It often pays to plan ahead, and for those who heed such advice, now may be a good time to begin planning for 2013. One compelling reason is a new offer by Silversea Cruises. Make a deposit on a 2013 sailing by February 15, 2012, and save an additional 10 percent on a selection of 2012 voyages. On top of this are attractive savings incentives in 2013 that include almost double the number of Free Air gateways available (on select sailings) to travelers departing from the U.S and Canada, and Onboard Spending Credits of up to $1,500 per suite on all voyages (with the exception of Silversea Expeditions).

Join Ralph Grizzle here on our Facebook page as he begins reporting for Cruise Specialists from Silver Shadow beginning January 20, cruising from Sydney to Auckland.

In 2013, Silversea’s six ships will offer more than 200 voyages, visiting more than 450 destinations on seven continents. Highlighting the program is Silver Whisper’s 115-day World Cruise, Silver Spirit’s inaugural calls in Hawaii (last visited by Silversea in 2010), and Silver Explorer’s new expedition cruises to Canada’s beautiful Hudson Bay.

Also noteworthy are Silversea’s 32 new ports of call, which include 21 just for Silver Explorer alone. Collectively, the line’s other ships will offer 11 new destinations: Soller de Majorca, Spain; Sabang (Pulau Weh), Indonesia; Port Arthur, Australia; Liverpool, U.K.; Klaipeda, Lithuania; Saaremaa, Estonia; Baie-Comeau (Quebec), Canada; Chios, Greece; Portsmouth, Dominica; Fanning Island, Kiribati; and Fukuoka, Japan.

“For the discerning luxury traveler, our 2013 schedule, with over 30 new ports of call, offers unparalleled opportunities for unique and life-enriching journeys to all corners of the globe,” said Steve Tucker, Silversea’s vice president of field sales for North America. “With almost double the number of Free Air gateways and generous Onboard Spending Credits now available, this is the perfect time to finalize your travel plans for next year — and enjoy an affordable luxury vacation exploring the world with Silversea.”

Click for 2012/2013 pricing and details on Silversea Cruises.

Here’s a snapshot of Silversea’s 2013 schedule:

WORLD CRUISE 2013. An epic 115-day journey from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale awaits guests when they board Silver Whisper on January 5. Crossing the equator four times, the World Cruise itinerary will follow the tropical belt to 52 destinations in 28 countries with overnight stays in several key ports. The warm-weather journey will explore an array of far-flung cultures and scenic wonders including New Zealand and Australia’s remote west coast; the idyllic isles of French Polynesia; fascinating Asian cities of Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore; and Africa’s rarely seen western coast. Guests may choose to extend their voyage an additional three days to disembark in New York, or 15 days to disembark in Southampton.

SILVER CLOUD. Silver Cloud begins her 2013 season exploring South America and then crosses the Panama Canal to the Caribbean to offer a series of convenient roundtrip voyages from San Juan. After spending May in the Mediterranean, she’ll venture to Northern Europe for a summer season that includes calls in the British Isles, Iceland, the North Cape and remote Russian ports in the White Sea. Silver Cloud heads south to the warmer Mediterranean in the fall and come November, crosses the Atlantic to South America where the highlights include a 17-day Amazon adventure and cruising the majestic Chilean Fjords at year’s end.

SILVER WIND. For Silver Wind, the New Year begins in South Africa with three 10-day roundtrip sailings from Cape Town, followed by an 18-day cruise along the exotic west coast of Africa and two voyages in the Canary Islands. Silver Wind then repositions to the Mediterranean for an extended summer program filled with mostly seven- and nine-day voyages exploring the Mediterranean. Highlights include a three-day extended visit in Monte Carlo for the Grand Prix during the May 23 cruise from Barcelona to Rome, as well as calls in Egypt and the Holy Land. Silver Wind then heads south along Africa’s west coast to conclude the year back in Cape Town.

SILVER SHADOW. Silver Shadow opens the year voyaging around Australia and New Zealand. Then in late February and March, she’ll offer a series of itineraries focused on Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand before journeying north to China and Japan for the spring. Summer findsSilver Shadow in Alaska for a series of mostly seven-day cruises between Seward and Vancouver. During October and November, she’ll offer cruises focusing on China and Vietnam, before heading south to celebrate the holidays with a 15-day voyage between Sydney and Auckland.

SILVER WHISPER. Silver Whisper begins 2013 in grand style with a World Cruise. Over the course of four months, she’ll journey west from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, visiting 52 far-flung destinations across Oceania, Asia and Africa. From mid-May through August, she’ll explore Northern Europe offering primarily seven-day Baltic cruises with extended stays in St. Petersburg. A grand transatlantic crossing from Southampton to Montreal will reposition Silver Whisper to offer a collection of fall foliage cruises through Canada and New England before heading south to the Caribbean in November. Following a 16-day holiday cruise through the Panama Canal, she’ll wrap up the year where she started, in Los Angeles.

SILVER SPIRIT. For Silver Spirit, 2013 arrives in the sunny waters of the Caribbean. Then in February, after a crossing of the Panama Canal to Los Angeles, she repositions for a 31-day grand voyage through the glistening Pacific Ocean, highlighted by calls in French Polynesia, Kiribati and the major islands of Hawaii. Throughout summer, seven- and nine-day sailings focus on the eastern Mediterranean and Greek Isles. Other highlights include three seven-day Black Sea cruises. In late November, Silver Spirit arrives in Fort Lauderdale for a series of roundtrip Caribbean cruises culminating with a 14-day holiday cruise.

SILVER EXPLORER. The luxury expedition ship Silver Explorer sails into 2013 at the bottom of the Earth, offering a series of cruises to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Spring and summer are highlighted by adventures along the west coast of Africa, western Europe, the British Isles, and Svalbard’s frozen Arctic landscapes. First-ever expedition voyages in Canada’s Hudson Bay highlight August. In September, Silver Explorer heads south to offer a series of Caribbean and Central America explorations before arriving in Ushuaia in November to conclude the year with Antarctic expeditions.

Click for 2012/2013 pricing and details on Silversea Cruises.