Latest news with #SilverseaCruises
Travel Weekly
08-07-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Atlas Ocean Voyages hires Kristian Anderson to lead sales
Atlas Ocean Voyages has named Kristian Anderson executive vice president of global sales. Anderson had led Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's global sales since 2021. Kristian Anderson Anderson has extensive experience in luxury cruising. He previously worked at Silversea Cruises, and his time at Ritz-Carlton was during the brand's launch. There, he was senior vice president of global sales. He has also worked in aviation and river cruising at Qatar Airways and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. Atlas CEO James Rodriguez called Anderson a "welcome addition" with a "leadership position in the trade community." Atlas debuted in 2021 and operates three expedition ships, each accommodating about 200 passengers.
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
The 17 cruise ships ravaged by deadly diseases you need to check before heading on vacation
Millions of people board cruise ships each year seeking relaxation, but some vessels are hiding filthy secrets below deck. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed at least 17 cruise ships that reported disease outbreaks between January and May 2025. Cruise lines, including Holland America, Princess Cruises, Viking and Cunard, have seen multiple vessels impacted by epidemics in recent months, prompting renewed scrutiny for onboard sanitation and food safety protocols. Norovirus, often referred to as the 'cruise ship virus' due to its rapid spread in close quarters, was the most common culprit, cited in 13 of the incidents where 1,568 guests and crew members fell ill. The virus is highly contagious and causes vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Silver Ray, operated by Silversea Cruises, reported an outbreak caused by E. coli, and Sea Cloud Spirit was presumed to have had a ciguatera outbreak, an illness linked to eating reef fish contaminated with toxins. Four other cruise ships, Seven Seas Explorer, Zuiderdam, National Geographic Sea Lion, and Silver Ray, were investigated for gastrointestinal illness outbreaks, but the specific causative agent remains unknown in those cases. The CDC defines a cruise ship outbreak as when at least three percent of passengers or crew report symptoms of gastrointestinal illness during a voyage. These outbreaks are monitored through the agency's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which tracks and investigates health issues on ships sailing into US ports. The program inspects ships for water and food safety, hygiene practices, waste management, and pest control. Despite the recent outbreaks, all affected vessels received satisfactory scores, 85 or higher, on a 100-point scale. Holland America Line reported six outbreaks this year, five of which were linked to Norovirus. One was classified as 'unknown.' Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads easily in the close quarters of a cruise ship, often via contaminated surfaces, direct contact, or food prepared by infected crew. The virus can survive for days on surfaces, making it difficult to contain once onboard. Between January 4 and May 3, 658 of 10,748 guests and 73 of 4,172 crew members across multiple voyages were infected. The affected ships included two separate Eurodam excursions, Volendam and two separate Rotterdam sailings. The case deemed 'unknown' was reported on Holland America Lines Zuiderdam in April, which saw 56 of 1,149 guests and 14 of 751 crew members fall ill. The CDC shows that the predominant symptom was diarrhea. The Queen Mary 2 (pictured) departed from Southampton on March 8 for a 29-night voyage visiting ports in the eastern Caribbean and New York City. It will return to England on Sunday Viking Expedition Operations' Viking Polaris, Seabourn Cruise Line's Seabourn Encore, Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 and Princess Cruises' Coral Princess also experienced Norovirus outbreaks this year. As did the Royal Caribbean International's Radiance of the Seas and Viking Ocean Cruises II's Viking Mars. However, the outbreak on Queen Mary 2 hit at least 224 passengers and 17 crew members. The Queen Mary 2 departed from Southampton on March 8 for a 29-night voyage visiting ports in the eastern Caribbean and New York City, and 10 days into the journey, a norovirus outbreak was reported to the VSP. Nearly nine per cent of the 2,538 passengers onboard the ship have fallen ill, as well as 1.4 per cent of the vessel's 1,232-person crew. The CDC said that affected travellers are predominantly displaying symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, which are common to norovirus infection. In response to the norovirus outbreak, the Queen Mary 2 crew has increased cleaning and disinfection procedures on the ship by the vessel's outbreak prevention and response plan. Silversea Cruises' Silver Ray was hit with a spate of E. coli on January 10, which infected 51 of 681 guests and five of 532 crew members. The ship quickly implemented enhanced sanitation measures, as well as isolating both passengers and crew members who reported the illness. Several cruise ships have yet to determine what caused their guests and crew to become sick. The National Geographic Sea Lion, owned by Lindblad Expeditions, reported an outbreak on April 21 after nearly 12 percent of its 43 guests and five percent of its 37 crew members were hit with vomiting, fever and diarrhea. Regent Seven Seas' Seven Seas Explorer also suffered an 'unknown' outbreak in May, leaving 24 guests and crew members sick with diarrhea and vomiting. In response to the outbreak, Regent Seven Seas and the crew aboard the ship collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing and isolated those who reported symptoms.
