Royal Caribbean Group has announced that it has received court approval to acquire the ultra-luxury cruise ship Endeavor. Originally delivered to now-bankrupt Crystal Cruises in 2021, the polar expedition ship will be renamed Silver Endeavour when it officially joins the fleet of the Group’s wholly owned subsidiary, Silversea Cruises, later this month.
The purchase price for the vessel – which will be the fifth expedition ship in Silversea’s fleet of 11 – was US$275 million, significantly below the cost of construction.
“With Endeavour, we are seeking to grow our world class fleet to meet the exceptional demand for ultra-luxury expedition cruising, while also enhancing our profitability profile and affirming Silversea’s position as the industry’s leading ultra-luxury and expedition cruise line,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group.
Built to PC6 polar class specifications, the ship can operate all of Silversea’s current expedition itineraries and is designed specifically to take travellers to the world’s most remote destinations, including both polar regions.
“The expedition cruising industry is poised to resume accelerated growth driven by demand among high-end, affluent customers for travel to remote and hard-to-access destinations,” said Roberto Martinoli, president and CEO, Silversea Cruises. “This ship will be the fourth vessel to join Silversea’s fleet since 2020, which demonstrates our commitment to growth.”
The eight-deck Silver Endeavour promises the highest standards in the industry in terms of space-per-guest ratio, and crew-to-guest ratio.
Spread over eight public decks, the all-suite ship offers guests the most spacious accommodations in expedition cruising; multiple restaurants, bars, and lounges; expansive spa; a two-storied solarium with a swimming pool and whirlpool; and an array of indoor and outdoor observation areas.
Meanwhile, the ship’s state-of-the-art expedition amenities offer guests some of the most immersive and luxury experiences available, including travelling with a fleet of zodiac boats and kayaks for remote exploration.
“To honour the spirit of expedition travel, we have renamed the ship Silver Endeavour – paying testament to one of history’s most famous vessels,” noted Silversea COO Barbara Muckermann. “Aboard Silver Endeavour, travellers will channel the same sense of discovery that guided pioneering explorers, such as James Cook, in bygone eras.”
Crystal passengers
As part of its ongoing RCL Cares program, Royal Caribbean Group says it will protect the deposits of guests who were originally booked on Crystal Endeavor and make a new booking on one of the Group’s global brands – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises.
“We believe those Crystal guests will receive back their deposits, but we want to give them added assurance,” Liberty added.
To the extent the Crystal Endeavor guests do not receive their deposits back from Crystal or other sources, the Royal Caribbean Group will refund any amount paid on their new booking up to the amount of their lost deposits from Crystal. Complete terms of the offer will be provided on each brand’s website soon.
Silver Endeavour is scheduled to begin service winter 2022/23, spending its inaugural season in Antarctica starting in November.