What's in a name? Prince Albert II No More

You could say I really fell for Prince Albert II in September 2008. That's when I boarded Silversea Cruises luxury expedition vessel in Fort Lauderdale and promptly broke my leg. Unfortunately, I was unable to sail on my Prince Albert II cruise and now it looks like I never will. No, there's nothing wrong with the splendid little ship, but it is undergoing a significant change very soon. You see, ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises has announced plans to change the name of the Prince Albert II to Silver Explorer when the vessel is in dry dock undergoing routine maintenance prior to commencing a summer program of Northern Europe and Arctic voyages.

"Our expansion into adventure travel has turned out quite successful and we have to prepare for the possibility of adding more ships," said Manfredi Lefebvre, Silversea's chairman. "To reinforce the Silversea luxury brand image for the expedition segment, we decided to change the name of our first expedition ship to Silver Explorer and anticipate any future expedition ships will bear similar names that evoke a sense of luxurious adventure." He added, "It has been an absolute privilege to have a ship in our fleet named in tribute to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II. We will continue to honor his legacy of exploration and environmental conservation through our support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and look forward to hosting future onboard fundraising events to benefit the Foundation's projects."

Silver Explorer continues to offer full-scale exploring from an ultra-luxury base at sea, in true Silversea style. With the largest average size accommodations of any expedition ship, guests enjoy spacious, ocean-view accommodations (many with French balconies or large private verandas), butler service, sumptuous gourmet cuisine, warm hospitality and personalized service (with a crew-to-guest ratio of nearly one to one), and Silversea's generous selection of all-inclusive shipboard amenities, including complimentary beverages, bottled water, wines and spirits served throughout the ship, 24-hour room service, stocked in-suite beverage cabinet and all gratuities. The Lloyd's Register 1A ice-rated vessel explores the world from top to bottom, including Central and South America and Africa.