Silversea cruise policies
Silversea Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book and whether it comes back, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, what is already in the fare, what to wear after 6 pm and who can sail. Figures are Silversea's own, from its United States Cruise Ticket Contract and policies.
Deposit
Silversea sells three fare types and the deposit rules follow the fare, not the suite. The amount is a percentage of the fare (reduced-deposit sales run often) and is shown on the confirmation.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| All-Inclusive Plus fare | Percentage of the fare, fully refundable until the penalty period starts |
| All-Inclusive fare (the lower price) | Percentage of the fare, nonrefundable from the moment the booking is confirmed |
| Last Minute fare (select voyages) | Full payment at booking, nonrefundable |
| World Cruises and Grand Voyages | 20% at booking, then 50% at 150 days, 75% at 120 days, 90% at 90 days and the balance 30 days before sailing |
Good to know
- Silversea's standard deposit is a percentage of the fare (25% in most markets); its sales regularly cut it, for example to 15% on bookings made by November 2, 2026.
- All-Inclusive Plus: cancel before the penalty period and the whole deposit comes back; from 150 days out the schedule below applies and the deposit is no longer refundable.
- All-Inclusive: the deposit is never returned once the booking is confirmed, and you cannot switch to All-Inclusive Plus without cancelling and rebooking.
- Expedition voyages on All-Inclusive Plus include pre- and post-cruise hotel nights, expedition gear and all landings.
Final payment
Silversea prints the final payment date on the booking confirmation. For bookings made since September 11, 2025 it falls about 120 days before the start of your trip, measured from the first service you booked with Silversea, flights and hotels included; miss it and the booking can be cancelled with the fees below.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Classic and Expedition voyages | About 120 days before the first Silversea service (date on your confirmation) |
| Last Minute fares | In full at booking |
| World Cruises and Grand Voyages | Staged: 50% at 150 days, 75% at 120 days, 90% at 90 days, balance 30 days before sailing |
Good to know
- Bookings made within 30 days of departure are paid in full within 48 hours.
- The cancellation clock counts to the start of the first arrangement you booked with Silversea (a flight, a hotel night or a land program), not just to embarkation.
- SmartCruiser confirms your exact date with Silversea's travel-advisor desk when we book.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the price and depend on your fare type and on when Silversea receives the cancellation, counted to the start of your first Silversea arrangement. Taxes and port fees are refunded.
Classic voyages, bookings made on or after September 11, 2025
All-Inclusive Plus in the first column, All-Inclusive and Last Minute in brackets.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| All-Inclusive Plus | 151 days or more | No charge (All-Inclusive: deposit kept; Last Minute: 100%) |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 121 to 150 days | 15% of the price (All-Inclusive: deposit kept) |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 91 to 120 days | 25% (All-Inclusive: 25%) |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 61 to 90 days | 50% (All-Inclusive: 50%) |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 31 to 60 days | 75% (All-Inclusive: 75%) |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund (all fares) |
Expedition voyages, bookings made on or after September 11, 2025
All-Inclusive Plus fare; Last Minute fares are 100% nonrefundable.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| All-Inclusive Plus | 151 days or more | No charge |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 121 to 150 days | 15% of the price |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 91 to 120 days | 25% |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 61 to 90 days | 50% |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 31 to 60 days | 75% |
| All-Inclusive Plus | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Grand Voyages and World Cruises, bookings made on or after September 11, 2025
All-Inclusive Plus fare.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| World Cruises | 181 to 349 days | 20% of the price |
| Grand Voyages and World Cruises | 151 to 180 days | 25% |
| Grand Voyages and World Cruises | 121 to 150 days | 50% |
| Grand Voyages and World Cruises | 91 to 120 days | 75% |
| Grand Voyages and World Cruises | 90 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Good to know
- Bookings made before September 11, 2025 keep the older Door-to-Door, Port-to-Port and Essential fare schedules they were booked under.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- No refund for a no-show, for leaving the ship early or for cancelling once the cruise has started.
- Switching from All-Inclusive Plus to All-Inclusive means cancelling and rebooking, with the schedule applied to the original fare if you are inside it.
- Flights, hotels and land programs booked through Silversea follow the same clock, and their own terms where Silversea's partners impose them.
