Silversea Announces Lineup of Culinary and Wine Enriched Voyages

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With the importance of food in Italian culture you would expect dining to be a high priority at Silversea. And it most assuredly is. Moreover, gastronomic excellence is a given, thanks to our recipes that reflect heritage and revamp tradition. No matter where you dine, destination influence is readily apparent in the great diversity and freshness of your selections. And every ship also features an array of dining venues. The main dining room, The Restaurant, is an open-seating venue where you can dine whenever you please, and where impromptu dinners with new-found friends is a matter of course. After all, with our worldly crowd of international travellers, socialising is one of the things people love most about our luxury cruise ships. Per guest reservation fee for specialty restaurants. Please visit MySilversea to make your reservations.

Atlantide

Instantly recalling images of the sea in all her watery majesty, the Atlantides are the seven nymph daughters of Atlas. Creative muses, known for their wisdom and beauty, the sisters were granted immortality in the form of stars and can be seen today in the constellation of Taurus. Pivotal to Silver Muse dining experience, this elegant bar and grill incorporates the best that the sea has to offer. Created to temper your taste buds, designer dishes such as royal crab, blue lobster and Verbena infused red snapper in a sea salt crust are showcased alongside the best steaks offshore.

Indochine

Evoking a sense of exotic mystery, the Asian-accented Indochine embarks you on an exquisite journey of culinary discovery. Unlock the hidden treasures of the spice markets of Mumbai, whet your appetite with the exoticism of Thailand and temper your taste buds with the cuisine of Vietnam. Elegant and exquisite dishes bursting with Asian essence awaken your gastronomic senses and immerse you in an expansive tapestry of the palate. Savour the fusion of flavours of a vast continent that defies definition — in a stylish restaurant that pays homage to its delectable cuisine.

2024 Luxurious Brands and Ships

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The most luxurious brands and ships of 2024!

Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady (Photo: Virgin Voyages)

Cruise Critic has released its highlighting the best in cruising and cruise travel as selected by Cruise Critic’s international editorial team.

Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady claimed top honors this year as Best New Ship. The line’s first vessel, Scarlet Lady, charmed Cruise Critic’s editors enough that the vessel was awarded Best New Ship in 2021. Now, sister-ship Resilient Lady, which has just arrived Down Under for the season, sweeps to victory for the line once again.

Other winners in the Ocean Cruises category included Disney Cruise Line as Best for Families; Celebrity Cruises for Best Cabins; MSC Cruises for Best Nightlife; Holland America Line for Best Service and Carnival Cruise Line for Best Value for Money.

“This was a banner year for the cruise industry,” said Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic. “On Cruise Critic, we saw demand for cruises surpass pre-pandemic times, and a number of lines reported ships sailing at over 100% capacity. Cruising has always been a high-value vacation, but with costs of land- and air-based travel through the roof, the true value of a cruise really hit home this year.

“The value of a cruise doesn’t stop with mainstream sailings. From the fare inclusions on river and luxury sailings, to those on expedition sailings to farther-flung destinations like Antarctica and the Galapagos, you’d be hard-pressed to find a land-based vacation that delivers the experience and value that a cruise offers,” McDaniel said.

Cruise Critic has been releasing its highly anticipated Editors’ Picks Awards for 15 years. This year’s awards are the most thorough to date, naming winners across four key areas – Ocean, River, Luxury and Expedition.

This Year’s Awards Saw the Return of Best Ship Refurbishment

Crew assemble to welcome the first guests onboard Carnival Venezia

Main Atrium on Carnival Venezia (Photo: Adam Coulter)

Cruise Critic also brought back a heralded category in 2023: Best Ship Refurbishment, which went to the gorgeously decorated Carnival Venezia. The former Costa Venezia was refitted prior to entering service with Carnival Cruise Line, leaving it with a fascinating blend of Italian-style interior décor courtesy of the line’s longtime design guru Joe Farcus, along with a blend of Carnival favorites tweaked ever-so slightly.

Port Miami was named best North American Homeport thanks to an abundance of innovation and investment that has come out of the new and improved terminal structure and growing improvements to the passenger experience.

