Silversea Announces New Ship's Name

Silversea, which last year announced it would build a new ship but had few details to share, came through today with some color. First up: The 36,000-ton, 540-passenger ship, which will debut in 2009, will be called the Silver Spirit. The ship's name is in line with others in the fleet (Silver Wind, Silver Cloud, Silver Whisper and Silver Shadow).

The most tantalizing tidbits? The ship's spa and fitness facility will be more than twice the size of the fleet's current largest (on Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper). Also, the ship will unveil a new specialty restaurant called Annabelle's. Meant to replicate a supper club-style experience, diners can eat and dance in the same venue; it's a broader interpretation of the line's occasional dinner dance events in its main dining venues. Owner's suites will be 20 percent larger than those on Silversea's existing ships.

In other news, the line said that it would invest -- amount not disclosed -- in fairly major refurbishments of Silver Wind and Silver Cloud, Silversea's oldest duo. These will take place in November 2008 and May 2009 respectively. Among the changes planned are new soft goods (draperies, bed linens and bath towels), upgrades to verandah furnishings, and the addition of flat screen televisions throughout. As well, the spa will be relocated from Deck 7 to Deck 9 (for better views) and new suites will be built in the spa's old locale.