Sailing on Silversea’s Silver Endeavour in the Arctic region from Longyearbyen to Tromsø in July, that’s what we just did.
Before kicking off this Silver Endeavour review, I should confess: this isn’t our first Arctic rodeo. A couple of years ago we sailed through the ice on the Scenic Eclipse 1. An adventure that left us with frozen eyelashes, sun-kissed cheeks, a camera roll full of magnificent pictures, and our Arctic cruise review that still gets plenty of views, love and thumbs up from our readers.
So returning to the Arctic now feels a bit like going back to a favorite book, but reading it on a completely different ship. New vibe, new style, same wild landscapes. And this time, we’re curious to see how Silversea’s modern expedition queen compares.
The Silver Endeavour has that boutique‑hotel energy I love: calm, elegant, beautifully designed, and just small enough to feel personal. Silversea built her for expedition cruising, but she carries herself with the polish of a luxury liner — soft lighting, big windows, quiet corners, and a sense of space that makes you exhale the moment you step inside.
This Silversea expedition review is my starting point: the structure, the impressions, the things I’ll be paying attention to once we’re actually sailing.
We booked our Silver Endeavour voyage through our cruise agent, choosing a bundled fare with Silversea that included flights, hotel, transfers, and the cruise itself. It turned out to be an excellent decision: everything was perfectly organised, every step was communicated clearly, and the whole journey — from airport pickup to embarkation — ran on time and without a hint of chaos. It felt professional, seamless, and wonderfully stress‑free, exactly how an Arctic adventure should begin.
We paid for our Arctic cruise and didn’t get or ask anything in return for this Silver Endeavour review.
The Ship at a Glance
The Silver Endeavour ship carries 220 guests and almost the same number of crew, which instantly sets the tone. The ship wasn’t full, which meant that we had even more space, asking ourselves “where did everyone go?” multiple times.
No crowds, no noise.
The design leans Scandinavian — pale woods, clean lines, and a lot of natural light – very pleasing to the eye. Every public space feels intentional, like someone asked, “How do we make this feel peaceful?” and then actually followed through. At least that’s the vibe WE got during our cruise!
It’s the kind of ship where you wander around on day one and already know where you’ll be having your morning coffee, your pre‑dinner drink, and your quiet hour with a book.
Our Classic Veranda Suite
We booked a Classic Veranda Suite, and got a Deluxe Veranda Suite.
Both are exactly the same, only difference is that the Deluxe room is on deck 6 (higher and better views) and the Classic room on deck 5.
Bedroom
Our stateroom 650 feels surprisingly generous as we walk in. We immediately notice that light flowing in from the wide floor to ceiling balcony windows—that pull the sea right into the room. It’s the same feeling we have had on other Silversea cruises before.
Our complimentary bright red Silversea parkas, waterproof backpack and reusable water bottles were waiting for us on the bed.
That high bed, thick fluffy pillows and pristine linens look so inviting after getting up very early to catch our 3-hour flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen (and perhaps that welcome glass of champagne I had while checkin in – I’m not going to lie). Electric sockets and USB ports on both sides of the bed.
There’s a comfortable sitting area, a proper desk with plenty of electric sockets and USB ports, binoculars (more about them later on in the review), and a coffee table with the classic ice bucket with chilled bottle of Duval-Leroy champagne.
Loads of storage space in every drawer, nook and cranny. Coffee machine with Illy espresso capsules, tea, and a minibar with water, sparking water, soft drinks and whatever (alcoholic) drinks you want.
The walking dressing room always gives us a luxurious feeling. Plently of clothes hangers, drawers, a large safe and shelves. Soft thick bathrobes, slippers, and safety vests for your zodiac excursions.
Bathroom
The bathroom is one of those small luxuries that makes a big difference: clean and cool marble, a spacious walk‑in rain shower, lots of light and heated floors that feel especially indulgent. Fragrant Otium bath products, hand soap, lotion, and the classic cotton buds, loofahs, makeup removal wipes. First time to see a very wide sink with a water tap on both sides instead of the separate 2 vanity sinks. Clean, quite spacious and everything you want. Also in the bathroom is a separate sliding door to access the separate toilet with sink, that you can also access from the suite hall way.