Japan Times
31-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Japan Times
Waves of umami: Awaji Island's culinary trove
Lifting the lid off a large ceramic pot with a flourish to reveal his aged shoyu, chef Nobuaki Fushiki tells me that with soy sauce, 'taste is born with time.' As the distinctive aroma of umami wafts into the air at Zenbo Seinei — a Zen wellness retreat designed by Shigeru Ban and located in the north of Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture — I'm instructed to place a dash of the rich brown liquid on a small plate. Most of the 20 members of my group, who hail from North America, Europe and Oceania, are joining a soy sauce tasting for the first time, inspired by their introduction to Japanese cuisine onboard the Silver Nova, one of the newest ships from luxury cruise line Silversea Cruises. The Silver Nova, which has a passenger capacity of 728 guests, made its debut voyage in the Asia-Pacific region last September. After sailing from Hokkaido, the ship undertook two voyages in Asia before heading southwards to Australia and New Zealand. It returned to Japan last month. The vessel held its inaugural Sea and Land Taste (SALT) — an immersive culinary program that lets guests experience a destination's cultural identity — in the Asia-Pacific region, which included SALT shore excursions in Japan for the first time. The Silver Nova is one of the newest vessels from Silversea Cruises. | SILVERSEA CRUISES Launched in Greece in 2021, SALT has proved immensely popular among passengers, prompting its expansion from the Mediterranean to voyages that include the Caribbean and South America, before its launch in Japan. Gourmet programs from cruises are, of course, not new. Most international cruises to Japan tend to feature onboard themed dinners featuring regional produce or work with local tour operators to bring passengers for short gourmet jaunts onshore. With the increasing demand globally for more immersive gourmet experiences in travel, a few cruises are now offering culinary tours that take on a more authentic vibe. Princess Cruises, for example, offers a visit to the Yamada miso and soy sauce brewery in Niigata Prefecture. Silversea's SALT program places a heightened emphasis on regional food and its ties to local identity, as well as hands-on experiences for its guests. Its onshore SALT Excursions are designed to offer insights into traditional cooking methods and local ingredients. For example, in Tasmania, passengers had the opportunity to forage local produce with renowned chef Analiese Gregory followed by a lunch with Tasmanian wines. In Napier, New Zealand, guests were taken to the award-winning Craggy Range winery for a private tour, wine-tasting and a five-course meal at the winery's restaurant. On Greece's Mykonos island, turophiles got the opportunity to make Kopanisti at cheese producer Mykonos Farmers. 'The nature of SALT is that it's constantly evolving,' says Adam Sachs, the program's director. 'We're passionate about food and drink and created SALT to share the best of food culture with like-minded guests hungry for truly authentic and memorable culinary experiences.' A staff member at Zenbo Seinei prepares condiments made from soy sauce for lunch. | KATHRYN WORTLEY From Osaka, where the Silver Nova is docked, our shore excursion takes us by bus to Awaji Island, the largest island of the Seto Inland Sea. It includes a fermentation workshop and an eight-course lunch led by Zenbo Seinei's Fushiki, as well as a farm-to-table experience. Bert Hernandez, president of Silversea, says the tour lets guests discover 'the soul of a place through its food and culture.' In this case, the focus is on learning about the building blocks of umami. Umami is a key flavor component in fermented food, which is central to Japanese cooking. For Fushiki, an expert in fermented cuisine, fermented foods not only enhance a meal's flavor and nutritional value but also play an integral role in Japan's culinary identity. At the fermentation workshop, we are introduced to the role of fermentation in a wide range of Japanese condiments, such as soy sauce, miso, mirin and rice vinegar, as well as items like nattō (fermented soybeans) and tsukemono (pickled vegetables). 'Some soy sauces in the supermarket today have been made within months, but my variety has taken me more than six years to brew,' says Fushiki, who uses traditional techniques such as using kōji mold and brine fermentation in the moromi (fermentation mash) to create a soy sauce with depth and complexity. Chef Nobuaki Fushiki of Zenbo Seinei is an expert in fermented cuisine. | KATHRYN WORTLEY Fushiki's six-year-aged soy sauce is served with his Taste of Awaji menu, which takes his team of chefs at Zenbo Seinei a week to prepare. Showcasing the best of the island's produce, from the mountains, sea and farmland, the menu is a fitting introduction to Japanese cuisine as Awaji is recognized in mythology as the birthplace of Japan, he says. According to Japan's earliest written works, the 'Kojiki' ('Records of Ancient Matters') and 'Nihon Shoki' ('The Chronicles of Japan'), the island was the first landmass to be formed during a ceremony carried out by the deities Izanagi and Izanami. Awaji is also known as one of only three miketsukuni (provinces