Silversea is encouraging travel agents to focus on the expedition sector as part of the cruise line’s drive for growth in the UK.

Peter Shanks (pictured), the brand’s managing director for the UK, Ireland, the Middle East and Africa, said the line would be helping members of its advocate scheme to sell more expedition cruises.

The education programme will include webinars, ship visits and fam trips, with the aim of helping agents to achieve their sales potential.

“The UK has consistently shown very strong growth for Silversea over recent years, but there’s always room to sell more,” Shanks said, adding: “There’s no limit to our growth in the UK.”

Shanks told Travel Weekly he believes Silversea has a competitive advantage over rivals in the expedition sector, arguing that the line has an industry-leading ratio of expedition team members to guests.

He said the line also has the top ratio of Zodiacs to passengers, and went on to describe Silver Endeavour as being “the best expedition ship at sea”.

“In the year ahead, we want to work with our advocate partners to help them build their expedition sales,” Shanks said.

During the annual lunch for members of the advocate scheme, he also said he was looking forward to the arrival of Silver Ray in June.

Up to 40 agents from the UK will be invited to sail on shakedown cruises before the christening in Lisbon.

Shanks encouraged agents to approach Silversea if they would ever like to take part in a fam trip on a member of the lines’s fleet.

“Travel advisors should not be shy. If they would like to go on a fam trip, they should come to us and not wait for us to come to them,” Shanks said, adding: “We would love to hear from them.”

The advocate scheme, launched in 2016, recognises 10 people every month for their efforts in promoting Silversea.

“We want to reward those of our travel advisor partners who go the extra mile for Silversea,” said Shanks.