And of course, Silversea’s signature butler service is part of the experience — the kind of thoughtful, quiet attention that makes everything feel effortless. There he is, our Indonesian butler Francis: a soft knock on our cabin door a minute after we stepped into our room. He introduces himself, shows us the safety video on our TV (no classic mandatory safety drill later on, just a quick visit to your muster station), asks if we have any special requests (minibar, pillow menu), informs us that we can call him and housekeeping attendant Ryo any time and leaves us to unpack.
Fluffy bed, Illy coffee machine in the wardrobe, we are starting to feel like this is a cabin made for slow mornings (if we don’t have an early excursion), long showers, and watching the icy world drift by.
Dining on the Silver Endeavour
Food is a big part of the Silversea identity and quite honestly the reason why we love to cruise with them. Cruising on a ship we have not sailed on before might always be a challenge, however we are glad to say that the Endeavour keeps that promise of good food.
The Restaurant
The Restaurant is the elegant heart of the ship for à la carte breakfast (7pm-8:30pm) , lunch (12pm-1:30pm) and dinner (6:30pm-9pm).
Think eggs Benedict, smoked salmon, avocado toast and cream cheese bagels. Then pesto pasta, roast chicken, perfectly seared scallops, lemon sole for lunch, and a rich prime rib with a glossy jus, Chilean seabass, or a simple but luxurious lobster bisque for dinner.
The cuisine leans modern French-continental with a few Silversea signatures (their caviar for instance, not on the menu but always available on request) – paired with thoughtful wine suggestions. Refined without being fussy — the kind of dining room where you settle in, relax, and let the moment unfold. And if you are lucky to score a window seat, it’s the best place to indulge in snowy landscapes while sipping a Pinot Grigio.
We recall the prime rib, lemon sole, Dover sole, crêpes Suzette, steak with foie gras, turbot, caviar and the deep fried soft shell crab.
Open seating, no need to book in advance.
Shoutout to waiter Oscar, front of house restaurant manager Hillary and all-round restaurant manager Austin for the great service. One night after dinner Austin stopped by, learned that we love Indian food and he promptly arranged an Indian dinner for us the night after which was absolutely splendid: poppadoms, naan, 4 different curries and rice.
What a feast.
Il Terrazzino
Right next door Il Terrazzino (6:30pm-9pm) brings that warm Italian comfort in the evening: excellent fresh pasta, rich sauces, and the kind of dishes and desserts that feel both homely and elevated.
It’s cozy, intimate, and perfect for evenings when you want something familiar but beautifully done. We loved the Italian restaurants on our previous Silversea cruises: the bigoli al cacio e pepe will always be our favorite – and so is the famous antipasto platter, bread basket and roasted garlic that fills your dinner table even before you have set an eye on the menu. Hard to resist.
The menu here changes every 3 days.
We recall the ravioli in walnut sauce, sea bream with caponata, vitello tonnato, bigoli al cacio e pepe, lamb rack, and cannoli.
Reservation needed for dinner.
However.
We booked this restaurant for our first night on board about a month before setting sail. What a splendid start of our cruise, top notch food, wine and service by waiter Ketut. We were waitlisted for 2 other dinner reservations. One night we were called by the restaurant manager, telling us that no table had opened up but that we were welcome to ask for the Italian menu in The Restaurant next door to enjoy an Italian dinner nevertheless.
The Grill
The Grill is the ship’s come‑as‑you‑are buffet spot under a glass dome for breakfast (6:30am-9am) and lunch (12pm-2pm) and right above the closed pool, serving the kind of food that feels bright, fresh, and uncomplicated.
Breakfast leans into classics — think eggs prepared your style, fruit, pastries, smoked fish, cold cuts, fruits, congee and lighter plates that ease you into the day. Not a bunch of choice, but enough to get you started in the morning.
The buffet lunch has a daily changing theme like Nordic, Greek, Indian, Mexican, Oriental etc. Nothing that really stood out for us, except for the highly delicious gravlax and smoked salmon on the Nordic themed lunch. And the Indian buffet was served the day after we enjoyed an Indian dinner, so we didn’t go for that one. But it truly made the entire ship smell fantastic.
