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Specialised cruise line Silversea views holistic offerings as the key to growth 
Nazia Khan

Trudy Redfern says ‘bureaucracy’ in a rather matter-of-fact way, but the word takes on the aspect of a sentence anyway. The meeting with Redfern – luxury cruise line Silversea’s senior vice president sales and marketing, UK, Ireland and Middle East markets – was supposed to have taken place on board the Silver Shadow ship, docked at the Port Sultan Qaboos. But there was a miscommunication somewhere along the line. Silversea was not informed of the need to produce a formal invitation in Arabic at the port for visiting journalists, and the press were not allowed past the port gates despite the efforts of the ship’s team.

Seated in a hotel lobby in Muscat, Redfern discusses, among other things, how minimal red tapism goes a long way in growing tourism. “The easier you make it to get visas, the more you improve the working of your port. The greater the number of optional tourism facilities you provide, the better your chances of attracting tourists.”

Silversea, privately owned by the Lefebvre family of Rome, has been doing quite well at attracting tourists to its ships. Offering large-ship amenities aboard its four smaller vessels has worked for the company, which has been named the number one small ship line in a reader’s choice survey conducted by Condè Naste Traveller magazine for seven consecutive years. The Silversea experience includes ocean-view suite accommodation; all beverages complimentary; free 24-hour room service; region-specific lectures by historians, state leaders, authors and geographers; and all onboard gratuities included. All in all, it is a lifestyle luxury experience if there is ever one. Silversea has signed up Italian actress Isabella Rossellini as their brand ambassador.   

Redfern says that for Silversea, which first came to the Middle East after 9/11, the region is still virgin territory. Lately, the company has seen an increase in the number of passengers from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. “These are mainly young people going on honeymoon.” She says that their ships – Silver Cloud, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and Silver Wind – are not really meant for regular family travel. They are more for special occasions. “It is not as if we discourage children, but there are no real facilities for them.”

As of now, Dubai is their main gateway in the region. But Redfern sees the potential for Oman. Once the sultanate gets its cruise terminal, it could be used as a dedicated port. Meanwhile, Muscat, Salalah and Khasab are on the itinerary for the company’s 2008 voyage calendar, as part of tours of Africa and the Indian Ocean and the World Cruise. Since the tourists Silversea caters to tend to belong to an older age group – the average passenger age on their World Cruise is 70 – ease of transit on and off the ship is the key. “Smaller ships like ours are easier to cope with. But if you want to attract the bigger ships, you do need an efficient cruise terminal that takes into account the specific needs of passengers.” Redfern was last in Oman years ago, when she worked with the Emirates Group. She concludes, “I hope to see a lot more cruise tourists when I return.”