Silversea christens new Silver Moon in Athens

Silversea Cruises christened Silver Moon as the newest ship in its ultra-luxury fleet on Wednesday (July 28), building momentum in the cruise line’s global return to service.

Held aboard the ship in the port of Piraeus, the chief sea port of Athens, Greece, Silver Moon’s official naming ceremony was attended by many esteemed guests, including Richard D. Fain, Royal Caribbean Group, Chairman and CEO; Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO of Silversea Cruises; Jason Liberty, Executive Vice President and CFO, Royal Caribbean Group; Captain Chavdar Georgiev; Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division; and the Honorable Minister Harry Theoharis, Greece’s Minister of Tourism, among others. 

Becoming the first ultra-luxury cruise ship to set sail following the pandemic, Silver Moon embarked upon her inaugural season from Athens from June 18, undertaking a series of 10-day voyages in the Greek Isles.

Following maritime traditions, Reverend Father Ioannis Patsis, Vice President of Caritas Hellas, blessed the vessel, before the ship’s Godmother, Gaia Gaja – of the renowned Italian Gaja Winery – broke a bottle of champagne on the ship’s bow. 

Guests viewed the event on screens throughout the ship and members of Silversea’s extended family streamed the broadcast online, as Silver Moon officially became the ninth ship in the leading ultra-luxury cruise line’s fleet.

“Witnessing the official naming of Silver Moon—the first of Silversea’s christenings as part of Royal Caribbean Group—was a very proud moment indeed,” said Fain in a statement. “I commend Silversea’s leadership team, Captain Georgiev and Silver Moon’s crew, the team of Fincantieri, and everyone involved in the ship’s launch for their tireless efforts in bringing this long-awaited milestone to fruition.”

Martinoli said Silver Moon "represents our industry’s strength and resilience."  

2nd Muse-class ship

At 40,700 gross tons and with a maximum capacity of 596 guests, Silver Moon is the cruise line’s second Muse-class ship in its fast-growing fleet. 

Constructed by Fincantieri at its Ancona shipyard, Silver Moon is an evolution of her sister ship Silver Muse. 

The ship benefits from re-imagined public spaces, butler service in all suite categories, a nearly 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio, and Silversea’s hallmark small-ship intimacy.

Debut of "S.A.L.T"

The launch of Silver Moon also marks the debut of Silversea’s revolutionary new culinary program, Sea and Land Taste or S.A.L.T.

Three new onboard venues form a hub of culinary discovery for guests: in Silver Moon’s S.A.L.T. Kitchen, S.A.L.T. Lab, and S.A.L.T.  

Guests are invited to delve deeper into each region’s cuisine and culture with regionally-inspired dishes, drinks, and demonstrations. 

Special S.A.L.T. shore excursions enable travellers to experience the food and drink cultures of each destination firsthand.

Sailing ahead

The first of two ships in Silversea’s fleet to have returned to service, Silver Moon is joined by new ship Silver Origin—now sailing on all-new itineraries in the Galapagos Islands. 

Silver Muse will set sail for Alaska when she departs for the region’s glaciers from Seattle on July 29. 

Beginning July 30, Silver Shadow will undertake all-Icelandic circumnavigations out of Reykjavik. 

Additional Silversea ships are expected to set sail in the near future and Silversea’s third new ship since 2020, Silver Dawn, is scheduled to depart on her maiden voyage in November 2021.

Silver Moon is one of six Silversea ships—others include Silver Muse, Silver Origin, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, and Silver Explorer—to have recently earned Certification in Infection Prevention for the Maritime industry (CIP-M) from the world’s leading classification society, DNV. 

These certifications highlight Silversea’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of guests, crew, and the communities it visits as part of the company’s healthy return to service.

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