The Silver Spirit, an 8-year-old Silversea Cruises ship, will be cut in two and a 49-foot section inserted in the middle. The line plans to add 34 suites with the extension.
The Silver Spirit currently has
270 suites. The addition will give it the capacity to carry 608 guests at
double occupancy, making it Silversea's largest ship.
Silversea has never done a ship stretch.
"The
lengthening of a ship always entails a rare level of complexity," said Giorgio
Rizzo, senior vice president of services for Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilding company that will do the
work at its yard in Sicily next March.
The prebuilt midsection will house six
Silver Suites, 26 Veranda Suites and two Panorama Suites.
Technical upgrades will also be implemented.