of royal provisions) that supplied food to the imperial court in Kyoto during the Heian Period (794–1185). The island was chosen for its exceptional bounty of agricultural and marine products, which established it as a center for Japanese culinary excellence, a reputation that continues to this day. Fushiki's eight courses reflect this long and rich heritage. The Power of Awaji features Awaji beef fermented with maitake and kōji and finished on a charcoal grill, while 'The History of Japan' comprises Awaji swordfish served on a savory egg custard made with 10 kinds of local vegetables and dashi infused with bonito and kelp. The Ocean of Awaji is a nod to the rich variety of seafood found around the island's rocky and sandy shores. Small parcels of fresh spring green vegetables are wrapped in various kinds of fermented and dried fish alongside green tiger prawn boiled in local sea water. A fine bed of crushed pine nuts, white sesame and shio-kōji (salted kōji) embodies a beach, while an accompaniment of a dashi foam represents ocean waves. Chef Fushiki's The Ocean of Awaji dish is a homage to the rich seafood found around the island. | KATHRYN WORTLEY Great care is also taken to introduce drink pairings with complementary Japanese flavors. The Awaji beef is accompanied with a choice of a Japanese wine made from yamabudō, a wild Japanese grape variety known for its acidity and dark hue, or a mocktail featuring grapes and beetroot, milk-washed or clarified with lemon. The swordfish is served with tea made from herbs and dried shiso (perilla), a popular ingredient in Japanese cuisine, while the ocean course is paired with a tea made from Japanese butterbur, a perennial herb native to East Asia. The alcohol option for both fish dishes is sake, including Regulus, a brew from the award-winning Niigata Prefecture-based Abe Shuzo. After a dessert that includes sweet miso-marinated strawberries with sanshō pepper-infused cream and matcha served with mochi, I visit one of the sources of Zenbo Seinei's fruits and vegetables: Awaji Nature Lab & Resort. Located nearby, the 38,000-square-meter facility grows some 30 crops annually using circular farming, a sustainable practice that minimizes waste by treating byproducts as resources. Farmers make compost using leaf litter, rice bran and manure, changing the composition throughout the seasons to maximize the quality of the fruits and vegetables produced. Such a rare look into a sustainable agricultural practice offers guests a greater appreciation of Awaji's rich bounty. Silver Nova returns to Japan in March 2026, with SALT excursions to Zenbo Seinei and Aomori Prefecture; Silver Moon, another vessel, will arrive in Japan in October 2025, with SALT excursions to Zenbo Seinei and Fukuoka Prefecture.
eNCA
09-05-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Mining company bands with cruiseliner to tackle youth unemployment
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa continues to grapple with staggering youth unemployment levels, which have gone up by nearly 10% in the past decade. Approximately 45.5% of youth are currently out of a job. But big business is doing its part to help. READ | Workers' Day | Many willing workers, not enough jobs Anglo American, through its Zimele initiative, has joined forces with Silversea Cruises. They've created a programme designed to offer job opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industries, equipping participants with valuable skills and a professional network.
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Forbes
Finding Authenticity And Identity On A Silversea Cruise To Rhodes
Cruise ship Silver Spirit (Silversea Cruises) at Gibraltar Cruise Terminal. On an all-too-brief Aegean cruise on the Silversea Silver Spirit, our ship stopped at the Isle of Rhodes. I expected to spend the day on an excursion on the island. Perhaps we would also do some sightseeing, shopping, learn some history and soak up a bit of the local flavor like olive oil on our bread. I did not expect a pair of profound experiences in authenticity and identity, one at the Rhodian Pottery Workshop excursion, the other at the last surviving synagogue in Rhodes. I knew little about the island save references to the legendary Colossus of Rhodes, the 105 foot copper statue. But Rhodes was once a powerful maritime power in the Eastern Mediterranean, during the Hellenistic Period from 400 to 200 BC. The 'jewel of the Aegean' has since been ruled by Romans, Ottomans, Türkiye, Italians, and others, including the Nazis from 1943 to 1945. It was returned to Greece in 1947. For the Pottery Workshop, we debarked from the Silver Spirit and got on a waiting van with intrepid driver and guide. Our English-speaking twelve included young, middle-aged, and seniors, and a family with a boy and girl under 12. We departed the port of Rhodes and headed to the north side of the island. We enjoyed the panoramic views of the Rhodian countryside and the sea on the drive to the ceramics studio. East Greek (Rhodian) oinochoe, Wild Goat style, 630-600 BC. East Greek pottery oinochoe (wine-jug); ... More shoulder: griffin between two goats; belly: four goats with a water-bird beneath the handle; the neck has a cable pattern, and around the bottom is a pattern of lotus buds and