cloud is the original flagship of Silversea Cruises, the ship that launched the ultra-luxury line and helped define an entire category of small, all-suite luxury cruising. Built in Italy and delivered in 1994, the roughly 16,800-gross-ton vessel was the first of a founding pair, conceived by the Lefebvre family's Vlasov Group to offer an intimate, gracious alternative to larger luxury ships. From her debut she carried the hallmarks that would characterize the brand: spacious suites, most with private verandas, butler service throughout, and an exceptionally high ratio of space and crew to a small number of guests.

For over two decades Silver Cloud sailed as a classic ocean-going luxury ship, cruising the world's finest destinations and anchoring Silversea's reputation for refined, personal service. Then, in 2017, she became the first ship in the fleet to be converted into a dedicated expedition vessel, undergoing a comprehensive refit that ice-strengthened her hull and equipped her for exploration in polar and remote regions.

In her expedition configuration Silver Cloud carries about 240 guests, along with a large team of expedition staff and a fleet of Zodiacs for landings, while retaining the ultra-luxury suites and dining that distinguish her from more spartan expedition ships. That combination of polar capability and genuine opulence made her a pioneer of luxury expedition cruising and a template for the conversions and purpose-built expedition ships that followed.

Registered in Nassau, Bahamas, Silver Cloud sails luxury expedition itineraries that range from the ice of the polar regions to tropical waters, with recent deployments in Southeast Asia. She remains in active service, the founding ship of the Silversea fleet and a graceful survivor that has twice reinvented itself over three decades at sea.