Silversea offers MiG-31 flights in Russia

Every guy dreams of piloting a fighter jet at one time or another. Well, that dream plus $29,815 will have you taking the controls of a MiG-31 Foxhound, Russia's most advanced interceptor, as part of a wild shore excursion announced by Silversea on select Baltic cruises this summer.

Silversea guests will have the chance to experience the incredible thrill of flying near the stratospheric border at 700 miles per hour as part of the new optional three-day overland tour offered from St. Petersburg, Russia.

While the adventure begins in Moscow, the actual jet flight takes place several hours away in the historic Russian town of Nizhny Novgorod.

"We tailor our shore excursions to fit a broad range of interests and our new MiG jet tour is obviously designed for the ultimate thrill-seeker," said Jim Droney, Silversea's director of land programs. "It definitely falls in the category of extreme adventures -- the kind that well-heeled, 'been there, done that' world travelers like to collect and brag about."

The new three-day, two-night "MiG-31 Foxhound" optional overland tour includes a business-class flight to Moscow, where guests have a chance to explore many of the city's highlights, including Red Square, the Kremlin and its cathedral, and the Metro, before enjoying dinner at the famous Writers' Club. The tour continues on a business-class flight to Nizhny Novgorod, where guests are accommodated for the night at a local hotel.

On the second day, guests journey to the airfield for flight training where they are issued a special flight suit that is theirs to keep as a trophy souvenir to show friends and family back home. After training, each participant boards a MiG-31 for an exhilarating one-hour flight, climbing to an altitude of 80,000 feet -- the edge of the stratospheric border. An English-speaking test pilot will assist in letting the novice pilot take the reins and perform basic maneuvers. The entire flight and ground preparations are filmed and presented to the guest. The tour concludes in the evening when guests board an express train for St. Petersburg, enjoying the cocooned luxury of a first-class sleeper cabin as they journey back to their Silversea ship.

The MiG tour is available on eight voyages this summer featuring three-day, two-night stopovers in St. Petersburg. Options include a series of seven-day cruises aboard Silver Shadow with departures from Copenhagen and Stockholm, and Silver Wind offers a ten-day voyage from London to Stockholm. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $4,925 per person, based on double occupancy.

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New ship orders from Oceania, Silversea

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri continues to score new ship orders. The latest are two 1,260-passenger vessels for near-luxury brand Oceania Cruises, and one 540-guest ship for ultra-luxury Silversea.

Oceania's announcement comes right on the heels of the cash infusion it received recently when it was purchased by Apollo Management. Its new $500 million, 65,000-ton ships will be delivered in 2010 and 2011, and the line has an option for a third ship in 2012.

Oceania has met tremendous success carving out a niche between premium and luxury cruise lines. From its founding four years ago, the line has sailed with 684-passenger vessels originally built for Renaissance Cruises, and has met with widespread acclaim for delivering on its promise of "near-luxury cruising at a premium price."

"We have elevated the onboard product in every area and as a result, guests will be able to dine in an unprecedented number of gourmet restaurants," explained Frank Del Rio, the firm's chairman and CEO. "The luxury of accommodations...will set a new standard in terms of size, spaciousness and comfort."

Silversea's Finacantieri order, meanwhile, is for a single 36,000-ton vessel for delivery in 2009 to complement its current four vessels, plus an option for a second new sister ship.

Amerigo Perasso, Silversea's president, said, "This newbuild order shows great confidence in the luxury segment's potential for greater demand."

The order is the first for Silversea since 1998 when contracts for Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper were signed, which entered service in 2000 and 2001. The newbuild will boost Silversea's overall fleet capacity 40%, from 1,356 berths to 1,896.

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