Silver Cloud (ship)

This article is about the cruise ship. For other uses, see Silver Cloud (disambiguation).

Silver Cloud
History
OperatorSilversea Cruises
Port of registryNassau,  Bahamas
BuilderCantieri Navali Visentini (hull) T. Mariotti (completion)
Yard number775
Launched6 March 1993
ChristenedEugenia Beck Lefebvre D'Ovidio (founders wife)
Maiden voyage2 April 1994
Identification
StatusIn Service
General characteristics
TypeCruise ship
Tonnage16,800 GT[1]
Length514 ft (157 m)[2]
Beam71 ft (22 m)
Decks9 total, 6 for passengers
Ice classice class rating of 1C
Speed18 knots (33 km/h)
Capacity296 passengers
Crew222

Silver Cloud is a small luxury cruise ship operated by Silversea Cruises. She is Silversea's first ship and entered service in 1994. Her sister ship is the Silver Wind, launched in 1995.[3]

Silver Cloud currently sails on luxury expedition focused cruises for Silversea.

History

Silver Cloud departing Southampton 2011 in old livery

Silver Cloud and her sister initial planning began in 1991 betweenAntonio Lefebvre d'Ovidio and V Ships, both who had been in a partnership together for Sitmar Cruises.[4]

They hired ship designer Petter Yran from Yran & Storbraaten.[5] The ships were intended to be luxuruies, with 75% with verandahs, something that was unheard of at that time in the cruise industry.[4]

The Silver Cloud's hull was constructed at Cantiere Navale Visentini Shipyard near Venice, Italy, and then towed to T. Mariotti for completion of the rest of the ship. The name Silver Cloud, named after the famed Rolls Royce, was chosen the cruise line's Chairman and former owner, Manfredi Lefebvre D’Ovidio, to signal to guests that they could expect top-class service.[6]

The ships's christening ceremony was in Monte Carlo on March 30, 1994. Prince Albert of Monaco attended, and the ships as named by Silversea co founders wifeEugenia Beck Lefebvre D'Ovidio.[4]

The Silver Cloud has been home to both the United States men's and women's national basketball teams during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.[7]

Silver Cloud formerly sailed on European itineraries (both the North Sea and the Mediterranean) in summer. In winter, she cruised in the Caribbean and South America.[3]

Silver Cloud moored with HMS Belfast at Tower Bridge
Silver Cloud in original dark hull expedition livery and added zodiacs to upper decks.

In 2017, the ship underwent a comprehensive rebuild to bring her up to ice class, with the addition of a fleet of zodiacs added to the tops decks.[8] The interiors also received a refit, with a reconfigured observation lounge and refurbished public spaces.[9] The hull was repainted a dark blue to distinguish it as part of the expedition fleet. The is livery was later changed to match the grey hull of the rest of Silversea fleet. The ship primarily sails on expedition cruises, including polar regions.

Silver Cloud with original blue expedition livery

References

Notes

  1. ^ Ship details by "Largay Travel"
  2. ^ Ship details Archived 19 July 2012 at archive.today by "Seven Blue Seas Vacations"
  3. ^ a b "Silver Cloud". Condé Nast Traveler website. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Peisley, Tony (2004). Silversea Cruises: The First Ten Years: 1994-2004. Silversea Cruises, Inc., (January 1, 2004).
  5. ^ "YSA Design | Projects". ysa.design.
  6. ^ latteluxurynews (11 December 2019). "Do you know the link between Silversea and Rolls Royce?". LATTE Luxury News.
  7. ^ For U.S. Basketball Players, the Olympics Are a Cruise, Ship, That Is By ANDREW KEH; 6 August 2016 the New York Times
  8. ^ "Silversea's Silver Cloud: First glimpse as she joins expedition cruise fleet".
  9. ^ "Silversea reveals plans for Silver Cloud interiors". CruiseandFerry.net.

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to IMO 8903923.