How Silversea is streamlining its expedition cruise experience
Galapagos cruising got cushier this month for those sailing with Silversea's Silver Origin.
The cruise line is now providing passengers with charter flights in Ecuador from Quito to San Cristobal Island, a two-hour trip that forgoes the previous layover in Guayaquil.
It is becoming ever clearer that Silversea believes luxury in expedition requires eliminating, as much as possible, unpredictability and discomfort before and after the cruise.
For Antarctica cruises, the line offers charter flights from Chile and will soon also host guests before their flight at a Silversea-built and owned hotel.
In the expedition space, the trick in crafting the journey is leaving room for error, so Silversea's pre- and post-cruise services are a true value, said David Lauwers, a luxury cruise and expedition travel advisor at Q Cruise + Travel.
"It's padding out an expedition," he said. "It isn't like going to Europe, where you can get on the next flight, there's loads of carriers and it's not a problem."
Lauwers said he likes to direct clients toward Silversea because it eliminates so many of the logistical challenges involved in ensuring his customers are aboard the ship when it leaves the homeport.
The services also differentiate Silversea from competitors, and once guests try the Silversea flights there is a high satisfaction rate, Lauwers said. They find the plane ride to be an exciting kickoff for the cruise itself, with Silversea-branded napkins and menus and the opportunity to commune with fellow passengers.
"They love that they're all Silversea guests, because they can all chat and talk about the trip, especially on the return," he said.
Silversea president Bert Hernandez said the company is focused on evolving.
"This enhanced guest journey to the Galapagos reflects this dedication -- streamlining every touchpoint to make visiting this bucket list destination more accessible and seamless than ever," he said. "We always put the guest at the center of everything we do, creating opportunities for deeper connections to the destination, and this is one more way we're leveraging our deep expedition and destination expertise to further elevate the Silversea experience."
Lauwers said he expects other cruise lines to take a wait-and-see approach in deciding whether to operate their own Galapagos charter flights, but those that might consider it would also be in the luxury space.
"I think they've got quite a niche in the Galapagos," Lauwers said of Silversea. "I think that'll be a big differentiator for them."
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