A lot is happening at Silversea Cruises, including its return to a pricing scheme that makes more sense.

New Pricing Structure

Effective immediately, the Door-to-Door, Port-to-Port, and Essential fares have been replaced with All-Inclusive Plus, All-Inclusive, and Last-Minute Fares.   What does this mean?

The fares are simplified:

• All-Inclusive Plus:
  • Fully Refundable Deposits – A “Plus”
  • Classic cruises receive a Shore Excursion Credit (Note: Expedition Cruises include all landings and shore experiences, as well as required charter flights and/or hotels.)– A “Plus” 
  • Low Price Guarantee – A “Plus”
• All-Inclusive:
  • Non-Refundable Deposit
  • No Classic Cruises Shore Excursion Credit (Note: Expedition Cruises include all landings and shore experiences, as well as required charter flights and/or hotels.)
  • No Low Price Guarantee – The price is already discounted.
• Last-Minute:
  • Payment in Full at the Time of Booking
  • Non-Refundable
  • No Classic Cruises Shore Excursion Credit (Note: Expedition Cruises include all landings and shore experiences, as well as required charter flights and/or hotels.)
  • No Low Price Guarantee – The price is already discounted.

Nothing will change with the Silversea onboard product, other than that shore excursions are à la carte to be paid with the shore excursion credit and/or your credit card. And you can still book air, hotels, and transfers through Silversea. More on that in a minute.

Before getting into the details, let me get this question out of the way: If you are already booked with a Door-to-Door, Port-to-Port, or Essential fare, it will be honored, and you will receive the included shore excursions (not with the Essential); however, if you want to switch to the new fare structure, you can.

This is very similar to what Silversea was offering a few years back when it decided, I guess, to compete head-to-head with Regent Seven Seas “All is included and free” approach and implemented the Door-to-Door/Port-to-Port scheme. I did not like the change to D-2-D and P-P, it at the time, and still don’t (regardless of cruise line), because a guest winds up paying for the lower quality shore excursions whether they use them or not, have issues with the transfers not being within the service area or just not wanting them, and more times than not, guests want to fly in on different days, on specific airlines, and in specific classes of service so custom air only confused the pricing and availability. Note that Regent Seven Seas is now offering a less packaged fare, as well.

How Does It Work Now?

Now, you will book your cruise and then add to it, as it should be.  This way, you aren’t subsidizing shore excursions you aren’t taking, or feel forced to choose ones that really aren’t to your liking. The old scheme was just too complicated, and, to be honest, guest satisfaction wasn’t great. 

That said, if you choose to book the All-Inclusive Plus fare, you do receive a Shore Excursion Credit, the amount of which will be based on the itinerary and suite booked. You can use the SEC for one amazing excursion or split it between a few, and, of course, pay any additional amounts if you use up all your SEC. (Don’t forget to use them on excursions because if you don’t, you will lose any remaining value, as they cannot be used for anything other than excursions!) 

If you like the idea of air, transfers, and hotels also being booked with Silversea, you still have that option, and Goldring Travel is happy to assist you with that. However, the reality is that most of Goldring Travel’s clients take the air and transfer credits and book air and transfers separately from Silversea, so the new pricing just simplifies things. You might also want to consider the All-Inclusive fare and hedge against the loss of your deposit if something unforeseen happens by purchasing travel insurance. (Goldring Travel can help weigh the options with you.)

Other than Last Minute Fares, you have a simple decision: Pay less with a Non-Refundable Deposit and have more flexibility regarding shore excursions (paying à la carte or not at all) or pay more for the benefit of having a Refundable Deposit and a pot of Shore Excursion Credits to apply as you wish, along with a Low-Price Guarantee. 

The Misperceptions of Some

Moving on, I can hear it already from some naysayers that this is a move by Silversea and Royal Caribbean to devalue the Silversea product. I continue to read on the internet, on Facebook fan pages, and elsewhere that some people claim Silversea has suffered in quality since Royal Caribbean acquired it and that the new pricing scheme reflects that. That is unequivocally untrue! Leaving aside that Silversea is essentially re-instituting its prior pricing scheme, the fact of the matter is that before the acquisition Silversea was bleeding money (“Thank You”, Manfredi) and the upkeep of the ships and quality of cuisine were suffering badly. Heck, I used to blast Silversea for promising luxury and delivering premium at best. (Don’t believe me, take a look back at some of my older articles!)

Since Royal Caribbean took over, there are new ships (Silver Nova and Silver Ray), and the older ships are being far better maintained. In fact, money was poured into Silver Endeavour to make it one of the most luxurious expedition ships out there. I have found the cuisine to be consistently superior, and my pre-dinner cocktail snacks are no longer limited to peanuts or peanuts. (Yes, there some meals that miss, but isn’t that true everywhere. My measure is consistently in quality, not unrealistically, perfection.)

I appreciate that some romanticize “the good old days”, but sometimes our memories are more optimistic than the reality. Yes, the days of free-flowing caviar and formal nights had a bit of that, but the world has become far less dependent on tuxedos and ties, or particular culinary excesses, to define a luxury experience. (Caviar, for example, was always to be a treat – as it is on land; not something consumed in great volumes while on a cruise because one can. But if you want it that way, Silversea will still provide it upon request.) It is, in fact, the absence of some of those requirements is more definitional now.

Similarly, in the past, there was more of a focus on a main dining room, assigned seating (and, thus, more of an every-night special order experience), while now diversity of dining options is de rigueur. Silversea, however, now delivers both options on almost every ship. You don’t need to love each option (or complain if you don’t) because there are alternatives. (Being from the New York area, pizza is an emotional thing. There are many that love the pizza on Silversea…and it is marketed as a specialty…but I don’t. I don’t complain, I just don’t order it.) Or you can still dine in the main restaurant for all meals. 

Why do I discuss this now? Because I can already hear the claims that this is a way for Silversea to cut back its product and raise its prices. I looked at a reservation I have on the Silver Spirit for May 27, 2026. The price for a Classic Veranda, Door-to-Door, taking the air credit, with all promotions and a Venetian Society Discount was $29,260 total for two. Booking it now with the All-Inclusive Plus, the price is $29,600 + $3,600 in Shore Excursion Credits, and that is before any Venetian Society discount. When one considers the value of the Door-to-Door included shore excursions, it seems like the pricing is at least as good. No price increase. No reduction in what is included. Just sayin’!

So What Are the Deals?

Silversea is now running a sale of up to 40% off + a suite upgrade of one or two categories and a reduced 15% deposit. With the Antarctica market somewhat overwhelmed with expedition ships and especially Fly the Drake options, there are some awesome deals to be had. And they aren’t just polar cruises! For example, 

• Silver Wind – October 26, 2025, 10-day Antarctica expedition starts at only $9,650 per person, plus a suite upgrade, and there is only a 25% Single Supplement.
• Silver Cloud – October 10, 2025, 23-day expedition from Tahiti to Easter Island, and more ending in Valparaiso, Chile, is offered at 40% off, starting at $14,100 per person.  
• Silver Nova, October 14, 2025, 22 days cruising from Melbourne up the east coast of Australia to Darwin, starting at $11,300 per person

As I said, there are deals to be had.  If you want to hunt around, let me know your interest in a particular cruise or expedition, or even creating a no-obligation option on the Goldring Travel-Silversea co-branded site, you can do so by clicking here:

I have been so pleased with the improvements at Silversea over the past few years. I know there is more good news coming from Silversea, so stay tuned and let me know what Silversea experience you would like to book now!