Silver Spirit

Best For People Who Want:
Top level luxury, with attentive personal service; free flowing champagne, wines and drinks included in the fare; large suites with private balconies; gourmet cuisine and imaginative itineraries, often traversing the globe, with the ability to customize your own voyages.

Should Be Avoided By People Who Prefer:
A family atmosphere, with children's facilities; casual dress codes; traditional set dining; pay as you go facilities and activities.

Onboard Experience

From the moment you walk up the gangway, you know you're in for an intimate luxury cruise experience.

You're unlikely to encounter more personal, warm, or consistently above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty service than on Silversea's ships.

Service is the name of the game on Silversea, with large suites attended to by helpful butlers. The beds are so soft you will feel like you've gone to heaven. There is a library full of free DVDs for anytime viewing and a small refrigerator kept stocked with your favorite wine, beer or champagne.

Dinners are the event of the day, and open seating permits you to dine when and with whom you please each evening; complimentary wine flows like water. The Maitre D' of The Restaurant takes the initiative to seat guests arriving at dinner at shared tables or private ones depending upon your preference. Dinner is one way guests meet and get to know other passengers. The majority of guests seem glad to accept joining tables, which makes dinner a particularly social event.

Although this used to be a very formal cruise line, like all cruise lines the stiff collar has loosened a bit over the years and now the focus is on enjoying a great vacation experience. Beyond living in the lap of luxury, the destinations on the itinerary are the main focus onboard. You will experience them with the most qualified tour guides and regional experts in the world.

Beyond the designated Formal Nights, where most passengers dress to the nines, and Informal nights, where a jacket for the men (no tie required) is expected, resort casual nights are the rarest dress recommendation. But even on Formal Nights, the mood of passengers is far from formal. People are there to enjoy all the social aspects of the cruise as well as the luxury surroundings.

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Although Spirit is the largest Silveresa ship yet, it is really only marginally bigger than the Silver Whisper and Silver Shadow twins. With only 150 more guests, it is still small enough to be intimate, but big enough to offer an elegant two-story show lounge and for the first time six dining venues.

Silversea is at the forefront of the ultraluxe class. The Show Lounge has the feel like that of a smaller, more intimate club. Theater-style seating is abandoned in favor of more clubby sofas and comfortable side chairs, with cocktail tables at each grouping.

Silver Spirit is the largest of the Silversea fleet. Silver Shadow and sister Silver Whisper are larger than Silversea's original two vessels, Silver Cloud and Silver Wind. Silver Spirit still jhas the exceptionally generous passenger/space ratio of 66.66 (square meters per passenger), just slightly lower than the other ships' 74.

With a maximum of 540 passengers and 376 crew, your Silver Spirit experience is all about un-crowded, comfortable surroundings, combined with outstanding service.

Your fare includes tips and all beverages throughout the ship, unless you want to upgrade from the various house-brand selection of wines.

Décor

The décor throughout the fleet does not vary much; sublimely tasteful, with rich blues, soft golds, and coppery-brown wood tones predominant in the suites. Gentle earth-toned and pastel walls have inlaid wood and marble accents. Floor-to-ceiling windows drench most public rooms with light.

The ship has a single staircase that runs the entire height of the ship. It is an elaborate scultpture of fine wood that is visually appealing as well as utile. I found the stairways my preferred choice of moving from deck to deck, though elevators are available from the Lobby area and further aft, as well as another stairwell.

Public Rooms

Deep Wedgwood blue and golden peach fabrics and carpeting, with warm caramel wood tones, predominate. There's lots of blood-red velveteen, and lots of golden brocades as well.

With its brown leather sofas and chairs, the wood-paneled Davidoff Humidor cigar lounge is a wonderfully comfortable spot for after-dinner cigars (bring your own, or purchase some of the finest available) and cognac (complimentary of course). The breathtaking Observation Lounge, with 180 degrees of sea views, has a marble bar and is equally inviting for pre- and post-dinner drinks or morning coffee.

Decks 10 and 11 are reserved for suites. The first public areas appear on deck 9 which has the pool and hot tub as well as the Panorama Lounge overlooking the stern of the ship. By the pool are the Pool Bar and the Pool Grill. In fact, one thing you will quickly learn about every Silversae Ship is that most every room is named after it's function, such as "The Restaurant."

Deck 8 features many of the public rooms in the aft end of the ship. Spirit has the largest casino on a Silversea ship by far. There are three boutiques just outside the casino, just in case you thought you were going to walk away with your winnings. Deck 7 features La Terraza, the combination buffet area with a generous amount of al fresco seating just outside of the dining area. Next door is the Stars Supper Club, and right outside is the Libarary and Internet Cafe.

