One of the world's most luxurious new cruise ships, Silversea Cruises' flagship Silver Spirit - which joined the fleet just over 12 months ago - is set to visit Hong Kong for the first time this month, as part of her inaugural 119-day World Cruise, began in Los Angeles, USA.

Sailing from Manila, Philippines, the 540-guest, all-suite Silver Spirit will arrive in Hong Kong on 21 March 2011, docking at China Merchant Wharf in Kennedy Town at 09:00. The vessel will be welcomed by a Lion Dance organised by Hong Kong Tourism Board and a plaque exchange will take place at 11:00 aboard the ship between Silversea Captain Sangiacomo and Hong Kong Tourism Commission, Hong Kong Marine Department, Hong Kong Tourism Board representatives.

Hong Kong marks the half way point of this inaugural voyage. Guests will spend two days exploring the sights and cultural attractions of Hong Kong, before departing at 18.00 the following day for Haiphong (Hanoi), Vietnam, as part of a longer voyage returning the ship to Southampton, UK.

Hong Kong Island and Kowloon are divided both physically and psychologically by Victoria Harbour. On Hong Kong Island, the central city stretches only a few kilometers south into the island before mountains rise up, but the city goes several more kilometers north into Kowloon. In the main districts and neighborhoods, luxury boutiques are a stone's throw away from old hawker stalls, and a modern, high-tech horse-racing track is just around the corner from a temple housing more than 10,000 buddhas.

Hong Kong Island is where the action is, from high finance to nightlife to luxury shopping. The office towers and opulent shopping centers of Hong Kong's core business district occupy one of the most expensive stretches of land on Earth. The Kowloon Peninsula is the extension of mainland China just across the harbor from the Central District, bounded in the north by the string of mountains that give Kowloon its poetic name: gau lung (nine dragons). The southernmost part of Kowloon, called Tsim Sha Tsui, is where landmarks such as the Star Ferry Pier and the elegant Peninsula Hotel stand proudly. It's where Nathan Road, Kowloon's dense and busy shopping street, begins; the famous Kansu Street Jade Market is on this side of the harbor as well.

Steve Odell, Silversea's Senior Vice President Asia Pacific commented: "We are delighted to be introducing our beautiful new flagship to Hong Kong. The Art Deco-inspired Silver Spirit sets new standards in luxury cruising and guests onboard will enjoy an unmatched level of pampering and personalised service. Hong Kong is one of the port highlights of this sector of the World Cruise and we know that our guests will relish the chance to explore this beautiful city."

Built in the Fincantieri Shipyard in Ancona, Italy, Silver Spirit was designed by architect Giacomo Mortola of Genoa, Italy. At 36,000 tons, the vessel has a length of 198.5 metres, a width of 26.2 metres and a draft of 6.2 metres. 376 European officers and European-trained international staff are onboard, providing a guest-to-crew ratio of 1.4 to 1, and guests enjoy one of the highest space-to-guest ratios in the industry today, with 6700 cubic feet of space per guest.

Over its eight decks, Silver Spirit offers the distinctive luxuries and celebrated lifestyle of other Silversea ships, plus new enhancements including glamorous Stars Supper Club dishing up tapas-style cuisine and live jazz; Asian-fusion restaurant Seishin; a 8,300-square-foot spa offering pampering and the latest Medi-Spa treatments; a resort-style pool with four whirlpools, and the largest suites in the Silversea fleet, 95 per cent with private teak verandas.

Guests enjoy the personalised service of a butler assigned to every suite; complimentary beverages, wines and spirits served throughout the ship; 24 hour room service; stocked in-suite beverage cabinet, and all gratuities. There are numerous onboard activities to enjoy including an enrichment programme with fascinating speakers, from marine biologists and archaeologists to art historians and eminent broadcast journalists.

This second leg of the full World Cruise takes in ports in the Far East, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, finishing in Southampton, UK on 19 May. As well as Hong Kong, Silver Spirit's inaugural world tour will include calls at Vietnam (23-28 March). The vessel will then travel to Thailand, visiting Bangkok (30 March-1 April) and Koh Samui (1 April); Singapore (3 April); Malaysia (4-5 April); Phuket in Southern Thailand (6 April); Sri Lanka (9 April); India (11-14 April); Oman (20 April); Egypt (26 April- 1 May); Greece (3 May); Italy (5-7 May); Monaco (8 May); Spain (9-12 May); Portugal (14 May); Channel Islands (18 May).

About Silversea Cruises

Silversea Cruises is recognised as an innovator in the luxury cruise line industry, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and Silver Spirit - all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the inclusion of the regal expedition ship Prince Albert II, Silversea Cruises' itineraries encompass all seven continents and feature worldwide luxury cruises to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Asia, Caribbean, Antarctica and the Arctic and over 400 fascinating destinations in between.

In the U.S., Silversea has been voted "World's Best" by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (nine times) and Travel + Leisure (seven times), and rated Number-One luxury cruise line by high-net-worth consumers in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI). International awards include "Best Innovation in Products and Services" from the Italian Innovazione Marketing Oggi Awards (2009); "World's Leading Small Ships Cruise Line" from World Travel Awards (2009); "Five Star Diamond Award" from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (2010); "Number One" small-ship line in the Readers' Choice survey conducted by Britain's Condé Nast Traveller magazine (2010); "Best Luxury Cruise Line" Excellence Award by Spain's Cruise News Media Group (2009); "Best Luxury Cruise Line" by Australia's Luxury Travel & Style Magazine (2010); and "Best Luxury Cruise Operator" according to Travel Weekly China (2010).

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Distributed on behalf of Silversea Cruises by Grebstad Hicks Communications.

Media Contact For further info or images please contact: HONG KONG / CHINA / TAIWAN Joyce Li (joyce.li@ghcasia.com) / Stephen Allington (stephen.allington@ghcasia.com) Tel: +(852) 2810 0532

SINGAPORE / SE ASIA Hannah Gold (hannah.gold@ghcasia.com) / June Chow (june.chow@ghcasia.com) Tel: +(65) 6438 4024