Cruise Critic’s 2023 Editors’ Picks Awards Include New Categories, a Return of Awards for River Cruises

American Serenade docked in Paducah, KY (Photo: Aaron Saunders)

Cruise Critic’s 2023 Editors’ Picks Awards is noteworthy for the return of the River Cruise awards for the first time since the global health pandemic shut down travel three years ago. In that category, river cruising giant Viking took top honors as the Best River Cruise Line, while the Best New River Cruise Ship was awarded, for the first time, to an American river cruise ship – American Cruise Lines’ American Serenade.

Other winners in the River Category included AmaWaterways for Best for Active Cruisers, Avalon for Best Cabins, Riverside for Dining and Tauck for Enrichment.

Silversea Scoops Best Luxury Cruise Line

Silver Nova sails under a blue sky. (Photo: Silversea)

In the Luxury Cruise category, Silversea Cruises was named Best Luxury Cruise Line, thanks to its tireless dedication to service, its modern fleet, and continually innovative offerings. Its Silver Nova was Cruise Critic’s pick for Best New Luxury Ship, while Oceania snapped up Best Dining. The luxury category even held a bit of nostalgia, as restarted (and beloved) brand Crystal took two categories: Best Service and Best for Solo Travelers.

(Credit: Scenic Cruises)

Finally, the Expedition Cruise market continues to expand and mature at a rapid pace. Some of the most hotly deliberated categories were found here, but Cruise Critic’s editors came to consensus: Scenic Eclipse II was named

Best New Expedition Ship, while Quark, Seabourn, Silversea, Viking and UnCruise Adventures, among others, walked away with honors this year.

One thing that was apparent for the entire editorial team in selecting this year’s winners was how close many of these categories were for the ships and lines in the running. Few were easy choices – and that’s good for cruisers. With cruise lines of all shapes and sizes delivering stellar experiences across the oceans and rivers of the world, it’s never been a better time to take a cruise.

The Full 2023 Cruise Critic Editor’s Picks Awards List

Best New Ship: Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady
Best Ship Refurbishment: Carnival Venezia
Best Cabins: Celebrity Cruises
Best Dining: Virgin Voyages
Best Entertainment: Virgin Voyages
Best for Families: Disney Cruise Line
Best Innovation/Tech: Princess Cruises
Best for LGBTQ+ Travelers: Virgin Voyages
Best Nightlife: MSC Cruises
Best Service: Holland America Line
Best for Solo Travelers: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Spa: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Specialty Dining: Norwegian Cruise Line
Best Suites: Royal Caribbean International
Best Suite Complex: MSC Cruises
Best Value for Money: Carnival Cruise Line
Best App: Royal Caribbean International
Best North American Homeport: Miami

Luxury Category

Best Luxury Cruise Line: Silversea Cruises
Best New Luxury Ship: Silver Nova
Best Cabins: Viking Cruises
Best Dining: Oceania
Best Enrichment: Windstar Cruises
Best Itineraries: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Best Service: Crystal
Best Shore Excursions: Oceania Cruises
Best for Solo Travelers: Crystal
Best Spa: Viking Cruises
Best Value for Money: Emerald Yacht Cruises

Expedition Category

Best New Expedition Ship: Scenic Eclipse II
Best for Adventure: Quark Expeditions
Best Cabins: Seabourn Cruise Line
Best Dining: Scenic
Best for Light Expedition: Viking Cruises
Best for Luxury: Silversea Expeditions
Best Science Offerings: Hurtigruten
Best Service: Silversea Expeditions
Best Spa: Viking Cruises
Best Value for Money: Atlas
Best in Alaska: UnCruise Adventures
Best in Antarctica: Scenic
Best in the Arctic: Ponant Cruises
Best in the Galapagos: Lindblad Expeditions

River Category

Best River Cruise Line: Viking Cruises
Best New River Cruise Ship: American Cruise Lines’ American Serenade
Best for Active Cruisers: AmaWaterways
Best Cabins: Avalon Waterways
Best Dining: Riverside Luxury Cruises
Best Enrichment: Tauck River Cruising
Best for Families: Adventures by Disney/AmaWaterways
Best for First-Timers: Viking Cruises
Best for Luxury: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Best Service: Viking Cruises
Best for Solo Travelers: Avalon Waterways
Best Value for Money: Emerald River Cruises

