A great spectacle of naval engineering, Silversea’s Silver Spirit has been cut in two at Fincantieri Shipyard in Palermo as part of her planned lengthening.

A prebuilt 49-foot segment has been inserted and the ship is now being reconnected.

With the aim of amplifying guests’ onboard experience, the rare lengthening project will create more space in public areas and will enhance Silver Spirit’s facilities.

Welcomed by Leoluca Orlando, the mayor of Palermo, members of the international press, representatives of Silversea and Fincantieri, and other VIP guests were in attendance at two celebratory ceremonies, as the ship’s transformation got underway in Sicily.

An air of excitement was cast over the shipyard as those present witnessed the dissection of the 36,009-ton ship, as well as the manoeuvring of the vast new mid-section into place.

These important stages of the project ran with military precision, which pays testament to the quality of operations at the world-leading Fincantieri Shipyard.

A rarely performed feat of maritime architecture, this type of lengthening has never been employed for the extension of a luxury cruise ship.

“Witnessing these breath-taking phases of the Silver Spirit lengthening project has filled us with pride and excitement,” commented Barbara Muckermann, chief marketing officer of Silversea.

“This ambitious project will amplify the onboard features that matter most to our guests.

“We are taking our flagship, Silver Muse – which was delivered by Fincantieri in April last year – as the point of inspiration for a fleet-wide renovation program; the lengthening and refurbishment of Silver Spirit will replicate the modern elegance of our latest vessel to make for a more luxurious traveling experience.

“We are eager to share the new and improved layout of our cherished ship with our valued guests.”

Over 500 skilled workers will spend approximately 450,000 man hours completing the ambitious project, which is due to conclude on May 5th.