It’s open seating until the evening when it turns into an à la carte dinner restaurant (6:30pm-9pm) for which you need reservations.
The atmosphere is relaxed and spontaneous. On the short menu are items such as prosciutto, fish crudo, seafood platter, steak, lamb, grilled Madagascar prawns and warm apple tart with vanilla ice cream. We enjoyed our dinner, the prawns were so delicious. However we canceled our second reservation here because we thought there were more exciting dinner options in The Restaurant.
Arts Café
The classic Arts Café is the ship’s little gourmet pit stop and where you always find the most people.
Open from 6:30am until 9pm, it shares the space with the reception desk and guest services. The Café is part espresso and drinks bar on the right, and part light‑lunch and snack counter on the right, always stocked with something tempting depending on the time of day. Plenty of space to sit as well.
You’ll find good coffee, breakfast pastries, egg McMuffins, congee and porridge in the morning, cakes, small sandwiches, salads, soups, and those pretty little sweets such as macarons that are impossible to ignore for the rest of the day. They also put out lovely cheese plates, perfect for an afternoon nibble. It’s casual, bright, and ideal when you want something quick without committing to a full meal.
And it’s the spot where I always end up working on this article sipping a matcha latte while people‑watching.
La Dame
La Dame is the French restaurant on board that serves French food in the evening (6:30pm-9pm). Reservations are needed and you pay an extra $60 per person.
We didn’t have dinner here.
24H In-Suite Dining
And of course, in‑suite dining is always an option.
Pre-ordered breakfast in your room or on your balcony in the morning sun, caesar salad and pizza for lunch without having to leave your cabin, a quiet steak and fries dinner and a bottle of wine after a long excursion day, or a late‑night snack.
We ordered caviar and canapés once around 5pm, there were exactly 14 minutes between ordering it via Whatsapp message and butler Francis knocking on our door with our treats.
We also ordered in-room breakfast 3 times when we had an early excursion departure. On all occasions, our butler was there at 7am sharp, set the table with care, and we enjoyed a warm breakfast that was freshly cooked and very tasty. Delicious eggs Benedict served in the comfort of your room.
Silversea does room service exceptionally well, it never disappoints.
Bars & Lounges
The Observation Lounge on deck 9 is one of the ship’s most beautiful spaces.
Panoramic windows, soft and cozy seating, and a calm atmosphere that makes it perfect for pre‑dinner drinks with canapés and light live piano music or simply watching the sea roll by enjoying a cup of coffee.
The Explorer Lounge on deck 4 is where the expedition side of the ship comes alive — briefings, lectures, captain’s cocktail, and gatherings that remind you this ship was built for adventure as much as comfort.
Whether you’re in the mood for champagne or a quiet gin and tonic, there’s always a place that fits. And again the waiting staff is fast and attentive.
The Connoisseur’s Corner is Silver Endeavour’s intimate cigar lounge — the only place on the ship where you can smoke. A small, club‑style room with whiskies and cognacs, and a quiet hideaway for guests who enjoy a slow, post‑dinner moment.
Drinks
Drinks are included around the clock on the Silversea Silver Endeavour — from proper bar cocktails and mocktails to an excellent choice of complimentary wines by the glass, specialty coffees, and whatever you fancy from your in‑suite minibar. Do you like a specific wine you had with your meal? You can have a bottle of it sent to your room, just ask.
The only things that cost extra are the premium wines and top‑shelf spirits. Otherwise, it’s all poured with a smile, 24/7, no signing slips or second‑guessing.
In the beginning the sommelier tried to sell the premium wine list but after we told him we were only interested in the complimentary wines, he got the message.
Each day 2 complimentary wines are suggested but if you feel like trying another wine, the sommelier or your waiter will find you a complimentary bottle that you like. For our Indian dinner we asked for a Riesling for instance, which was excellent.
Mudroom
The mudroom on deck 3 is the Silver Endeavour expedition launchpad.
It is a big, well‑organised space where you put your boots on before every Zodiac outing. Every stateroom has an assigned boots shelf and 2 small cupboards to leave shoes or slippers. It’s functional, organised, and surprisingly efficient, the place where the daily adventure really starts.