Gratuities
Silversea is all-inclusive: gratuities for your butler, suite attendant, dining and bar staff are in every fare, together with drinks, Wi-Fi and, on All-Inclusive Plus, shore excursions. There is nothing to prepay and nothing added to your shipboard account for service.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| All suites, every voyage | Included in the fare |
| Spa treatments | Service charge added at the spa |
Good to know
- Tipping on board beyond the included gratuities is at your discretion and never expected.
- Premium wines and spirits on the reserve list, spa treatments and some specialty dining carry a charge.
Dress code
Resort casual by day, Elegant Casual from 6 pm, and on longer voyages a few Formal Optional evenings where dressing up is welcome but never required. This is Silversea's code for voyages sailing on or after June 1, 2026.
Daytime
Relaxed resort attire: linen shirts, lightweight dresses, sandals. Smart casual at the outdoor venues (The Marquee, The Grill) from morning to evening.
Elegant Casual, from 6 pm
Collared shirts, blouses, tailored trousers and refined denim; heels, flats, loafers or dress sneakers. Jackets optional. Every evening on the expedition ships.
Formal Optional
Cocktail dresses or evening gowns, tuxedos or dark suits for those who enjoy it; Elegant Casual stays fully acceptable in every venue on those nights.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| 7 days or fewer | 0: every evening Elegant Casual |
| 8 to 14 days | Up to 2 Formal Optional evenings |
| 15 days or longer | 2 or more Formal Optional evenings |
| Expedition ships (Silver Endeavour, Cloud, Wind, Origin) | 0: Elegant Casual every evening |
House rules
- No ripped, distressed or very casual denim and no athletic shoes indoors in the evening; shorts, caps and flip-flops stay out of the indoor evening venues.
- Jackets are optional throughout; the daily program names each evening's code.
- Expedition evenings stay Elegant Casual with casual wear accepted at the outdoor venues.
Age rules
Silversea's age rules depend on the ship and on where the sailing starts. Age is counted on the sailing date.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing: minimum age to occupy a suite without an adult of 21 or older | 21 |
Stateroom assignment
No guest under 21 is booked in a suite unless accompanied by an adult of 21 or older, except minors sailing with their parents or guardians in adjacent suites and underage married couples with proof of marriage. A minor is never left on board while the accompanying adult goes ashore. Silversea has no children's program on the classic ships and can limit the number of guests under 3.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Classic ships (Silver Nova, Ray, Dawn, Moon, Muse, Spirit, Shadow, Whisper) | 6 months on the sailing date |
| Expedition ships (Silver Endeavour, Cloud, Wind, Origin) | 5 years |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Sailings from North America and the United Arab Emirates, and at private destinations | 21 |
| Sailings from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand | 18 |
| Other home ports | The home port's legal drinking age |
Good to know
- Casino: 18 and older, 21 on Alaska sailings.
- Guests who will enter the 24th week of pregnancy at any time during the cruise cannot sail.
- An infant who does not meet the age rule is denied boarding with no refund, so check the sailing date against the birthday before you book.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We confirm your final payment date with Silversea when we book, put it on our calendar and remind you before it.
- We tell you which fare type you are buying, what its deposit rule means and when the refundable window on All-Inclusive Plus closes.
- We handle cancellations, date changes and suite moves with Silversea directly and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- Flights, hotels, land programs and travel protection go on your invoice if you want them, and your Venetian Society number goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Silversea's own offers on every sailing. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 13, 2026 against Silversea's own pages: United States Cruise Ticket Contract (cancellation, age), All-Inclusive Plus fare, World Cruise and Grand Voyage terms, Guest health, safety and conduct policy (alcohol, casino), Dress code (voyages from June 1, 2026). These cancellation terms are the ones in Silversea's Cruise Ticket Contract for guests in the United States, for bookings made on or after September 11, 2025. Silversea sets the deposit amount and the final payment date by fare type and prints both on the booking confirmation; other countries have their own booking conditions. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Silversea policy FAQ
Is the Silversea deposit refundable?
How much is the deposit?
When is final payment due?
What does it cost to cancel?
Are gratuities included on Silversea?
Does Silversea have formal nights?
Can children sail on Silversea?
What is the drinking age on a Silversea ship?
Ask a Silversea specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.