NEW YORK -- Silversea Cruises detailed the multi-million dollar refurbishment that its two smallest ships, the Silver Wind and Silver Cloud, will undergo in the next year in order to keep its oldest ships up to the standards of its upcoming newbuilds.
Speaking onboard its new expedition ship the Prince Albert II here, Silversea President Amerigo Perasso said that the two 13-year-old, 296-passenger ships "desperately" needed upgrading, and that the Wind would go into drydock in November, followed by the Cloud in May.
He said that the line didn't want its older ships to fall behind in quality when the line's new 36,000-ton, 540-passenger ship, its fifth, is delivered from Italy's Fincantieri shipyard in late 2009.
"We put the hand in the pocket and made further investments," Perasso said.
As part of the refurbishments, the ships will get new marble bathrooms; flat-screens TVs; an enlarged spa, which will be moved to the vessels' top decks; and additional high-end suites.
Perasso said that with the line's new ship order, the conversion of the Prince Albert II into a Silversea ship and these refurbs, Silversea would spend a half-billion dollars on its fleet over the next three years.