ULTRA-LUXURY CRUISING TO THE SEVENTH CONTINENT

For many travelers, an adventure to the White Continent is truly a bucket list item. For those wishing to experience it in the lap of luxury while not sacrificing either the spirit or the letter of true adventure, it’s now possible aboard Silversea Cruises’ ultra-luxury ship, Silver Endeavour.

The arrival of Silver Endeavour, a PC6 Polar Class ship, to Silversea’s fleet is a particularly great experience for those with limited time. Most vessels that navigate to Antarctica do so with round-trip sailing across the notorious Drake Passage from Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost tip of South America. This 36-hour crossing can be smooth (the “Drake Lake”) or rough (the “Drake Shake”). Having experienced both the Drake Lake and the Drake Shake, I can assure you avoiding the Drake Passage is a major bonus. Not only does it save precious time, thus permitting more Antarctic adventures, but it also is especially attractive for those prone to seasickness. Sipping champagne and eating caviar onboard a gorgeous vessel is vastly preferable to downing motion sickness medication or donning a dastardly, dry mouth-inducing, anti-seasickness patch.

The Silver Endeavour instead uses the Antarctica Bridge, so guests fly first to Punta Arenas, Chile. Guests then board a private chartered plane, some of which are adorably painted to resemble penguins. With only 64 passengers on an aircraft built for 100, guests comfortably fly to a small airstrip on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, then board a Zodiac to embark directly onto the Silver Endeavour.

EXPANSIVE AND ELEGANT PUBLIC SPACES

The Silver Endeavour is, in a word, magnificent. Intricate crystal and Murano glass lighting in several public areas adds panache, while vapor fireplaces throughout the ship set a warm, contemplative mood. Freeform gray, white, and blue carpets precisely mimic the color palette of Antarctica herself.

The dedicated mudroom on Deck 3 makes getting suited up for expeditions swift and easy. Deck 4 has three of Silver Endeavour’s five restaurants, the Connoisseur’s Corner for cigar aficionados, and the Explorer Lounge where daily briefings and expert lectures are delivered. Suites are located on Decks 5 through 8, while Deck 5 houses two more eateries—guest perennial favorite Arts Café and the atrium-enclosed Grill—as well as Reception, the signature Otium Spa, beauty salon, fitness center, indoor swimming pool, and whirlpool. Deck 9’s Observation Lounge, the Study, and the well-curated Library, all with floor-to-ceiling windows, are marvelous places to see wildlife and engage your mind while you further learn about the region and historical voyages of the past.

PROFESSIONAL, DEDICATED BUTLERS MAKE THE SUITE LIFE EVEN SWEETER

The Silver Endeavour holds a maximum of 220 passengers in 110 suites, with a crew of 200 for a nearly 1:1 guest/crew ratio. The large suites have lovely traditional balconies where binoculars and cameras are put to good use. Decorated in calming, muted tones in keeping with its “quiet luxury” concept, the suites offer a separate seating area, large walk-in closets, an inordinate amount of storage space, and boast a two-person quartz desk and a beautiful quartz vanity area with Dyson hair dryers. The expansive bathrooms have enormous marble showers and Caudalie products while the lavatory’s placement in a separate room with an additional sink is an indulgent convenience.

A minibar stocked with favored beverages is replenished daily. There are enough USB ports and outlets to satisfy even the nerdiest electronic geek. Silversea’s signature bedding, pillow menu, and high-thread-count sheets ensure restful repose, while Nespresso makers and illy coffee capsules make mornings glorious.

If all of that were not enough, the Silver Endeavour’s suites, like all ships in Silversea’s fleet, have dedicated butlers who take their jobs—to make your voyage perfect—very, very seriously. No request is too small, and their prompt, professional hospitality is their hallmark and stock-in-trade. The only downside of my butler: he was unable to return home with me and frankly, I may never recover from his absence.

FOOD FANATICS WILL FIND HAPPINESS

Like all Silversea ships, the Silver Endeavour has a wide variety of dining options. The Restaurant is the ship’s main, open-seating dining room and serves continental cuisine. Surrounded by windows, the dramatic views add to the culinary experience. Il Terrazzino pays homage to Silversea’s Italian heritage; its delectable fresh dishes such as caprese salad, pappardelle all’anatra, and tiramisu will have you dreaming of Italy.