Seychelles Ultra Luxury ( Land and Sea)

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Experience the Seychelles in Luxury

If you’re in need of a phenomenal island getaway, there’s no better place to head than to the Seychelles islands. You can find plenty of adventure at this fantastic destination, and of course breathtaking scenery everywhere you look. Are you dreaming of an adventurous trip full of luxurious touches? Check out some of our favorite luxury trips to the Seychelles.

Explore our list of 17 cruises

Zanzibar, Aldabra & the treasures of the Indian Ocean-Zanzibar.jpg

Considered to be heaven on earth, the Seychelles archipelago actually contains 115 dots of land, some of which remain totally unspoilt and devoid of human activity. With tropical forests, white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, breathtaking sea beds and giant tortoises, the Seychelles ecosystem delights travellers looking to spend time in the last-remaining earthly paradises.

Seychelles: Jewel of the Indian Ocean

The softness of the trade winds, the turquoise of the ocean, the shimmer of the verdant vegetation… the incredible beauty of the islands in the Indian Ocean is striking. During an all-new 14-day expedition cruise aboard Le Jacques-Cartier, time stands still and, between the island country of Madagascar and the Mascarene Archipelago, nature will plunge you into a dream.

Zanzibar, Aldabra & the treasures of the Indian Ocean-Depositphotos_8545032_l-2015_resize_Assomption.jpg

Create Your Own Luxury Seychelles Adventure

You don’t have to do a guided tour if that’s not your style. If you want to explore on your own, there is plenty of fun to be had on the islands. If you love hiking, be sure to visit Spiagge di Anse Marron to explore the quiet beach and hike the challenging but fun trail. While in the capital of Victoria, head to Morne Seychelles National Park to take in all of the incredible beauty. If you want to do some diving while in Seychelles, Aldabra Atoll is one of the best spots.

Adventure-Worthy Activities in Africa

Adventure, Africa

From deserts to exotic lagoons, Africa is home to several adventure-worthy destinations and offers an abundance of unique experiences for all types of travelers. Several major cruise lines send luxury cruise ships to Namibia, Cape Town, and other destinations around Africa on a multi-night voyage where you can look forward to everything from safari excursions to tours of historic sites on your journey. Here are some unique and exciting activities to enjoy on a cruise in Africa:

Tour of Cape Town

An MSC Cruise to South Africa will take you to Cape Town, the perfect place to enjoy a picnic on the beach, head off on a mountain biking adventure, or explore some of the Georgian and Victorian buildings littered around the urban district. From museum and mosque tours to seeing the indigenous Cape Dutch style buildings in person, Cape Town is a must-visit destination on any cruise to South Africa.

Backcountry and City Explorations

Plan a luxury cruise to the African backcountry and Cape Town with Azamara Club Cruises. The itinerary could include a trip to Zanzibar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, off-the-beaten-path destinations in Madagascar, and opportunities to see exotic wildlife and charming cities throughout the region. A Micato Safari is the perfect opportunity to see indigenous wildlife and plants along the way.

Desert Tour in Namibia

For the ultimate luxury cruise adventure, hop aboard the Cunard Queen Victoria to discover the beauty of Namibia, also known as the ‘Diamond of Africa’. You’ll venture through sand dunes around the Namib Desert and get to explore the lagoons of Walvis Bay. The Living Desert excursion includes a guided tour of the desert around Walvis Bay to spot endangered species and catch a glimpse of the Palmato Gecko.

Tour the Monte Cafe Coffee Plantation

The Silverseas Silver Cloud ship drops anchor near the island of Sao Tome on a luxury cruise all down the west coast of Africa. This part of the journey on the Cape Town to Accra trip includes a guided excursion through the capital city of Sao Tome, swimming in the pools around the Sao Nicolau waterfalls, and heading up to the mountains for a tour of the famous Monte Cafe coffee plantation.