On embarkation day, there is a mandatory expedition safety briefing where you get assigned to a specific group number, which is your group to join for zodiac excursions and landings during your entire cruise. Your expedition leader also shares useful safety information about landings. Nothing we hadn’t heard of on our previous expedition cruise, but it is still mandatory to show up. The day after a specific time is given to meet in the Explorer Lounge so that the expedition team can inspect your outer layers for any organic residue from home to avoid contaminating the Arctic nature. Nothing to be scared of, there are vacuum cleaners in case your scarf or hat can use an extra clean.
Boots & Parkas
Silversea outfits every guest with a bright red expedition parka, a waterproof backpack, and a reusable water bottle — all free to use during the voyage and to take home afterwards. Choose and order your parka size about a month before departure through your Silversea account or your travel agent. The day you board, it’s waiting for you in your suite along with the free water bottle and waterproof backpack.
We brought our own hiking poles, which were useless since the ship has plenty for you to use (for free) during landings.
If you are not bringing any personal expedition gear, order all your rental equipment about a month before departure through your Silversea account or your travel agent.
You can rent waterproof boots, or bring a pair yourself. Silversea charges $108 per person for boots.
This is perhaps the only negative remark we had about our cruise: that not all the expedition gear was included in the already hefty total cruise price. We bought waterproof knee high gardening boots for a fraction of the rental price and they truly did the job for the 5 wet landings we did where we would often get into 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) of freezing water. Don’t expect rough waves and splashing or knee high wading. When the sea is too rough, wet landings are just canceled. Do make sure to wear waterproof trousers or trouser covers, when it starts to rain or snow during a zodiac cruise, you’ll get instantly wet and cold and you’re stuck there for the remainder of the excursion.
The complimentary red Silversea parka was excellent, waterproof and windproof. If your parka turns out to be too large or too small, there’s also a moment after the mandatory expedition briefing where you can exchange it for a different size. We both needed a smaller size, and had no problem getting the size we wanted. Plenty of spare parkas on board.
Binoculars
Each stateroom is equipped with a pair of high‑quality binoculars for personal use during the cruise. They’re perfect for spotting wildlife from your veranda, scanning icebergs from the Observation Lounge or spotting birds on a zodiac cruise or landing.
The binoculars are part of Silversea’s expedition gear, cleaned and checked before every sailing. You can use them freely throughout your voyage, and if you prefer your own optics, you’re welcome to bring them along.
We took our own binoculars since there was no mention beforehand that they were available in the suite. Having 2 binoculars came in handy at times though.
Expedition team
The expedition team is the heart of the Silver Endeavour experience. These are the biologists, historians, geologists, bird specialists, bear spotters, photographers and polar experts who guide every landing, are part of the daily briefings and give lectures.
We’d often heard from fellow cruising friends that Silversea’s expedition teams are the best in the business, and we agree. The guides on the Silver Endeavour were in a different league — warmer, more engaging, and far more knowledgeable than what we experienced on Scenic. Every landing felt richer because of their enthusiasm.
Shoutout to expedition leader Neil, expedition guide Khalid and bird specialist Ken.
No Open Bridge
One thing we genuinely missed on the Silver Endeavour was the open‑bridge culture we loved on Scenic Eclipse.
On Scenic, we spent so much time up on the bridge chatting with the captain and the expedition team, watching the navigation unfold in real time which made it extra special and personal. Silversea keeps the bridge closed for safety reasons in polar regions, which we completely understand — but after our Eclipse cruise, we did feel the difference. We were invited to visit the bridge one evening and meet the captain and his team.
Guest laundry
Next to the mudroom on deck 3 is the complimentary guest laundry: 6 washers and 6 dryers, 2 ironing board, complimentary detergent – all free to use.
We expected to queue as usual. Not here. We hoped to wash our clothes twice during our 9 day cruise and both times practically all the machines were unused. Even on the last day, which is normally a very busy day. Great to take a suitcase of clean clothes back home. Yay!
You can always have your laundry dry cleaned for an extra fee: your butler will definitely take care of it for you and have your fresh and perfectly folded clothes delivered to your cabin asap. Prices are very steep though, in the range of $3 per piece of underwear, and $6 per t-shirt.