Silversea’s signature La Dame serves the finest French cuisine at sea in a supremely elegant atmosphere. There’s an a la carte menu and a six-course, wine-paired degustation menu served by white-gloved waiters. Enjoying Champagne and fresh caviar with all requisite accouterments, foie gras terrine, tender Limousin beef, and pistachio soufflé while watching icebergs the size of big rigs float by is an experience not soon forgotten.

The Grill is in an enclosed atrium so as burgers, crab cakes, grilled squid, prawn bisque, sushi, or a kale and portobello quiche are enjoyed, your attention will likely be diverted by a breaching whale or enormous Antarctic birds diving for their sustenance. Arts Café, which resembles my favorite Starbucks but is far better, serves light breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, along with excellent coffees, fresh pastries, and muffins along with house-made gourmet ice cream. There’s also 24-hour room service delivered by your butler within 20 minutes.

FITNESS, OTIUM SPA & SALON

For those guests who use it, the state-of-the-art fitness center with floor-to-ceiling windows renders the gourmet onboard dining guilt-free. In addition to Technogym equipment and weights, there are daily yoga, stretch, Pilates, and abdominal classes.

The Roman-inspired Otium Spa offers not-to-be-missed experiences including the decadent 100-minute “Apollonian Spirit” treatment using warm mineral-rich salt stones followed by a cold mask. The “Heavenly Journey” deep-tissue massage with Mediterranean oils nearly made me forget my name.

The full-service hair and nail salon for men and women includes an Emperor’s Chair where men can channel their inner explorer while being groomed to perfection.

EXPEDITIONS FOR THE CURIOUS

Twenty-two military-grade Zodiacs allow all passengers to disembark at one time for expeditions. The large, well-trained expedition team has years of Antarctic experience and a plethora of local knowledge, which eased my safety concerns.

Our expeditions were impeccably planned. Landing in advance of passengers, the expedition team marked the areas where guests could hike for the best glacial views and animal sightings, while wildlife and expedition experts answered our seemingly never-ending wildlife and nature questions and assisted with photography.

Nothing quite prepares one emotionally for that first glimpse of the Antarctic penguin colonies. Nearly all their behavior has hilarious aspects whether it be waddling uphill like a drunken sailor, sliding on their bellies downhill when gravity or nature calls, or diving with Olympic-worthy precision. Bird lovers will be kept busy identifying various species, including the enormous albatross with its 12-foot wingspan. There were also dozens of crabeater, leopard, and elephant seals, all of whom seemed to possess an inherent talent for sleeping while noisily rolling over. For those wishing to glide through Antarctic waters alongside the small icebergs known as “growlers,” Silver Endeavour also has 12 kayaks.

Complementing the experiences on land, the Silver Endeavour retains a variety of onboard expert lecturers including ornithologists, marine biologists, polar historians, anthropologists, and naturalists. The onboard professional photographer also gives tips so guests can capture these once-in-a-lifetime photos.

AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY

A trip to Antarctica is utterly transformative. Unlike many other destinations, Antarctica’s nature, wildlife, grandeur, scale, and breathtaking vistas remain with you long after returning home.

For all travelers to Antarctica, it’s key to remember three things. First, she is a land of striking superlatives. Antarctica is the highest, driest, coldest, and windiest place on earth, and possesses 93 percent of the world’s iceberg masses.

Second, Mother Nature can be fickle and dances to her very own distinct drum which naturally has nothing to do with your plans or desires. Weather and navigational conditions can, and often do, change on a dime thus requiring the ship’s captain and crew to completely alter plans where landings and excursions are concerned. This may even be the case for arrivals to and departures from the continent.

Third, Father Time is also thoroughly unconcerned about your longstanding meeting at the office back home or any front-row opera tickets you may have purchased.

So, when traveling to the seventh continent, find your inner flexibility, make certain to pack it along with your patience, and you’ll be rewarded beyond measure as you enjoy Antarctica’s many marvels. Once you have returned home, you are likely to become a staunch Antarctic ambassador to protect it for posterity and for progeny, all the while contemplating your undeniable good fortune and privilege to have experienced such a remarkable place aboard Silversea’s ultra-luxury Silver Endeavour.

For more information visit, silversea.com. Julie L. Kessler is a journalist, attorney, and the author of the award-winning memoir, Fifty-Fifty, The Clarity of Hindsight. Her work has appeared in several major publications around the world, including the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Examiner, the Asia Times, the Jerusalem Post, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, among many others. She can be reached at [email protected].