Itinerary: Buenos Aires (pre-cruise hotel), Ushuaia, Garabaldi Glacier, Punta Arenas, Chilean Fjord Cruising, Pio XI Glacier, Caleta Tortel, At Sea, Castro, Niebla, Puerto Montt, At Sea, Valparaiso

When we arrived in Buenos Aires for a two night pre-cruise hotel stay, I was still trying to get my head around the idea of Silversea being in the expedition/adventure cruise segment. After all, Silversea is all about 5-star luxury. We have been on plenty of luxury cruises, and quite a few expedition sailings, so I was prepared for Silversea Expeditions to be a watered-down version of each. I was wrong. Silversea has managed to build a new brand around the idea of luxury expeditions. So, now you can spend your days getting sprayed by salt water coming off the bow of a zodiac and return to a 5-star luxury ship, with all the pampering that entails, in the afternoon.

Of course, there are a few trade-offs for those of you who are used to Silversea's "larger" vessels. Silver Explorer is much smaller. But, what you lose in public spaces and amenities, you more than make up for by having a vessel that can to navigate into smaller, more interesting locations. She carries a maximum of 132 guests and 117 crew members. On our sailing, there were only 71 guests, so the crew-to-guest ratio was high. With a tonnage of 6,072, she is less than half the size of Silversea's next largest ship (Silver Cloud/Wind) which has a tonnage rating of 16,800. Silver Explorer has guest accommodations on decks 3, 4, 5 and 7.

All suites and staterooms feature butler service, refrigerator and bar setup stocked with your preferences, down duvets, fine bed linens, firm or soft mattresses, your choice of pillow, Italian marble bathroom with full-sized bath and European bath amenities, spa robes and slippers, personalized stationery, umbrella, flat-screen TVs with interactive video, on-demand movies, music and satellite news programming. WiFi Internet access is available in all suites and staterooms for a fee.

Our butler, Oki, opens our welcome-aboard champagne

On our sailing, Silversea provided a one-night stay at The Park Tower hotel in Buenos Aires. We decided to book an extra night on our own so that we would have a day without jet lag to explore the city. That was a smart decision. This is a great city and one that you do not want to miss. We booked a walking tour online with BuenosTours.com that gave us a great sample of all that Buenos Aires has to offer. A Silversea representative was available at Park Tower to answer any questions or arrange optional tours. On the morning of embarkation, Silversea guests were invited to enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel before a bus ride to the domestic airport in Buenos Aires for the charter flight to Ushuaia.

The LAN Airbus 320 chartered flight to Ushuaia was late, but we still arrived in Ushuaia around 1:30pm. By 2:00pm, we were walking up the gangway and onto Silver Explorer.

We were greeted on Deck 5 just outside of Panorama Lounge where we had our photos taken, surrendered our passports and received our room keys. The whole process only took a couple of minutes. And, in true Silversea tradition, after checking in, we were handed a glass of champagne and invited to enjoy snacks in the lounge. Ahhhh, now this is the way to rough it on an expedition cruise!

It does not take long to move from one space to another aboard Silver Explorer. On Deck 3 you will find Reception, the Infirmary and the Zodiac boarding area. Deck 4 is where you will find the Fitness Center, The Boutique and The Restaurant. The Fitness Center is a small room with only a few cardio machines (treadmill, bicycle, elliptical) , a weight machine and some free weights. If you are serious about working out, you might find this a bit lacking compared to larger ships. The Boutique, however, is quite nice and well stocked for a ship this size. The Restaurant is located aft on Deck 4 and is a roomy, comfortable dining room where all meals are served. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style, while dinner is traditional full menu service. More about The Restaurant later.

SSExplorer - 60.jpg — Well-stocked Boutique

On Deck 5 aft you will find the Panorama Lounge, a bit of a misnomer since there really is no panoramic view. Nevertheless, it does have all of the comfortable seating and excellent bar service you expect from Silversea. This is the best, and perhaps only, place on Silver Explorer to enjoy a before or after dinner cocktail. We enjoyed dropping by Panorama each evening before dinner for a drink and to listen to the musical stylings of Lou or Mario. After the first day, the bar staff, Oscar and Chester, both knew my favorite drink and it was delivered to me without my even having to ask.

Next to the Panorama on Deck 5 aft is the Internet Cafe and Library. There are three computer terminals located here for guest use. The ship is equipped with Wi-Fi which is accessible throughout the ship. We found the Internet connectivity to be spotty, primarily because we spent a fair amount of time in fjords which block the signal from the satellite. In open waters, however, connection was great and the speeds were as good as you will find on any ship. Internet pricing is also competitive. A 250-minute package is $85 and a 1000-minute package is only $250 (25 cents per minute).

