Silver Endeavour

Last updated

Silver Endeavour - Gerlache Strait - Antarctica - V-P.jpg
Silver Endeavour in Gerlache Strait - Antarctica
History
Civil Ensign of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas
Name
  • 2021–2022: Crystal Endeavor
  • 2022: Silver Endeavour
Namesake HMS Endeavour
Operator
Port of registry2021–present: Nassau, Civil Ensign of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas
OrderedAugust 19, 2016
Builder MV Werften
Cost€ 350 million
Laid downFebruary 9, 2018
LaunchedDecember 22, 2019
ChristenedJune 26, 2021 [1] by Manuela Schwesig
CompletedJune 29, 2021
Maiden voyageJuly 17, 2021
Identification
General characteristics
Type Megayacht
Tonnage20,449  GT
Length164.5 m
Decks10 decks
Ice class Polar Class 6
Installed power4 ×  Wärtsilä 6L32E/E2 (4 × 13,020 kW kW)
Propulsion Diesel-electric; two ABB Azipod D propulsion units [2]
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Capacity200 passengers
Crew209 crew
Notes [3] [4]

Silver Endeavour (formerly Crystal Endeavor) is a cruise ship operated by Silversea Cruises. Originally built for Crystal Cruises by MV Werften in Stralsund, Germany, she was laid down in 2018 and completed in June 2021. She is the world's largest ice class expedition yacht, bearing a Polar Class rating of PC6.

Contents

Concept and construction

Following the success of Crystal Esprit, the Crystal Cruises built the world's first purpose-built Polar Class megayacht for the luxury cruise market. Her namesake is HMS Endeavour, Captain James Cooks' research ship, which discovered Australia and New Zealand; and the new vessel was designed for global expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic as well as in tropical conditions. [5] The ship included first-of-its-kind features for a cruise line including a U-Boat Worx Cruise Sub 7-300, and a remote-operated vehicle with an underwater camera to feed images back to screens in suites. [6] While also being the world's largest ice-class megayacht gaining a PC6 rating. [7]

On June 26, 2021, she was christened at MV Werften shipyard, by Manuela Schwesig prime minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. [8]

Crystal Cruises

The ship's maiden voyage began July 17, 2021, with a 10-night circumnavigation of Iceland. [9]

Crystal Endeavor's focus was on Arctic voyages to Iceland, calling at Westfjords in Patreksfjörður, the Arctic Circle on Grímsey Island, and Zodiac cruising in Djúpivogur, along with Antarctic voyages within the Antarctic Peninsula. [10] [11] During her first year she also visited the Faroe Islands as well as the Orkney and Shetland Islands and Fair Isle in Scotland; then a Caribbean season before heading for Antarctica. [12]

Following the collapse of parent company Genting Hong Kong in January 2022, Crystal Endeavor completed her last Antarctic cruise in February, at Ushuaia, Argentina and was then laid up at Montevideo, Uruguay under arrest. [13] [14] In March she was moved to Gibraltar for judicial auction. [15]

On June 14, 2022, it was first announced that Crystal Endeavor had been apparently sold to Silversea Cruises. In the weeks prior, Silversea had trademarked the names "Silver Endeavor" and "Silver Endeavour".[ citation needed ] However, it was further reported on June 28, that both The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and the former owners of Silversea, Heritage Cruise Holding (which recently purchased Crystal's two ocean-going cruise ships and the entire brand) were still interested in purchasing the vessel as well, with the former submitting the highest bid. Royal Caribbean had yet to confirm or deny if they had made the purchase at that time. [16]

Silversea Cruises

On Monday July 18, 2022, Royal Caribbean Group announced they received court approval to buy the "ultra-luxury" megayacht Crystal Endeavor for $275 million. The company said the purchase was being made "significantly below" the cost of construction, with the purchase fully financed through a 15-year term loan. The megayacht would be renamed Silver Endeavour when it officially joined the fleet of Royal Caribbean's Silversea Cruises. [17] [18] Prior to her maiden voyage it was intended to refit the ship, but due to scheduling and supply chain issues, only minor modifications were made with venue names and signage. Following the Antarctic season it is intend to refit the ship which and bring several substantial changes to the Silver Endeavour including: converting the casino will into crew cabins and an infirmary, removing the current infirmary and converting into four balcony suites, and removing the helicopter bay on Deck 8, and remodeling it into six suites, since Silversea has no plans to utilize the two helicopters that Crystal had on order for the ship. [19]

The Silver Endeavour was christened in Antartica on November 19, 2022 by godmother Felicity Aston MBE, a polar explorer and climate scientist. This was the first ship ever to be named in the Lemaire Channel, with an ice-sculpted magnum bottle smashed against the hull. [20] The maiden voyage under Silversea was scheduled for November 28, 2022. [21]

Related Research Articles

Crystal Cruises is an American cruise line. It was founded in 1988 by Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kaisha, and sold to Hong Kong-headquartered conglomerate Genting Hong Kong in 2015. Following insolvency in 2022, the Crystal Cruises brand and two cruise ships were bought by A&K Travel Group, to recommence operations in 2023, with headquarters in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The new company has announced major refurbishments and enhancements for the two ships in a Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste, Italy, including increasing the number of butler suites and reducing guest capacity, and resumed service in July 2023 with shore excursions organized by Abercrombie & Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Caribbean Group</span> Cruise holding company

Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is a global cruise holding company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Florida. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & plc. As of March 2024, Royal Caribbean Group fully owns three cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises with 65 ships in the current fleet and 5 ships on order until 2028. They also hold a 50% stake in TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swan Hellenic</span> British cruise line

Swan Hellenic is a British cruise line specialising in expedition tours of historical or cultural interest aimed at the upper end of the cruise market. Swan Hellenic was first established as Swan's Tours in the 1950s as a tour operator carrying guests to historic sites, providing enrichment throughout their trips. In 1983, Swan Hellenic was acquired by P&O and became a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc in 2003, but it ended operations in 2007 after Carnival discontinued the brand. Shortly after, All Leisure Holidays Group purchased and revived Swan Hellenic, but ended its operations in 2017. G Adventures acquired the brand later that year and planned to revive it for a second time in 2018, but sold the brand to a private group in 2020, which plans to resume Swan Hellenic's operations with its first-ever new-build ship in 2021.

<i>Crystal Serenity</i> Cruise ship built in 2003

Crystal Serenity is a cruise ship owned by Crystal Cruises. Crystal Serenity was built in 2003 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in St. Nazaire. She operated together with her older fleetmate, Crystal Symphony, offering around the world voyages.

Silversea is an ultra-luxury and expedition travel brand headquartered in Monaco. Founded in 1994 by the Vlasov Group of Monaco and the Lefebvre family of Rome, it pioneered all-inclusive cruising with its first ship, Silver Cloud. Since July 2020, it has been owned by Royal Caribbean Group.

<i>Silver Explorer</i> Expedition ship

Silver Explorer is an expedition ship operated by Silversea Cruises. The ship typically hosts cruises to Norway, the South Pacific, and Antarctica. It is the first ship of Silversea involved in expedition cruising.

MS <i>Ambition</i> Cruise ship operated by Ambassador Cruise Line

The MS Ambition is a cruise ship operated by Ambassador Cruise Line. Completed in France as Mistral for Festival Cruises in 1999, She sailed between 2005 and 2019 as Grand Mistral with Ibero Cruises and Costa neoRiviera with Costa Cruises. The ship was in service with AIDA Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, until her sale in 2022 to Ambassador Cruise Line, who renamed her Ambition, commencing sailing in May 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio</span> Italian businessman (born 1953)

Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio is an Italian-born Monegasque billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and former owner of Silversea Cruises, a company founded by his father. In June 2018, he sold two-thirds of the company to Royal Caribbean for US$1 billion, retaining a one-third stake in the company. As of August 2023, his net worth was estimated at US$1.6 billion.

MS <i>Rotterdam</i> (2021) Cruise ship

MS Rotterdam is a Pinnacle-class cruise ship operated by Holland America Line (HAL), a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. Originally named Ryndam in development, she was renamed Rotterdam in July 2020 during construction to honor the name's legacy in the cruise line's history after six previous vessels in HAL's fleet bore the name. Rotterdam is the third of HAL's Pinnacle class in the fleet built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and follows older sister ships Koningsdam (2016) and Nieuw Statendam (2018). Two years after the first steel was cut in March 2019 to commence construction, she was delivered in July 2021 and began operating in October 2021.

<i>Crystal Esprit</i>

Crystal Esprit is a cruise ship previously operated by Crystal Cruises. Built by Flender Werft in Lübeck, Germany, she was laid down in 1988 and floated out as Lady Diana in 1989. She was completed in December 1991 as Aurora I. She and sister ship Aurora II were purchased by Star Cruises in 1994. Aurora I was renamed Megastar Taurus and served from 1994 until being laid up in 2008.

<i>Celebrity Edge</i> Edge-class cruise ship

Celebrity Edge is an Edge-class cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. After the new vessel was ordered with French shipbuilder STX France in December 2014, her keel was laid in June 2017 and she was floated out in January 2018. Upon delivery in October 2018, at 130,818 GT, she became the lead ship of the Edge class and the largest ship by gross tonnage to have joined the Celebrity fleet.

Silver Muse

Silver Muse is a cruise ship owned by Silversea Cruises. It was constructed by Fincantieri in Genoa and joined the company's fleet in April 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MV Werften</span> Hong Kong-German shipbuilder

MV Werften was a Hong Kong–German shipbuilding company that operated three facilities in eastern Germany to construct cruise ships for parent company Genting Hong Kong.

<i>Celebrity Flora</i> Expedition vessel

Celebrity Flora is an expedition cruise ship operated by Islas Galápagos Turismo y Vapores C.A., a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group, and exclusively sails along the Galápagos Islands. Built by Shipyard De Hoop of the Netherlands and delivered in 2019, she is the first new expedition ship built for Celebrity Cruises and is the largest vessel by gross tonnage to operate in the region.