Deck 6 is home of the extensive Spa with a beauty salon, massage and other services, and a wonderful thermal suite with a steam rooms, a dry sauna and wonderful heated ceramic chairs. There is a large thelassotherapy pool which is one of the first on any ship to have a champagne bar just steps away. Close by is the fitness center with an aerobics room and another hot tub.

Deck 5 is the home to reception, shore tours and the future cruise consultant. Most of the public rooms mentioned above are situated atop one another in the aft end of the ship. The ship is designed so only a few staterooms are above or below any public rooms.

Casino games include roulette, blackjack, poker and slot machines, and there are deck parties poolside quite often featuring cocktails, moonlight and soft ocean breezes. Traditional dances by local folkloric troupes and movies on deck are also presented here.

The main theater "Show Lounge" on deck 5 is beautiful with great sight lines and a fantastic sound system. It is very intimate even for a ship with over 500 guests. The casino is the biggest Silversea has ever had by far, with several tables games and several rows of slot machines. The panorama lounge has live music for dancing with "social ambassadors" for the ladies. For the gentlemen there is the Humidor, a fine cigar bar with accompanying brandies an scotches. Don't forget, on Silversea all of the liquor is included in the cruise fare, unless it is a particularly rare vintage in which case there will be a reasonable surcharge.

click on pictures below for larger images:

The Showroom		The Casino		StarClub Showroom

Suites

The suites are among the most lavish in the cruise world, and there more of them per passenger on this ship than on any other luxury vessel. Most popular are the "Silver Suites" with their separate bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms that go on forever. With a large walk-in closet, a separate room for the toilet, a jacuzzi-style bathtub and a separate rain shower, these suites are the price and joy of Silversea, so popular that they gave Silver Spirit 26 of them. There are also two Grand Suites and two Owner's Suites.

All suites feature: Pommery Champagne upon arrival, fresh fruit and flowers, beverage cabinet stocked to your preference, European bath amenities, fine bed linens, your choice of pillow, plush robes and slippers, personalized stationery, daily news summary, and twice daily suite service plus turndown nightly. The Owner's Suites are among the largest at sea: 1668 sq. ft when you add on an extra bedroom with adjoining verandah suite. The Grand Suite is 990 sq ft, or add an adjoining stateroom. The most popular Silver Suite is 742 sq. ft and has a separate bedroom, living room and extensive bath facilities.

click on pictures below for larger images:

Owner's Suite Balcony		Espresso machine Vista Suite		Standard Suite Amenities
Owner's Suite Table Setting		Suite Bathrooms		Ipod Player Vista Suite

Every stateroom is a suite however. Even the simple Verandah Suite has a generous walk-in closet, a tub and a rain shower, granite counters and two televisions. The televisions are mounted within the mirrors, a large 36-inch model directly in front of the bed, and and a 31-inch model across from the sofa. In truth, while I saw the smaller television I never even saw the one across from my bed because it disappears when it is not turned on.

Enter your suite and you'll find a bottle of Champagne cooling, a fresh fruit basket, flowers, and a bar set-up that will be replenished as required, at no cost. The accomodations onboard Silversea are what separate this cruise line from the rest of the pack. No ship has more suites per passenger that Silver Spirit.

The staterooms are uniformly large, comfortable and very well-equipped; they have two flat-screened telebvisions hidden behind mirrors so you don't even know they are there. There is a mini-fridge, walk-in closet and marble bathrooms all standard, as are down duvets and linens, and wonderfully absorbent bath sheets in the cabin washrooms. Roughly 80 percent have private verandas, with glass instead of metal partitions. Bathrooms, as elegant as any at sea, have separate rain showers and tubs. Even the minimum-category Vista cabins with an ocean view are 312 square feet. The standard balcony staterooms, Veranda, are 376 sq. ft. Both are more than adequate even for a two-week cruise. They make a distinction between the forward and midship verandah suites, for those who prefer a more central location and a smoother ride at sea.

Your best bet, though, may well be the 742-sq. ft. Silver Suite, which offers a large living room with dining area, a generously proportioned bedroom and a large balcony. If you're even more intent on splurging, consider the 990-sq. ft. Grand Suites where you enter a huge living room that would be right at home in a penthouse in Trump Tower via a marble foyer (with guest bathroom). There's a bar, of course; a gigantic flat-screen TV; a dining area; and a huge balcony. The walk-in closet is bigger than many lines' mid-sized cabins.

