BLACKBOOK To cater for this demand, 13 new ocean ships as well as 13 river-cruise vessels will enter service this year. The figure for ocean cruises rises to 15 in 2018 and to 20 the following year. Adventure travel is also growing at a record speed and experiential voyages are set to be the next wunderkind of cruising. To keep pace, the industry is rolling out ships that offer a potent continuum of sleekly cool living and have established a completely novel paradigm of patrician comforts, whether they are bound for sojourns in the sun or heading not just off the beaten track, but to the edges of the beaten map. Cyberspace went into meltdown when Celebrity Cruises streamed the first of several reveals of the brand’s Edge Class vessels to the world earlier this year. Touted as the first ship to be designed entirely in 3-D, architectural rules have been rewritten to create an “outward-facing” aesthetic that breaks from traditional design and promises to be the envy of the business. Not to be outdone, Italian MSC Cruises has just released details of its World Class ships with a futuristic “Y”- shaped structure and “G” bow which is vertically positioned at a 90-degree angle. Undoubtedly, cruising is setting a course for a Brave New World and taking a bow, as the following nine pages clearly illustrate, starting with a head-to-head comparison between the most recent – and largest – ships by two purveyors of distinction, Silversea and Seabourn. ♦ SILVER MUSE NAVAL SHOWDOWN Silversea’s Silver Muse and the Seabourn Encore face off in a battle of boutique bateaux SEABOURN ENCORE Built in Genoa, Italy, by the Fincantieri shipyard. Completed in 2017, christened on 19 April in Monaco. Flag: the Bahamas Date of Birth Built in Marghera, Italy, by Fincantieri. Completed in 2016, christened on 7 January in Singapore. Flag: the Bahamas 213 metres long, 27 metres wide, maximum speed of 20 knots, 40,700 GRT Size 210 metres long, 28 metres wide, maximum speed of 15 knots, 40,350 GRT 596 guests, 411 crew members. 298 suites in nine categories By the Numbers 600 guests, 400 crew members. 300 suites in six categories Silver Muse is the ninth and largest ship in the Silversea fleet. In addition to Muse, the fleet includes the Wind, Shadow, Whisper and Spirit, as well as expedition vessels Explorer, Galapagos, Discoverer and Cloud Expedition Sister Ships Seabourn Encore is the fourth and largest ship in the Seabourn fleet. In addition to Encore, the fleet includes the Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest. Seabourn Ovation is scheduled to launch autumn 2018 Charismatic Cruiser Silversea’s latest – and largest – cruise ship, the Silver Muse, is the queen of the fleet THE SHIP Helmed by 43-year-old Alessandro Zanello – Silversea’s youngest captain – the ship shows off all of the company’s learning from its other vessels over the past 23 years. From the smallest cabin, the 31sq m » FILIPPO VINARDI 24 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM
