Prince Albert II docked at the southside of Pier 92, North River on August 26, 2008

Silversea Cruises’ new expedition ship Prince Albert II paid a short visit to New York docking on the southside of Pier 92, North River. Press, travel agents and Venetian Society members (Silversea’s past passengers) were invited to inspect the ship.
Originally built at Rauma in Finland in 1989, the 6,072grt ship was first named Delfin Clipper for Delphin Cruises. She traded for several subsequent owners, the last one being Discoverer Reederie which owned Society Expeditions, operating her under the name World Discoverer. The firm ceased operations in 2004 and Sembawang Shipyard, being owned a substantial sum of money for the conversion, repossessed the ship. She remained in the Singapore shipyard until Silversea Cruises bought her and had her substantially refitted and increasing the size of the cabins.
Prince Albert II, named after the current reigning head of the Principality of Monaco, takes up to 132 passengers and an international crew of 111 on worldwide exploratory voyages at a speed of 14 knots. She is 354 feet in length, with a beam of 52 feet, an ice classification of 1A and is registered in the Bahamas.
Her spacious accommodations likely qualify her as the most luxurious expedition vessel afloat. All cabins are outsides with portholes, view windows, French balconies (step out verandahs) or full verandahs. The smallest measures 175 square feet and largest, the owner’s suite, 626 square feet. Most category designations are similar to the exiting Silversea fleet - Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper.
Her expedition fares, priced as slightly above the current Silversea rates, include shore excursions, gratuities, wines, champagnes and spirits, stocked in-room bar, water resistant backpack and parka.
Upon leaving New York, the ship deadheaded to Fort Lauderdale to pick up passengers for a trans-Canal cruise to the West Coast and after several introductory cruises to Mexico, Prince Albert II sails down the west coast of South America to begin cruising to the Antarctic Peninsula into February 2009. Following a February Chilean Fjords cruise, she sails west via Easter Island to be based in Tahiti for a March to September program of 10, 11 and 14-day cruises from Papeete to the Society Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago, Marquesas Islands and Austral Islands. Two cruises in June and early July take her to a series of South Pacific islands such as the Cook Islands, Tonga and Western Samoa. She then returns via Easter Island to Chile to then commence a second season in Australia. Initially, her primary target passengers will be Americans, British and Australians with Europeans and others initially coming on in smaller numbers.