Silversea Cruises' newest ultra-luxury ship � the 540-passenger Silver Spirit, reached an important milestone over the weekend as she sailed out of Ancona to Trieste for a week of Dry-docking before commencing her sea trials from 5-8 September.

The all-suite luxury ship will join the Silversea fleet in December taking its total number of vessels up to six and embark initially on an 11-day "Holiday Spirit" maiden voyage, sailing from Barcelona to Lisbon; followed on January 3 by a 16-day "Maiden Crossing" from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale, where a formal naming ceremony will be held on January 20.

Her Grand Inaugural Voyage will commence on the morning of January 21 and will be an extraordinary 91-day journey, dubbed "The Spirit of South America," complimented by a selection of celebrity guest speakers and historians.

The Spirit of South America will journey from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles and twist back to New York on a fascinating itinerary highlighted by a visit to Rio de Janeiro in time for Carnival, a journey around the end of the earth at Cape Horn, an in-depth exploration of the Mexican Riviera, a crossing of the Panama Canal and an unforgettable Statue of Liberty event in New York Harbor.

After completing her inaugural season, Silver Spirit will spend the summer in the Mediterranean and then reposition to the Caribbean for fall and winter cruises.

The 36,000-ton vessel will welcome 540 guests who shall indulge not only in the spaciousness of their suites, the largest in the fleet, 95 percent of which feature a private veranda but also in one of the highest space-to-guest ratios at sea (namely 6,700 cubic feet of personal space per guest). The d�cor designed by Italian architect Giacomo Mortola will lend a sophisticated 1930s Art Deco ambience to the public areas, and new wellness and dining venues further enhance the shipboard experience: a new 8,300 square feet (770 square meters) indoor/outdoor spa with a whirlpool (and another three by the pool), and a choice of no less than six restaurants, including an alternative venue for Asian-inspired fusion cuisine and an innovative supper club offering contemporary foods and all-night entertainment.

For more information on Silver Spirit and her voyages please visit http://www.silversea.com/silverspirit.aspx?id=1346&page_id=silverspirit.

About Silversea Cruises

Silversea Cruises is recognized as an innovator in the luxury segment, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard four intimate vessels, Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, and Silver Whisper, all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the addition of the regal expedition ship Prince Albert II, the company's itineraries encompass all seven continents.

In the U.S., Silversea has been voted "World's Best" by the readers of Cond� 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 "World's Leading Luxury Cruise Line" from World Travel Awards (2007); "Five Star Diamond Award" from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (2007); "Number One" small-ship line in the Readers' Choice" survey conducted by Britain's Cond� Nast Traveller magazine (2007); "Best Luxury Cruise Line" by Spain's Cruceros & Destinos magazine (2008); "Best Luxury Cruise Line" by Australia's Luxury Travel & Style Magazine (2009); and "Best Luxury Cruise Operator" according to Asia's Travel Weekly (2007 &2008).

For more information on Silversea Cruises, please visit www.silversea.com.

Distributed on behalf of Silversea Cruises by Grebstad Hicks Communications.

Media Contact For further info or images please contact: Hannah Gold (hannah.gold@ghcasia.com) Joyce Li (joyce.li@ghcasia.com) Tel: +(852) 2810 0532