You can cruise in a former helicopter hangar (in luxury)

Nathan Diller, USA TODAY
Updated ·3 min read
The new suite categories will feature expansive views.
The new suite categories will feature expansive views.

Silversea Cruises will add luxe new suite categories to its Silver Endeavour expedition ship, including in an unlikely location: a helicopter hangar.

The accommodations will be added as part of a refurbishment at Italy's San Giorgio del Porto shipyard beginning April 3, the cruise line said Thursday. Six of the suites will replace a former helicopter hangar amidships, and offer roomy digs with sweeping views.

"Silver Endeavour’s refurbishment will strengthen her status as the world’s most luxurious expedition ship," Roberto Bruzzone, Silversea’s senior vice president of marine operations, said in a news release. "With our guests' cruise experience in mind, we are broadening her range of accommodation options by introducing two new suite categories, enriching a selection of public venues, and creating space for addition crew members to maintain one of the industry's highest crew-to-guest ratios."

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Royal Caribbean Group, Silversea's parent company, acquired the former Crystal Cruises ship last year after the line suspended operations.

Due to the ship visiting polar regions with unpredictable weather, the use of a helicopter would be limited or nonexistent and the space better serves as additional accommodations, a Silversea spokesperson told USA TODAY.

What can guests expect from the new suites?

Two master suites and four signature suites will replace the helicopter hangar.

At nearly 1,200 square feet, the master suites will feature a large living area and a bathroom with a whirlpool bath and walk-in shower, according to the release. Located near the ship's aft, the rooms will also have 270-degree views from their verandas and living areas, courtesy of panoramic, vaulted glazing. The verandas measure 312 square feet.

The four signature suites will be between 721 and 850 square feet, with an open living room and dining area, and a bathroom with a walk-in shower and whirlpool bath. The accommodations will also have floor-to-ceiling glass windows in the bedroom and verandas ranging from 167 to 269 square feet.

The ship will undergo a refurbishment beginning in April.
The ship will undergo a refurbishment beginning in April.

Both suite categories have convertible sofas, as well.

The line will also add four classic veranda suites that will replace the ship's medical center. The 356-square-foot rooms will feature the same layout and features as the line's current veranda suites, and have a 52-square-foot veranda.

The medical center will be moved elsewhere on the ship, the Silversea spokesperson said.

As part of the refurbishment, the line will remove the casino, allowing room for four new crew cabins that can accommodate seven more crew members. "As well as bolstering the ship’s hotel team, the extra cabins will enlarge the ship’s expedition team to 22 - offering guests greater access to more specialists for a deeper immersion into the destination," the line said in the release.

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Where does Silver Endeavour sail?

The refurbishment comes on the heels of Silver Endeavour's inaugural season in Antarctica. After the updates are complete, the ship will sail two voyages in Iceland and the British Isles, before starting its inaugural Arctic season on June 3.

The line's Silver Endeavour ship will undergo a refurbishment starting in April.
The line's Silver Endeavour ship will undergo a refurbishment starting in April.

How much will the new suite categories cost?

Pricing varies depending on the sailing and the length of the itinerary, but a two-week July 17 sailing from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada to Kangerlussuaq in Greenland starts at $52,500 door-to-door per guest based on double occupancy for a master suite and $45,900 for a signature suite, according to the line's website.

The new suite categories will have walk-in showers and whirlpool baths.
The new suite categories will have walk-in showers and whirlpool baths.

The door-to-door fare includes almost all food and drinks on board, international flights, airport transfers, hotel accommodations and more.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stay in a former helicopter hangar on this Silversea expedition ship