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Silversea confirms Antarctica season with three ships from Chilean ports

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Silversea will offer a three-ship Antarctica season with departures from Chile's Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams
Silversea Cruises reached an agreement with the Chilean authorities to depart from Punta Arenas for its 2021/22 Antarctica season as Antarctica cruising — uncertain until now — returns.

Silver Cloud and Silver Wind will sail from Punta Arenas, while Silver Explorer will continue with its scheduled plan to depart from Chile's Puerto Williams starting in November.

'Leading the return of cruising in Antarctica, as facilitated by our agreement with the Chilean government, represents our commitment to delivering unforgettable travel experiences for our guests,' Silversea President and CEO Roberto Martinoli said. He praised Chile for its dedication to restarting cruising to the White Continent in a safe manner.  

'Fantastic gateway'

'Chile is a fantastic gateway with a stable infrastructure and excellent services,' added Silversea's Conrad Combrink, SVP expeditions, turnaround operations and destination management. 'We commend the Chilean authorities for their collaborative approach and we look forward to building a long-term partnership for an enhanced guest experience. From here, our guests can discover the unique allure of the final continent in luxurious comfort. With four ships already sailing in other regions of the world, we have demonstrated our commitment to delivering unforgettable travel experiences for our guests in the safest possible manner.'

Hotel overnight in Santiago, then on to Punta Arenas

Silver Cloud and Silver Wind passengers will now fly into Santiago, where they will stay overnight in a hotel before flying to Punta Arenas the next day to embark their ship. Those sailing on Silver Explorer will embark at Puerto Williams, apart from travelers  booking 'Antarctica Bridge,' which will fly them from Punta Arenas to King George Island in Antarctica to join the vessel.

Silversea's Antarctica collection includes a series of mostly 10-day explorations of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, as well as shorter sailings of five, six or nine days as part of the Antarctica Bridge fly-cruise program. Longer journeys encompass the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, Falkland Islands, Elephant Island and South Georgia. Two ‘Deep Antarctica’ itineraries will spend 20 days tracing a path beyond the Antarctic Circle, attempting to reach a latitude of 69 degrees south.

Solar eclipse cruises

Plus, two cruises offer the chance to witness the solar eclipse on Dec. 4 from Antarctica, the only place on Earth where it can be viewed in totality.