Moving up to Deck 6 can be a little tricky. There are two elevator/staircases, one forward and one aft. The aft staircase will take you to The Spa and Outdoor Grill. The forward staircase/elevator will give you access to The Theater and the Observation Lounge. We did not have the opportunity to visit the Spa on this sailing, but they do offer massage treatments and have a steam room and sauna. There is also a small hair salon that offers hair styling and manicures and pedicures. In a departure from traditional cruise ships, Silver Explorer does not have a swimming pool. There are, however, two hot tubs aft on Deck 6. The Outdoor Grill is also located here. As with the Pool Grill on other Silversea ships, the Outdoor Grill offers a limited menu of burgers, salads and sandwiches from noon until 2pm, weather permitting. On our sailing, weather did not permit often. Part of the problem is that all seating is exposed to the elements. One day when the weather seemed agreeable, I tried the Outdoor Grill and my beautiful double-meat burger and onion rings arrived just as the cold rain began pelting me. I was forced to retreat to The Restaurant to finish lunch. An awning extending from Deck 7 to cover at least half of the tables would go a long way to make the Outdoor Grill a more usable space.

On Deck 6 forward you will find the Observation Lounge, a small venue with a view over the bow of the ship. There is no bar service here, other than what you will find in The Theater just forward of Observation. However, this bar is only open during limited times. So, Observation is basically a place to relax, read and enjoy the scenery. However, that view of the scenery will be blocked if other guests decide to congregate on the open deck in front of Observation. There is a large flat-screen television in the Observation Lounge and a small library of books. Only a few steps aft of Observation is The Theater, which serves as the main meeting point for lectures and briefings. Each evening, guests meet in The Theater before dinner for a daily briefing to recap the day's activities and prepare for the next day's adventures. In true Silversea style, guests are greeted when they enter The Theater and offered the cocktail-of-the-day.

Attending a daily briefing in The Theater

Staterooms and Suites on Silver Explorer far exceed what you will find on typical expedition vessels. The Veranda Suite on Silver Explorer is smaller than the same category on the non-expedition Silversea ships, but still quite roomy and nice at 206-216 sq. ft. A step-out balcony (French balcony) with a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door gives you a fresh air view of the surroundings. Our Owner's Suite (705) was a spacious 728 sq. ft. and had just about every creature comfort you could want. The separate living room and bedroom are divided by a hallway with a large walk-in closet on one side and a huge marble bathroom on the other. The bathroom had a separate shower and tub which was basically a full-sized tub in a huge shower stall. To take a shower, you stand next to the tub under a rain shower head. The setup looked strange at first, but really is pure genius. Also, the six suites on Deck 7 are the only ones with full-sized balconies. We could access our huge balcony through a sliding glass door in both the living area and the bedroom. All suites offer tons of storage and closet space. About the only thing missing from our Owner's Suite was hooks for hanging up the complimentary red parkas. Owner's suite guests also have the added benefit of two hours of complimentary telephone calls to anywhere and four hours of complimentary Internet. Laundry, dry cleaning and pressing services are also complimentary for Owner's Suite guests.

During our 11-night sailing, we took full advantage of our excellent butler, Oki. We used room service to enjoy dinner in our suite on more than a few evenings. Food was always delivered promptly and hot. One advantage of a Silversea cruise is that you can order from a 24-hour room service menu, or, during normal Restaurant hours, you can order from the evening's menu. As some of you who follow our blog may know, I do my blogging early in the morning, before Early Riser's. So, on Silver Explorer I was able to order coffee delivered to our suite at 5:30am in the morning and work in my pajamas from the comfort of our living room. Talk about spoiled!

SSExplorerA - 1.jpg — My private blogging station

Housekeeping duties in our suite were flawlessly performed by Amol. No matter how late we left our suite in the morning, Amol was always nearby to bring it back to perfection. If we had a special request for different pillows, or more hangers, Amol wasted no time in making it happen. The team of Amol and Oki made this a typical Silversea experience. And "typical" on Silversea means excellent!