Other Facilities
The Otium spa is serene and inviting, offering massages, facials, and a thermal area that feels like a cocoon. The gym is compact but well equipped — enough for a proper workout without feeling like you’re in a basement.
The boutique is small but well curated. You’ll find a small selection of waterproof expedition gear, Silversea branded clothing, accessories, jewellery and handbags. This is not a shopping ship, but it’s perfect for a short browse on a sea day.
The pool area is covered over and sits right underneath the blue Grill Restaurant floor. It was not in use during our cruise. There is a hot tub on deck 5 forward, making it a lovely place to unwind with a view if you don’t mind getting in and out in your swimwear in freezing temperatures.
Entertainment on the Silver Endeavour is low‑key by design. There are no spectacular production shows or loud evening programs — instead you get relaxed live piano or guitar music in the lounges, excellent lectures from the expedition team, daily recap briefings about the next day’s landings, and the kind of cosy, quiet evenings that suit an Arctic voyage. It’s all about the destination, not distractions, and that’s exactly why people choose this ship.
The fitness is located near the boutique and spa. It is small but functional, clean and well equipped – we think, not experts here.
The library is a lovely space next to the Observation Lounge on deck 9. It is cozy space with comfortable chairs, lots of books of all kinds, and a self service coffee corner. We often had the library completely to ourselves.
Staff & Service
Silversea’s service is famously warm and unobtrusive, and the Endeavour leans into that. Staff remember your name, preferences, anticipate what you need, and make everything feel easy. The atmosphere is calm, grown‑up, and quietly luxurious — no chaos, just a gentle rhythm that makes you settle in quickly. Impossible doesn’t exist here.
PA system
We had a love/hate relationship with the PA system. On one side important messages, reminders, zodiac calls for your group etc were very useful and you really need those. These announcements are made straight into your stateroom, not in the hallway. You really don’t want to miss an excursion or landing because you dosed off.
But when you don’t feel like going out and joining your group, going to a lecture, you’re not feeling well and want to sleep or lie in and what not, there is no way to turn the PA system off. Sometimes our zodiac group was scheduled to leave at 11am, but the earlier groups would be called around 7am and the announcements wake everyone up.
On 2 occasions the PA system was accidentally turned on (while cleaning the buttons perhaps?) around 5am, ding dong, and then a faint distant chatter of staff members and static crackling noise. Both times it took at least 10 minutes before it was turned off again.
It’s a two sided knife.
WIFI
The included standard Wi‑Fi on Silver Endeavour was fine — nothing spectacular, just enough to check messages, send pictures to the family and keep an eye on the news and things back home. Each of us could connect one device on the standard plan by logging in to our separate Silversea accounts.
If you need or want faster speeds or more devices, you can upgrade to Premium for about $30 a day. But honestly, the slower pace online turned into a bit of a gift: instead of scrolling, we ended up watching the ice, chatting with the expedition team and fellow passengers, and actually finishing a book for once.
Who Will Love the Silver Endeavour
This ship is perfect for travelers who love small ships, good food, and quiet luxury. Couples, curious explorers, people who appreciate thoughtful service and beautiful design — the Endeavour is built for them. It’s a ship for slow travel, long conversations and soaking up the scenery.
We would say that the average age of the passengers on board was 60 to 80 years, with a few exceptions of younger couples in their thirties on honeymoon and 2 families with adult kids.
The minimum age for children on all Silversea expedition sailings is 5 years. There are no kids’ clubs or organised children’s activities on board.
Dresscode
For anyone planning their own trip, Silversea’s official packing guide is genuinely useful and gives a clear idea of what to bring for an Arctic expedition cruise.
No need for a dinner jacket or tie on the Silver Endeavour, even if a collared shirt is suggested but not mandatory for dinner. You can dress up but it is certainly not expected.
Would we recommend the Silver Endeavour?
Let’s close up this Silver Endeavour review with a positive feeling: yes, we would recommend this ship, and we certainly would sail with this ship again.
Pros
- excellent food
- impeccable room service
- luxurious ship
- great expedition team
- excellent service
Cons
- pricy rental boots
- no open bridge
- PA system
We paid for our Arctic cruise and didn’t get or ask anything in return for this Silver Endeavour review.