flowers; Middle Wild Goat style. Dimensions: height: 33 cmdiameter: 20 cm (Photo by Ashmolean Museum/) Our tour guide to Rhodes was voluble, but knowledgeable, with thirty years of guiding experience. He told us to call him 'Lefty' as his name seemed unpronounceable to generations of tourists. On our way to our destination, he told us about the history of the island. The famed bronze Colossus of Rhodes, considered one of the wonders of the ancient worlds, lasted just 66 years before it was destroyed by an earthquake. Although it captured the imagination of poets .and artists, no trace of the statue has yet been found. Lefty's lecture was interesting and entertaining if a bit heavy on marriage jokes. But he was quite serious about the steep decline in the number of local families focused on pottery. Much of the culture of the island has been documented in its pottery and ceramics, which goes back to pre-historic times, including a cultural peak in the 20th century. However, Lefty despairingly put it, 'Everything is plastic today.' The number of families focused on pottery has declined from dozens to five today. Nonetheless, when we arrived the pottery studio seemed an impressive operation, with hundreds of items on display or for sale. The family owners taught us about the techniques of pottery making, demonstrating on the pottery wheel, and about Rhodes' long tradition of producing ceramics. Potter sculpting a decorative plate at a pottery workshop in the village of Akotiri on Santorini ... More Island, Greece. (Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images) We drank shots of ouzo while waiting our turns at the wheel, downing Greek olives and bread as well. Looking at the pottery for sales with Greek themes (the gods, rams and bulls, ancient ships, etc.), I felt transported back in time. Then it was our turn at the wheel. We had signed up to make cups, bowls and, for the most daring, a curvy vase. While the master potter did much of the work, it was exhilarating to put hands on (or thumbs down into) the spinning lump of clay, which within minutes we transformed into pottery. We paid an extra twenty euro for our cup and bowl to be fired and glazed with colors. I felt connected to the past, making my own version of an ancient design. For the adults but especially for the children in our group, getting hands-on to make an everyday item like the Greeks had done for thousands of years was memorable indeed. We returned to the town, full of shopkeepers and restaurateurs trying to pull us into their establishments. Lefty had told us about the town's only surviving synagogue, which we found up a narrow alley. There were once six synagogues and prayer halls in the Jewish Quarter, known as 'La Juderia.' Now Kahal Shalom is the sole remaining synagogue on Rhodes used for services. The synagogue was built in 1577, making it the oldest surviving synagogue in Greece, although the first Jews arrived as early as the 12th century. Kahal Shalom Synagogue in Rhodes, Greece.(Photo by Hoberman Collection/Universal Images Group via ... More Getty Images) Rhodes was part of the great tragedy of the Jews of Greece. Kahal Shalom is today both a synagogue and museum. While at one time as many as 6,000 Jews lived on Rhodes, 1900 lived there in 1943. Less than 200 survived the Holocaust. Over 67,000 Greek Jews, 87% of the Jewish population of Greece, were murdered in the Holocaust. (Some 500,000 non-Jewish Greeks also died in World War II.) Few survived from Rhodes, and according to the woman taking tickets, just fifteen Jews are members of the synagogue today. Getting a minyan of ten men to pray together is difficult and happens rarely. Rhodes was for hundreds of years home to a thriving Jewish community, of first Romaniote and then Sephardic Jews after the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal. I went through the museum, staring at photos of their faces and their beautiful clothing. As I glumly contemplated whether Europe was entirely a graveyard today, a short 30-ish man with short hair and wrap-around sunglasses ran in. 'Any Jewish men here?' he shouted excitedly in an Israeli accent. 'You want to do a minyan?' I said. 'Let's do it.' Bimah and interior of the Kahal Shalom Synagogue build in sephardic style from 1577 and the oldest ... More in Greece, Rhodes Town,Rhodes, Greece I was the tenth man, joining nine others, mostly young but a couple not so much, to pray together in the empty synagogue. A young man stood on the pulpit, in the center of the synagogue and read the prayers aloud from his cellphone. Cruise ships are often portrayed as the ultimate in material and sybaritic pleasures. Indeed, there is something glorious about exquisite meals, fine wines, convivial gambling as I found on the Silversea Silver Spirit, a visit to the spa, perhaps a cigar. Yet cruise ships often offer a nod towards the spiritual, whether it be traditional religious services on board, meditation, yoga, or simply the contemplation of a majestic glacier or ocean sunset. On one day in Rhodes, our group of cruisers filled buildings with renewed life and delight. Our Silversea cruise quite literally took us to places we never thought we'd go. A hand-colored engraving of the Colossus of Rhodes, on of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
