Silversea poised to sail the “travel bubble” to New Zealand

Silversea Cruises is working through the government’s proposed “travel bubble” to ensure that Silver Explorer and Silver Muse will be able to sail in local waters later this year.

Silversea’s outgoing managing director Australasia, Adam Armstrong voiced his “quiet optimism” that the governments of Australia and New Zealand will include cruising in the proposed “travel bubble.”

“We have got two ships coming to Australia and New Zealand at the back end of this year – Silver Muse, our flagship and the expedition ship, Silver Explorer.

“They’re ideally-sized ships to get into all the ports of call around Australia and New Zealand, so if the bubble is expanded to include cruise – the Government is only currently considering air – we’ve got two ships ready and waiting, ready to go,” he said at a global teleconference to update the market on Silversea’s current status and future plans.

For the first time, the line has reduced its booking deposits.

This turned “the deluge of refunds” back into positive territory for new bookings, revealed Silversea’s CEO and president, Roberto Martinoli and chief marketing officer, Barbara Muckermann during the teleconference.

Ms Muckermann said that Silversea’s 2021 bookings  are doing well with the older generation, aged from 61-80 years of age, booking cruise holidays with a “higher frequency” than the younger generation in 2019.

She added that the line will not be advocating “massive discounts.”

“Our products have to be priced right to reflect and luxury and quality of our voyages. We are  a bucket list destination provider,” she added.

Mr Armstrong said that local bookings are “a bit behind.”

“When you look at our resurgence in the last few weeks at Silversea, we’re a bit behind the booking curve in some of the other markets in Europe and the USA,” he said.

“We’re starting to get some green shoots, some early signs of bookings” he said, especially from members of Silversea’s Venetian Society loyalty program. Their new reservations have comprised about two-thirds of the company’s local bookings.

Mr Armstrong said that Silversea and the cruise industry are working on new and enhanced health and safety protocols.

“I think it’s very important for us in Australia and New Zealand that once we’ve agreed what (the new protocols) are at a brand level and at industry level, to be very open and transparent about them, because it’s only when we reveal those that the public will have more faith in cruising,” he said.