CroisiEurope Acquires Silver Discoverer
By Anne Kalosh.
European river giant CroisiEurope acquired a second oceangoing ship, Silver Discoverer, which currently sails for Silversea Expeditions.
The 120-passenger vessel will be renamed La Belle des Océans, and begin operating for CroisiEurope in October 2019 on 10-night cruises in Asia, sailing between Singapore and Phuket. Then she will head on to India, the Middle East, the Greek Islands and the Mediterrranean, before operating on the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes in summer 2020.
CroisiEurope said the small size of La Belle des Océans makes it “the perfect ship to discover new itineraries.” Currently, the company’s La Belle de l’Adriatique explores the smaller ports and harbors of the Adriatic (Croatia, Greece, Albania and Montenegro) and the Mediterranean (Malta and Sicily, Cyprus and the Holy Land).
La Belle des Océans is consistent with La Belle de l’Adriatique — both stretch about 104 meters/338 feet. However, La Belle des Océans is more spacious than the 197-passenger La Belle de l’Adriatique
It has seven decks, two more than La Belle de l’Adriatique, and roomier, all-suite accommodations, nine with balconies. Public rooms include a pair of lounges, a restaurant, a poolside bar-grill, a fitness center, a beauty salon and spa, and laundry service.
The ship was built in Japan as Oceanic Grace in 1989 and subsequently sailed as Oceanic Odyssey and Clipper Odyssey. It was extensively refurbished in 2014.
For Silversea, Silver Discoverer has operated expedition cruises in the Pacific. A year ago the company announced it would be ending its charter from the owner, Miami-based SunStone Ships, and that the vessel would leave the fleet this summer. Now part of the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. family, Silversea is going to focus on new builds.
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