The Silver Wind is resuming service for Silversea Cruises today after a 27-month operational pause.

Now offering expedition cruises to remote destinations, the ultra-luxury vessel is also kicking off a new phase of its cruising career.

After a major upgrade that took place in 2021, the vessel is debuting a set of new features that include a strengthened hull, ice-detecting sonars, 24 zodiacs and 14 kayaks.

Departing on its first cruise since March 2020, the Wind is welcoming guests in Greece for a cruise to Portugal.

The 14-night itinerary sails from Piraeus to Lisbon and includes visits to unusual destinations in the Mediterranean, such as Delphi (Greece), Sousse (Tunisia), Motril (Spain) and San Remo (Italy).

Once in Portugal, the ship offers a British Islands and Western Europe cruise before sailing to Iceland and Svalbard – where it’s set to spend most of the summer.

The 2022 program also includes expeditions to Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, in addition to a unique Northwest Passage itinerary.

Departing in late August, the 24-day expedition sails all the way from Greenland to Alaska, featuring visits to remote destinations in Northern Canada.

In December, the vessel is set to debut in Antarctica, offering several expeditions to the White Continent during the 2022-2023 season.

One of Silversea’s original ships, the Silver Wind originally entered service in 1995. The 16,800-ton luxury vessel was built in Italy as a sister to the 1994-built Silver Cloud.

After 20 years sailing around the world, the vessel started its transformation in 2018 during a major refurbishment that included modernization of cabins and public areas.

In 2021, the work was completed during a second major drydock.

This time, the vessel saw the addition of an ice-strengthened hull for cruising in polar waters, in addition to technology upgrades.

Other additions included a new advanced wastewater treatment plant, new food waste treatment facilities, and new fuel-saving boilers.

According to Silversea, the Wind also received a set of enhancements that will enable immersive expedition cruising in both polar regions, as well as in the world’s most remote tropical waters.

Among them is a reduced guest capacity of just 274, the presence of 28 expedition experts, a mudroom and a special water heating system in the ship’s swimming pool.