Steel Cut for New Silversea Cruises Ship, Sister Ship Delayed

Construction has officially begun on the second Nova-class vessel for luxury line Silversea Cruises, as the first steel has been cut for Silver Ray at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, in northwestern Germany.

At the same time, Silversea Cruises also announced the new inaugural date for Silver Nova, the first ship of the class, which is already under construction but has been impacted by global supply chain and economic issues.

Steel Cut for Silver Ray

The traditional steel cutting for Silver Ray took place on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, with cruise line and shipyard executives on hand for the momentous step that begins the ship’s physical construction.

“We are proud to have started constructing Silver Ray in collaboration with Meyer Werft, as we continue to push boundaries in sustainable cruise travel,” said Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO of Silversea Cruises.

The ship will be one of the most environmentally conscious ships ever built, with hybrid engine technology and other innovations to minimize the vessel’s impact on the unique destinations she will visit.

The ship, and her sister ship already under construction at the same shipyard, Silver Nova, are the world’s first low-emissions cruise ships and utilize fuel cells, batteries, and dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines, with zero emissions while in port.

“As part of Royal Caribbean Group, Silversea has long stood at the forefront of innovation when it comes to environmentally conscious cruising,” said Martinoli. “The launch of the Nova class represents a giant leap forward in this regard and we are introducing pioneering technologies.”

The ships will also have ice-strengthened, hydrodynamic hull designs to promote even better fuel efficiency, and more of their environmentally-friendly innovations are sure to be announced as both ships near completion.

Each ship will also have a new layout to bring guests more in touch with each destination they visit, including more open spaces and broad views. The horizontal layout will be asymmetrical, with both public spaces and suites spanning the entire length of the vessels.

Silver Ray is scheduled to join the Silversea Cruises fleet in the summer of 2024, though details of her maiden voyage and initial itineraries have not yet been set.

Both ships are projected to weigh in at 54,700 gross tons, by far the largest vessels in the Silversea Cruises fleet, and will have the ability to accommodate up to 728 guests per sailing.

Silver Nova Delayed

The completion of Silver Nova will not be on the schedule originally announced, however. The ship was to have welcomed her first guests with a 10-day maiden voyage from Southampton to Lisbon on July 15, 2023.

Now, however, global conditions have delayed that inaugural sailing slightly.

“Given the worldwide issues that have affected the construction of Silver Nova, it has been decided to amend her launch date by approximately one month,” said Martinoli, “in order to uphold the signature level of experience that our discerning guests have come to expect when travelling with Silversea.”

Silver Nova‘s new inaugural sailing will be a 7-night roundtrip sailing from Venice, Italy, departing on August 14, 2023, and visiting ports of call in Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro.

The cruise line is reaching out to impacted guests and travel partners with Silver Nova‘s revised launch date, and guests have three options.

If guests prefer an alternative booking, they can save 10% if making a new reservation before November 30, 2022.

After her inaugural sailing, Silver Nova will offer several more cruises from Venice and Rome, as well as voyages departing from Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Lisbon before she makers her first transatlantic crossing in early November 2023.

If guests choose not to arrange an alternate sailing they may choose a future cruise credit for 100% of the total fare already paid, or opt for a full refund processed back to their original form of payment.