Silversea Cruises’ newest ultra-luxury ship, Silver Spirit, reached an important milestone on Friday, February 27 when she was transferred (“floated out” in shipbuilding parlance) from dry dock to wet dock at the Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy.

Silver Spirit’s first connection with the sea was marked by an official ceremony at the shipyard attended by senior management from Silversea and Fincantieri. Over the coming months, the new build will undergo her final outfitting works and be ready for delivery in December.

“This is the dawn of a new era of luxury cruising for Silversea and the industry at large”, declared Manfredi Lefebvre, Silversea chairman. “Much planning and collaboration has gone into the design of our newborn, and it is exciting both as a company, and personally, to see Silver Spirit evolve through the final phases of her construction.”

On December 23, the all-suite luxury ship will embark on an 11-day “Holiday Spirit” maiden voyage, sailing from Barcelona to Lisbon, followed on January 3 by a 16-day “Maiden Crossing” from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale, where a formal naming ceremony will be held on January 21.

After the event, Silver Spirit will set a course for New York on a fascinating Grand Inaugural Voyage. During this magnificent 91-day “Spirit of South America” journey, guests will visit more than 45 ports in over 20 different countries and island destinations across two continents.

Highlights include a visit to Rio de Janeiro in time for Carnival, a journey around the end of the earth at Cape Horn, an in-depth exploration of the Mexican Riviera and a crossing of the Panama Canal.

After completing her inaugural season, Silver Spirit will spend the summer in the Mediterranean and then reposition to the Caribbean for fall and winter cruises.