Silversea Cruises

In a world of multi-national conglomerates, Silversea Cruises is owned and operated by one family — the Lefebvres of Rome. This means genuine pride in ownership and a true Italian passion for embracing the best of life. And it also means a deep, personal commitment to maintain the high standards of cruise excellence that have been the cornerstone of Silversea from the very beginning.

The cruise line was born of a vision to create a whole new category of ultra-luxury cruising: smaller ships with an unmatched, all-inclusive lifestyle and the ability to slip into smaller, more exotic ports worldwide. Silersea launched Silver Cloud in 1994 and Silver Wind in 1995, followed by the slightly larger sister ships, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper in 2000 and 2001; and in 2009, Silversea’s beautiful flagship Silver Spirit.

In 2008 the company introduced Silversea Expeditions and Silver Explorer, a purpose-built expedition ship that combines adventure cruising with Silversea’s signature lifestyle. A second expedition ship, Silver Galapagos, was launched in 2013, and Silver Discoverer in 2014. Today Silversea operates a fleet of eight ships and a cruise programme that encompasses all seven continents and over 800 destinations. With a capacity of just 100 to 540 guests, Silversea ships are small in comparison to mass-market vessels, yet inordinately spacious in feel and appearance thanks to their unexcelled space ratios. Exceptional service is also a distinction. All accommodations are spacious, ocean-view suites and most include butler service and private verandas.

With its Italian heritage and elegant European ambience, Silversea’s all inclusive cruises attracts a sophisticated audience of worldly travellers.

Since its inception in the early 90s, Silversea Cruises has been recognised as the gold standard in luxury cruising, acclaimed both for its legendary European lifestyle and global reach of destinations. The cruise line was the brainchild of Antonio Lefebvre d’Ovidio, a respected Italian jurist and maritime law professor. His idea was to create a new class of elite vessels designed with more space for fewer guests and with the highest levels of personalised service. Lefebvre’s maritime background led to his involvement in shipping and eventually the cruise industry.

In 1988 Antonio Lefebvre purchased Sitmar Cruises, merging it with P&O's Princess Cruises a year later, and in 1994 founded Silversea Cruises with two ships purpose-built for the line. His son Manfredi Lefebvre, who had been involved in the family's businesses from an early age, managed Silversea’s ship operations and became chairman of Silversea Cruises in 2001. In addition, he is a member of the World Economic Forum, Vice-Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council, and in 2007, received the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre de Saint Charles and Grimalkin from Albert II, Prince of Monaco.

With the debut of luxury cruise ship Silver Explorer in 2008, Silversea introduced expedition cruising — Silversea style, adding yet another unique niche in the luxury cruise market. Now more intrepid travellers could experience adventure voyages to the most remote regions of the planet combined with Silversea’s brand of signature distinctions, including oceanview-suites, a superb culinary experience, and an incomparable level of service with a crew to guest ratio of nearly one to one. Along with both polar extremes, Silversea’s three expedition ships sail to the islands of Oceania, Southeast Asia, the Russian Far East; Australia’s remote Kimberley Coast; Central and South America including the Galápagos Islands; and the exotic western coast of Africa.

Today the Lefebvre family owns and operates eight luxury cruise ships from 100 to 540 guests, along with a global portfolio of itineraries to all seven continents and over 800 destinations worldwide. The cruise line’s headquarters are based in Monaco, and the company maintains branch offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Frankfurt, Australia and Singapore.