<i>Carnival Firenze</i> Cruise ship

Carnival Firenze is a Vista-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Originally commissioned for the Chinese market, she debuted as Costa Firenze for sister brand Costa Cruises, but was never deployed to Asia following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cruise travel in China. Named after Florence, the 135,156 gross tonnage (GT)-vessel was constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in Marghera and delivered in December 2020.

<i>Wonder of the Seas</i> Oasis-class cruise ship

Wonder of the Seas is the flagship of Royal Caribbean International. She was completed in 2022 in the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, the fifth in Royal Caribbean's Oasis class of cruise ships. At 235,600 GT, she was the largest cruise ship by gross tonnage, until she was surpassed by the new Icon class ship, Icon of the Seas, also owned by Royal Caribbean International.

<i>Enchanted Princess</i> Cruise ship

Enchanted Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Princess finalized the order for its fifth Royal-class ship in 2016 from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and her keel was laid down on 14 February 2019 in Monfalcone. Originally expected to be delivered in June 2020, the ship was hampered by construction delays after Fincantieri's operations were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was delivered three months later, on 30 September 2020. After a year-long pause in operations amid the pandemic's impact on tourism, Princess inaugurated the ship's operations on 10 November 2021, when she set sail on her maiden voyage.

<i>Discovery Princess</i> Cruise ship

Discovery Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. The 145,000 GT-vessel was ordered in January 2017 with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and her steel-cutting was performed on 14 February 2019 in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy.

<i>Seabourn Venture</i> Cruise ship

Seabourn Venture is an ultra-luxury expedition cruise ship operated by Seabourn Cruise Line. The ship's hull was built built by the CIMAR Shipyard in San Giorgio di Nogaro and outfitted at T. Mariotti in Genoa. Its keel was laid in December 2019 and in March 2021 the hull was towed to Genoa to be completed. Sea trials began in April 2022 and the ship was delivered to Seabourn Cruise Line on 28 June 2022 in Genoa. It is Carnival Corporation's first expedition cruise ship.

<i>Silver Nova</i>

Silver Nova is a luxury cruise ship, the 12th ship in service with Silversea Cruises. She was ordered in 2018 and completed in 2023. Nova is the first ship in the company's new Evolution-class, and designed with the intent of environmentally friendly cruising. It is the first hybrid luxury cruise ship, powered by a combination of liquefied natural gas (LNG), fuel cell system, and batteries, enabling it to be emissions free when in port. The ship was built at a Meyer Werft in Germany, featuring a unique asymmetrical design.

References

  1. "Crystal Expedition Cruises Christens Crystal Endeavor". Crystal Cruises. June 26, 2021.
  2. "Crystal Endeavor Completes Final Sea Trial In Latest Milestone for the New Luxury Expedition Yacht". Crystal Cruises. May 21, 2021.
  3. "CRYSTAL ENDEAVOR". DBV. June 29, 2021.
  4. "Crystal Endeavor". MVWerften. July 20, 2021.
  5. "Crystal Cruises Announces The World's Largest Megayacht "Crystal Endeavor"". Cision. March 14, 2016.
  6. "CRYSTAL ENDEAVOR". CrystalCruises. July 20, 2021.
  7. "Crystal Endeavor". MVWerften. July 20, 2021. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022.
  8. "Crystal Endeavor christened by Crystal Expedition Cruises". CruiseandFerry. June 29, 2021.
  9. "Guests Embark Crystal Endeavor in Reykjavík for Maiden Voyage". CruiseIndustryNews. July 18, 2021.
  10. Crystal Expedition Cruises | Crystal Endeavor , retrieved January 10, 2022
  11. "Crystal Expedition Cruises | Crystal Endeavor". Youtube. Crystal Cruises. July 20, 2021. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019.
  12. Kalosh, Anne (August 19, 2021). "Crystal Symphony to sail Caribbean this winter, Endeavor sets US debut". Seatrade Crews News. Colchester. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  13. "Crystal Cruises Shutting Down; V.Ships To Manage Ships". Cruise Industry News. February 8, 2022.
  14. Kalosh, Anne (February 5, 2022). "Crystal Cruises ships under arrest in Freeport, Endeavor has departed Ushuaia". Seatrade Cruise News. Colchester. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  15. Kalosh, Anne (March 29, 2022). "Auctions ahead for Dream, Star, Crystal Cruises ships (updated)". Seatrade Cruise News. Colchester. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  16. "Ritz-Carlton and Crystal Cruises still interested in Crystal Endeavor". June 28, 2022.
  17. Kilgore, Tomi (July 18, 2022). "Royal Caribbean to buy Endeavor cruise ship at 'significantly below' construction cost". Marketwatch. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  18. Kline, Daniel (July 19, 2022). "Royal Caribbean Makes a Huge Purchase and a Kind Gesture" . Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  19. "First Call: Silversea brings small changes to Endeavour, for now". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  20. "Silversea Christens New Ship Silver Endeavour in Antarctica". www.silversea.com. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  21. Oliver, Jorge. "Silversea Buys Crystal Endeavor; Ship to Become Silver Endeavour - Cruise Critic". CruiseCritic. Retrieved July 18, 2022.