What’s It Like Aboard Silver Origin?

The Galápagos Islands — one of the best destinations in the world for active, hearty explorations to very remote places with few, if any, other people — represents the kind of journey that, as a pal notes, “requires a vacation after your vacation.” After all, who wants to miss out on a minute of admiring Blue-footed Boobies, hiking along lava trails, snorkeling in search of the Galápagos Penguin or spying nesting sites for East Pacific green sea turtles and a huge colony of marine iguanas that happens to sun on black lava?

And yet, with the debut of Silver Origin, Silversea Cruise’s first-ever ultra-luxury vessel designed for Galápagos itineraries, guests may well be tempted to linger onboard. “Silver Origin is a yin and yang experience,” says Fernando Delgado, Silversea’s vice president of Galápagos Expeditions. “It’s about waking up in a beautiful bed, having a great breakfast and then taking a Zodiac many years back in time.”

Since Silversea launched the 100-guest vessel in summer 2021, we’ve told the story of how it was successfully completed in the midst of a pandemic. We’ve also seen the ship get closer than ever to the most eye-popping areas of the Galápagos Islands. And the on-board experience parallels Silversea’s ultra-luxe standards, with all-suite accommodations, cuisine made with Ecuador’s freshest foodstuffs along with traditional Silversea favorites, and butler service for every suite.

Now it’s your turn, for the moment anyway, to virtually experience what it feels like to travel to the Galápagos on board Silver Origin. We’re sharing four videos, filmed while the ship was en route from Europe to Ecuador. Take a look.

Excursion central: Basecamp and the Marina

Did you know that Silver Origin never actually docks in the Galápagos?

When it’s time to go ashore — or return aboard — the Marina’s fold-out stern, with hydraulic doors, hatches and cranes, is designed with boarding facilities that can accommodate the launching of two Zodiacs at a time. The Marina also has big tanks where you can rinse off your snorkeling gear and racks for equipment and wet suits. Nearby is a large garage. It stores the Zodiacs.

And adjacent to the Marina is Basecamp, a gathering hub that is the ship’s heart. It’s an elegant space with regional art, comfortable couches and deep armchairs, and it’s where you’ll gather for talks by Silversea’s naturalist guides, all of whom are Ecuadorian. In 15–to-20-minute presentations before every outing, they’ll share the mission of your upcoming adventure. Sometimes there will be two or three of these in a day, so Basecamp is definitely a space you’ll spend time in.

When there’s downtime in Basecamp, you can, with a touch of a button, pull up all videos, from historical contexts from the Royal Geographic Society to custom-created nature photography.

Relax and chill: the famous firepit

A whirlpool, cushy seating and a gas-lit firepit offer a great opportunity to wind after a day ashore.

Out on deck, guests will find a gas-lit firepit, which offers a great opportunity to relax and unwind after a busy day of shore excursions.

For Delgado, “the fire pit is something you won’t find on other ships.” In this ancient destination, the fire pit takes you back to a place of coming together, noting, “we’ve been gathering around a fire for years.”

“It’s not like you’re going to have long hours on the ship,” he adds. “We don’t have days at sea. But you will have those times, at sunset, after dark with no light pollution, just the incredible stars. You’ll have mornings, wake up early and just look around.”

Breathe and reboot: out on the open deck

With absolutely no light pollution in the Galápagos, the open decks are the spot to view spectacular sunrises and sunsets, not to mention a canvas of twinkling stars.

Where to find bliss on Silver Origin in the Galápagos? Head to the ship’s open decks where the views, as they morph throughout the week, give you such a great scope of one of the world’s most ancient natural places. Watching this video, I feel as if I’m literally leaning over the rail, feeling the wonder of the place, and, yes, tasting a salt tang on my lips.

I think back to something Silversea’s former Chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio has said about travel to the Galápagos. “Anybody who has been to the Galápagos knows the archipelago’s unique beauty. From its endemic animal species to the ancient lava formations, there is simply no place like it on Earth.”

Ready to explore the Galápagos Islands on this unique luxury vessel? Your ideal Silversea expedition cruise awaits.