Amol kept our suite in perfect condition

One area that we honestly had low expectations for was food and dining. Before our cruise, we did some research and read a couple of reviews that had some negative comments about the food quality on Silver Explorer. You can imagine how pleasantly surprised we were to find that the food was as good or better than what we have had on other Silversea ships. It just goes to show you that you can't believe everything you read and that you should take any information on the Internet with a grain of salt. And, we are not alone. I talked with several guests who also said they were amazed at the quality and variety of food. With only a couple of small exceptions, everything I tried was very good. The link sausage on the breakfast buffet was a little odd, but I suspect that is a South American provisioning thing. Otherwise, the breakfast buffet offered everything you would find on a larger Silversea vessel. The fresh donuts and pastries are decadent and delicious. The lunch buffet choices in The Restaurant change each day. A wonderful salad bar is complemented with a variety of hot dishes. There is always a fish of the day, a soup of the day, an Asian dish and a carving station, in addition to other hot offerings. The Chicken Korma served one day was one of the best I have ever eaten...anywhere.

In the evenings, The Restaurant takes on a more traditional Silversea look and feel. Menus change each evening and offer a wide variety of choices throughout the cruise. The service in The Restaurant was impeccable, just like on any Silversea ship. Simona soon became our favorite waitress at our favorite table for two. A complimentary red and white wine are offered each day in The Restaurant; however, we enjoy a sweet white wine. We requested a German Riesling on day one. Even though no Riesling was on board, the wine steward found an excellent Moscato that served as our daily favorite. Of course, upon each visit to The Restaurant, our Moscato was chilled and waiting for us. There is also a list of premium "reserve" wines for purchase. Special requests are handled with a smile. So, if you have special dietary requirement, or would simply like to have something other than what is on the menu, just tell your butler or waiter a day or so in advance, and Chef Christian will make it happen. This is one of the reasons people come back to Silversea again and again.

Simona, our excellent waitress on Silver Explorer

Make no mistake, even though Silversea luxury is everywhere you look, a Silversea Expeditions sailing is much different that a Silversea cruise. There is no casino or evening production shows. The purpose of these ships is to explore, hence the term "expedition". Silver Explorer guests are pampered on board the ship, but once you step onto one of the Zodiacs from Deck 3, the adventure begins. A team of Expedition Leaders guide you through some of the harshest, most beautiful environments on the planet to experience wildlife and nature in its rawest form. An expedition is not about motor coach rides and cathedral tours. That's what you do on a cruise. A cruise is a trip of a lifetime, an expedition will change your life. Silver Explorer can take you to Antarctica to walk with penguins, or to the Arctic where you can be as close to a Polar Bear as any human on Earth. You can't do that from a motor coach, or a tender boat. On days when you are enroute to the next area to explore, the onboard naturalists enrich your experience with lectures complete with slideshows and videos. Team trivia is held on a few afternoons. And you can always select from a huge list of on-demand movies on your suite television. We really liked that the lectures are broadcast live on the suite television.

Zodiacs are used to explore nature and wildlife

Silver Explorer guests board small pontoon boats, called Zodiacs, to explore glaciers, icebergs, and to make wet and dry landings. A "wet" landing is one where you step off the Zodiac into ankle deep water. So, waterproof boots and waterproof pants are a must. There are rarely docks or jettys in nature, so wet landings are commonplace. Silversea Expeditions provides guests with complimentary red parkas and waterproof backpacks. The parkas are very comfortable, warm and they are yours to keep. The backpacks are large enough to hold a fair amount of gear along with the silver metal/glass water bottle that Silversea provides each guest. Preserving the environment they visit is very important to Silversea so plastic water bottles are not encouraged or provided.

Every guest is required to attend a Zodiac safety meeting where Expedition Leaders go over the procedures of safely getting into and out of the Zodiacs. Each Zodiac can hold up to 13 people and they are very stable and maneuverable. Each Zodiac is piloted by an Expedition Leader who will point out various wildlife and other points of interest during a typical outing. Guests are encouraged to bring cameras and binoculars on the Zodiac, but you should have some way of protecting your gear from rain and splashing water. I used a shower cap from our suite's bathroom to cover my DSLR camera and a Ziplok bag works great for pocket digital cameras.

Expedition cruises are a photographer's dream

Compared to other expedition cruises we have experienced, Silversea Expeditions is at the top of the segment. The Expedition Leaders and Assistants were all knowledgeable, friendly and willing to answer any questions. You can tell, they love what they do. In addition to their excursion duties, they also conduct a series of lectures on a variety of topics including wildlife, geology and nature. The lectures are both entertaining and educational. Daily excursions, lectures, meal times and destination information can be found in the Chronicles, the ship's daily newsletter which is placed in your suite each evening at turndown.

Silversea has managed to combine the excitement of adventure travel with the luxury of a Silversea cruise. Silversea Expeditions represents the most civilized way possible to experience some of the harshest, yet most beautiful environments on Earth. We can sum up our feelings in five words. "When can we go again?"