Silversea Cruises officially christened the Silver Endeavouron November 19 in the first-ever christening ceremony for an ultra-luxury cruise ship in Antarctica. The cruise line held a party in Antarctica to inaugurate the Silver Endeavour as the eleventh ship in its fleet. Silversea Cruises executives, the ship's godmother, Felicity Aston MBE, and some members of the Silversea "family" attended the ceremony, where a magnum of champagne sculpted from ice was smashed against the hull of the Silver Endeavour to mark the company's third christening ceremony in just nine months.
The celebrations began with an intimate blessing ceremony held at the Cape Horn Subantarctic Centre in Puerto Williams on November 15. Local dignitaries from Puerto Williams joined in the festivities, which honored maritime traditions. Following the Royal Caribbean Group's customary bagpipe performance, singers performed the national anthems of Chile and the United States, a video showed a religious figure blessing the ship, and Felicity Aston was formally introduced as the ship's godmother. Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group, and Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO of Silversea Cruises, sent video messages thanking the community, the crew, and all employees, while Barbara Muckermann, Silversea's Chief Commercial Officer, and Felicity Aston addressed the attendees.
On Saturday, November 19, the Silver Endeavour became the first ship christened in the Lemaire Channel, located off the Antarctic Peninsula. Following a highly respected maritime tradition, Aston blessed the Silver Endeavour for good luck, cutting a ribbon alongside Captain Niklas Peterstam on one of the ship's outer decks so that a bottle sculpted from ice could be smashed against the hull. Guests, including Barbara Muckermann and other Silversea executives, witnessed the historic moment from Zodiacs. 
“We are delighted to officially welcome Silver Endeavour to the Royal Caribbean Group fleet, bringing our global fleet to 64 ships,” said Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.
“We are incredibly proud to have hosted the first-ever Antarctic christening ceremony for the Silver Endeavour, our third ship to be christened in just nine months,” said Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO of Silversea Cruises. “I would like to thank Captain Niklas Peterstam and the ship’s crew, the entire Silversea team, Jason Liberty, and everyone involved at Royal Caribbean Group for their invaluable support in achieving this momentous milestone. We are honored to name Felicity Aston as the ship’s godmother, a perfect ambassador for Silversea; she shares the same unwavering sense of curiosity and adventure that unites all our guests.”
Silversea named polar explorer and climate scientist Felicity Aston as godmother of the Silver Endeavour in October 2022. 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 muscle power.
“Being among the first to sail aboard the Silver Endeavour, naming the ship in the company of such esteemed guests, and assuming the role of godmother fills me with incredible pride,” said Felicity Aston MBE. “The Silver Endeavour will enable more people to become explorers and return home with new perspectives. It will be a source of personal enrichment as people connect with the planet and with one another. Fair winds and following seas to all who sail on her.”
Built to the PC6 polar-class specifications, the Silver Endeavour is designed for polar exploration and extending Silversea's polar seasons. It boasts state-of-the-art amenities, including an industry-leading Zodiac-to-guest ratio, kayaks, and cutting-edge navigation and exploration technology, such as a remote gimbal camera system capable of capturing high-quality images from up to 5 km away. It maintains Silversea's signature comfort level, with a 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio and the company's hallmark luxury, including butler service for every suite and some of the most spacious accommodations on expedition cruises.
Silversea Cruises recently unveiled 27 new voyages for the ship, calling at more than 125 of the world's most remote destinations between summer 2024 and winter 2024/2025. With a diverse range of departures, itineraries, and voyage lengths, from 6 to 21 days, the new voyages include four new British Isles and Iceland cruises, nine additional Arctic voyages, and 14 Antarctic voyages.
