Luxury Travel Advisor recently sailed on Silversea’s annual “Venetian Society Reunion Cruise," a two-week voyage on Silver Nova from Tokyo, Japan, to Singapore. Our first story covered the pre-cruise experience, boarding, our Deluxe Balcony Suite and initial dining experiences. A second story focused on the itinerary, shoreside experiences, and more about dining and public spaces on board. Now, in this final third article, we provide gleanings from a one-on-one chat with Bert Hernandez, the line’s new president. He joined the cruise in Hong Kong.
We first asked Hernandez—a 20-year Royal Caribbean Group veteran appointed as Silversea's president in spring 2024—what he'd learned most about the ultra-luxury brand since taking its helm; Has anything surprised him? Given his past executive roles within the group, “I’d been studying the brand for many years,” he told us. “I was a fan of it.”
But after a few months on the job, he says this: "Just understanding the enthusiasm of the passengers—the guests—and the sense of community that they feel, I think that’s unique and something a little unexpected." He also cited “the passion and absolute enthusiasm that the crew and employees have. It’s a really inspiring spirit that you see. That is the most rewarding thing and also surprising.”
Silver Nova and Ship Sizing
Since we were sailing on Silver Nova, launched in 2023, we asked Hernandez about the two 728-passenger, Nova-class ships' larger size, compared with the line's other ships. Is that appealing to guests who are accustomed to bit smaller vessels? For example, Silver Shadow serves only 392 guests while Silver Dawn accommodates 596 passengers.
Initially, “I think that a lot of our guests were concerned about the size of the ship,” Hernandez acknowledged. But he said that now those concerns are resolved as the Nova-class "has an amazing space ratio.” Yes, the two ships in that class are larger than Silversea’s other vessels but “it’s not that you feel there's more people," he stressed. Instead, the "design is unique. It stands out from the big white ship that you normally see. It has a different silhouette, which people love. I think the venues—the spaces—are amazing.”
Also, "very important to me," Hernandez told us, is that Silver Nova’s new horizontal layout also brings in more light to interior public spaces. A different type of benefit—one of a scenic nature—also awaits on the ship's pool deck. Silver Nova's elongated pool is purposely positioned close to one side of the ship, providing pool goers with incredible scenic views of the ocean and landscapes. In contrast, most other pools in the cruise industry are situated in the ship’s center. So, on those vessels, the amount of “distance” to either side is much greater; Silver Nova and sister Silver Ray offer a new experience in that way.

Using one example to make that point, Hernandez asked us, “Did you see that ‘Sailaway Party’ from Hong Kong? The guests were in the pool!” In other words, people didn't have to get out of the pool and head to a railing to see incredible views of Hong Kong’s skyline. They were already admiring those views and enjoying the Sailaway Party while relaxing in the pool.
Since some competitors plan larger ships, we asked Hernandez if Silversea would possibly "go even bigger" in future ship sizing. At present, Silver Nova’s 728-guest total works well for Silversea. He said, “There’s always a balance for us. The main thing is to make sure and ensure that the ships can access the ports that we want and that are important to our guests. So, we look at it from that perspective and also having plenty of space for guests to spread out.”
While Silver Nova is only a year old, Silversea will soon be making one major tweak soon. During a guest Q&A during our Asia cruise, Hernandez said that the line will add a magrodome atop The Marquee by spring 2025. Right now, during rainy weather, that casual restaurant's central core must be cordoned off as both furniture and flooring get wet with water dripping through a slatted, open roof covering. But by next spring, The Marquee will transform into an all-weather venue.
What about fleet harmonization? Is that in Silversea's future? Having a diverse fleet is just fine, believes Hernandez. “We love it that people have their favorite ship, or sometimes the crew brings them back on a specific ship, sometimes as much as the ship itself.” But most often, he says, the itinerary is “the number-one determinant of what ship people do. But I think we're fine with having different sizes of ships as long as the level of standards are at the same and consistent across everything. It does create the variety that I think people enjoy.”
