Silversea Cruises has named Felicity Aston godmother of its newest ship, the Silver Endeavour. A celebrated polar explorer, author, television presenter, and climate scientist, Aston became the first woman to ski solo across Antarctica in 2012, as well as the first person to traverse the continent using only her own muscle power. Since then, Aston has been awarded the Polar Medal and appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to exploration.
Aston will officially christen the Silver Endeavour in an intimate ceremony in Antarctica, to be held in the days leading up to the ship's maiden voyage, which will depart on November 21.
Aston has undertaken challenging expeditions in the world’s most extreme environments, often as a trip leader, including the first British all-female team to cross the Greenland Ice Sheet, as well as record-breaking all-female ski expeditions to the South and North Poles. Aston’s longest and most formative period in Antarctica was a 39-month stay at Rothera Research Station from 2000, where she monitored the climate and ozone layer as a meteorologist with the British Antarctic Survey. She now works at the National Oceanography Centre and the University of Southampton (UK), where she researches airborne microplastic pollution in polar sea ice. Aston has published five books on exploration and her expeditions; she has co-presented two BBC documentaries and has been featured in leading publications such as National Geographic, Vanity Fair, and Marie Claire. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London and the Explorers Club in New York, as well as a member of the Society of Women Geographers.
“We are delighted to welcome Felicity Aston to the Silversea family as godmother of the Silver Endeavour,” said Roberto Martinoli, Chairman and CEO of Silversea Cruises. “A leading authority in the field of polar exploration, Felicity is the perfect ambassador for our cruise line. Her explorations will be a great source of inspiration for travelers as they embark on their journey to the polar regions with Silversea.”.
“I am honored to have been selected as Godmother of the Silver Endeavour,” says Felicity Aston. “With each of my expeditions, I am driven to push boundaries, explore new frontiers, and experience the most spectacular places on the planet. Guests traveling aboard Silversea’s newest ship will exercise these same ambitions with every course charted, every Zodiac launched, and every arrival at every destination. It is a vehicle for discovery in every sense of the word, and I am thrilled to be sailing to the polar regions in such comfort.”.
Built to PC6 polar-class specifications, the Silver Endeavour is designed for polar exploration. The ship boasts state-of-the-art amenities, with an industry-leading Zodiac-to-guest ratio, as well as advanced kayaks and navigation and exploration technology, including a remote gimbal camera system capable of capturing high-quality images from up to 5 km away, among other features. It maintains Silversea's signature comfort level, with a crew-to-guest ratio of approximately 1:1 and the company's signature luxury features, including butler service for every suite and some of the most spacious accommodations on expedition cruises.