Stepping Up, New-to-Cruise
Royal Caribbean Group recently initiated a “status match” policy for guests across its three prime U.S. brands—Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. So, a guest who has sailed many cruises on one of the brands can now carry that status to the other brands to access designated added perks. Is that helping more guests “step up” from premium on Celebrity to luxury on Silversea?
“Yes, it has," said Hernandez, noting "I mean, proportionally." He continued: "I think it goes both ways. So, some Silversea guests are also loving the ability to go to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity” and vice versa. Overall, "I think people are really liking [status-matching].”
How is the ultra-luxury brand working to attract new-to-cruise guests? Certainly, Silversea's expedition product with Silver Endeavour is one way—as voyages to both ends of the Earth in the Arctic region and Antarctica are increasingly drawing new-to-cruise eco-adventurers. Similarly, the ultra-luxury line operates Galapagos eco-focused sailings on other expedition vessels. These expedition sailings also cater to a slightly younger demographic, and once they've tried the brand, for a future vacation, they might then transition to a non-expedition ocean voyage. Silversea tells us that new immersive land programs also are a draw for new-to-cruise guests who then combine a land experience and voyage.

But another big way that Silversea is attracting new-to-cruise is with its deployment. That includes a new collection of 160 ocean voyages for 2026. "We're going to have a lot of seven-night segments that are combinable” into longer, back-to-back voyages, Hernandez told us. So, "it expands the market." He said there are obviously many people for whom "money is not the constraint, but time is.” He believes those potential new-to-cruise guests will appreciate the weeklong voyages that deliver an ultra-luxury experience. Yet, guests who want longer itineraries can combine those—many offering nonrepeating ports—to create 14-night to 49-night vacations.
The 2026 lineup includes calls in more than 150 destinations in 33 countries, including five inaugural calls and 99 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Departing between March 15 and December 9, 2026, the new sailings coincide with many of the world’s most iconic events and experiences, from the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh and Monaco Grand Prix to the autumnal foliage season in Canada and New England, the D-Day Commemoration in Normandy and more. And for the first time, all Silversea ships will offer immersive culinary experiences ashore as part of the S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) culinary program.
Increasingly, both loyal past guests and new-to-cruise guests are remote workers, so having Starlink installed on Silversea’s ships is a big plus. Hernandez added that the line will also offer Starlink at the new Silversea hotel that it’s building in Puerto Williams, Chile, for guests heading to Antarctica voyages. In addition, Starlink “is also going to be one of those things that the [local] community will be able to access," he said.
Silversea's New Hotel
One advantage of being part of a bigger group such as Royal Caribbean Group, according to Hernandez, is being able to do such an unusual investment as building the world’s southernmost hotel. That’s an advantage he explained, as the corporate approach is: "You have good ideas, you show performance, you get investments."
As for “why” in building the hotel, “it just is a better product,” said Hernandez, referring to the complete Antarctica experience. Given the locale, much time is spent in "getting there" and overnighting in southern South America. But the new hotel will help as "it allows us to bring everybody together on the one route," he explained. Currently, on the pre-cruise land portion, Silversea often must subdivide a voyage's total passenger group for guest stays at several Puerto Williams hotel properties. "And this demographic does not like that,” he emphasized.
In fact, Luxury Travel Advisor experienced that first-hand in 2022 on a Silversea Antarctica trip; guests placed in one Puerto Williams hotel were upset that it didn’t seem as nice to them as another hotel that other fellow guests were staying at. But Silversea had no choice but to split them up due to capacity issues at the existing properties. So, having its own, new hotel will solve that issue.
In addition, that “just allows us to prepare everybody at the same time and give lectures," Hernandez told us. "We'll control the quality. We'll control the service. We'll control the food. And, most importantly, Silversea can "guarantee availability” for all guests on a voyage in one hotel, so the overall experience will be better.
We asked Hernandez if Silversea plans to bring S.A.L.T. into the dining available at that new hotel? “Actually, that's a really good idea,” he responded. “I had not thought about it." But while he indicated curiosity about that potential, for now, Hernandez told us that his prime goal for the new hotel is “getting it built” and “getting it up.”

Beyond having all guests from one voyage stay at the same Puerto Williams hotel, the new Silversea hotel can also eliminate the need for a separate pre-cruise night in Santiago, Chile. Today, guests heading to Antarctica must stay pre-cruise in two different cities (Santiago and Puerto Williams) before even getting to the Antarctica region.
Silversea offers different types of Antarctica itineraries—those that cross the infamous Drake Passage in a round-trip sea voyage from Puerto Williams or, alternatively, via flights directly to and from King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. For the latter, the ship waits just offshore and Antarctica is only 70 miles away. As for that flight option, “people love it, and they pay more for it,” Hernandez revealed. “Again, that expands the market because you can do it in fewer nights.”
Elsewhere Across the Globe
One competitor has recently added some voyages with every port of call as a double overnight, specifically designed to attract luxury hotel guests who've never cruised. Will Silversea consider doing more of that as well? “Over time, you’re seeing a lot of cross-over, anyway,” said Hernandez. “We do some of that, but we also look at the data.” Even when Silversea does add extra time in port into a schedule, it is discovering that a lot of people stay on the ship for dinner anyway.
So, what’s coming up for Silversea's itineraries and shoreside development. Here's what's planned for 2026 voyages across the globe. In addition, guests can expect a few new developments. For example, "we’re really going to be developing a festival…and cultural festivals," Hernandez told us. "But it’s a bit different than what people may think.”
Certainly, Silversea will continue to develop big hoopla events ashore for such festivals as Carnivale or, as it did recently on the Venetian Society Reunion Cruise, a “Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival” event in partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Moving forward, though, "we’re also going to be much more localized with smaller, kind of unknown festivals,” said Hernandez, noting that these will be “immersive” and “authentic.”
And as previously mentioned, some new voyages—like those combinable sailings—will better serve different demographics. And, as part of that, "we put a lot of effort in talking to our guests, looking at data at where they wanted to go to make sure that we were indexed properly in terms of deployment,” Hernandez said. “A lot of them are very much fans of the Mediterranean, so we made sure that we had the proper deployment. And in winter, we found we were a little under indexed in the Caribbean, for instance, so we adjusted that.”
Luxury Guests and Sourcing
So, who are today’s Silversea guests and where do they hail from? One factoid is that the majority of those cruising on Silversea speak English. Sourcing-wise, “the U.S. is not only the biggest, most important [market], but it’s growing, partly because of the emphasis in the deployment,” said Hernandez. Yet, while the deployment mix can drive sourcing, "we’re truly global," he said, noting that it's important to continually understand the global mix and “make sure that the product can appeal and support [different] nationalities.”
In Europe, “the U.K. has always been very strong,” he stressed. In North America, Canada is important with market strength that fluctuates based on currency exchange rates. Currently showing solid growth are both Australia and Asia. In fact, Hernandez revealed that “on a percentage basis, Asia is the fastest growing market,” specifically referring to Singapore (not China).
In terms of the trade, “they’re critical as they’re our biggest marketing [channel]” he explained. “We always want to be first with them, and we are constantly trying to improve and not only develop a relationship but also a business proposition. One of the things that I’ve been very pleased about is how business-minded they are.” He sees advisors always looking for a win-win proposition. “So, when they win, we win, and that’s not only sustainable, it’s the right way to go,” Hernandez stressed.
In working with advisors, “we do a lot with them in terms of co-op and that’s a critical piece,” Hernandez said, noting that it's a significant amount of marketing funds. “They have great databases," he added, and leveraging that is important. “We want to make sure that we do that properly," Hernandez stressed. And then, the other piece is “to have a very clear and easy to understand emotional kind of message and really easy to do business with.”
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