The occupants of the largest Silversea suites -- the Grand, Royal, and Owner's Suites (1292 square feet) -- enjoy the ministrations of butlers. Your butler will do everything from unpacking your suitcase to arranging a private car at the next port; from drawing a bath to planning an in-suite cocktail party.

Handicapped suites (345 sq ft.) are available, featuring wide entry doorways that accommodate wheelchairs, and plenty of room between furniture to make maneuvering throughout the suite quite easy. The Suites' private balconies have lovely teak flooring.

Along with the daily "Chronicle" listing the next day's activities and information, waiting on your bed each evening will be Godiva Chocolates. The suites also come with comfy bathrobes and slippers bearing the Silversea logo. There are also umbrellas and binoculars in the suites, as well as pillow menus. The cabin stewards will present a selection of bath products (shampoos, soaps and conditioners), giving guests their choice of two varieties from Bvlgari, Acqua di Parma, or Neutrogena brands.

Relais and Chateaux Dining on Silver Spirit

We had a chance to sample The Restaurant on Silver Spirit and my lamb was roasted to perfection. Large chops on the rib were the perfect pink color you would expect to see when Gordon Ramsey of Hell's Kitchen, for example, holds up a perfectly executed chop and says "well done," to a budding chef. Not that the chop was well done, it was rare, but it was a "job well done," without a doubt.

But The Restaurant is just one of the more exciting dining venues onboard. very enticing by appearance (although we did not get a chance to try the food), is a new addition to Silversea, the Star's Supper Club which features a mouth-watering tapas menu. The room is open early as a nightclub with a wonderful soul balladeer, and the action continues through the night with the tapas and wine flowing until midnight when the kitchen closes. The selections include tastes of lamb, caviar and other delights.

Click here to see the Star Supper Club Menu

Another ultra-enticing dining option is the Seishin Restaurant for Kobe beef, sushi and seafood. There is a small fee to dine here. Le Champagne is present, as on the smaller Silversea ships. This is a six-course culinary experience where fine wines and spirits are paired with a tasting menu of several courses. This is a true gourmand experience with a price tag to match. Of course, the food and spirits you experience do not come cheaply to the cruise line. Truffles, caviar, foi gras and other very rare dishes are accompanied by the world's most famous vintages kept on board in the ship's stellar wine cellar.

click on pictures below for larger images:

The Stars Supperclub		Seishin Restaurant		Observation Lounge Bar

La Terraza is the buffet style restaurant also with extensive table service. The buffet itself is in a separate room to reduce the "buffet" feel of the dining room. You can get up to visit the on selection or a waiter will bring it to you. If you prefer eggs benedict or a special omelet, for example, you just ask your waiter to have it prepared for you. There is no standing in line. The pool grill is a similar experience to La Terraza, but with a smaller menu of grilled foods.

Service

From stem to stern, officers and staff beam with delight at the prospect of assisting you.

On our 17-day voyage there was the very rare blip in service in the dining room, but the norm was very impressive attention to minute detail.

Entertainment

Silversea's newly upgraded entertainment features floorshows devised by Jean Ann Ryan, including multiple costume changes, and a talented cast. There are also featured performances, which may include opera, headline vocalists, and instrumentalists, or variety performers.

You'll also find a multitude of enrichment lectures, with topics changing to fit the itinerary.

Along with Trivia contests, crafts classes, and the popular cooking classes with the Chef, onboard activities include bridge instruction and bridge games, and even discussion seminars with the lecturers. Silver Spirit also offers ballroom dance instructors, and male dance hosts are on hand to dance with the ladies whose husbands (like me) may never voluntarily give them a twirl on the dance floor.

Fitness/Spa

Spirit has a much larger Spa than previous Silversea Ships with well-equipped fitness centers where fitness classes are offered during days at sea. Several health seminars are also offered. A fast-walking/jogging track has glorious views.

The Spa and beauty salon are operated by Steiners, the same worldwide operation present on most other cruise lines. While the services might be fine, but the the hard-sell approach of this contractor's staff (here as on other ships) just doesn't fit well with the service standard one finds elsewhere on the Silver Spirit. While the other departments make you feel they are there to please you, the Steiner's people make you feel they are there to sell to you.

Attire

Bring your tux. Bring your jewels, and feel like royalty. Though you'll see numerous gowns, a good number of ladies were dressing in less splendorous styles. Ladies won't feel out of place wearing the SBD (simple black dress or dress slacks) with dressy or sparkling tops.

Those who don't want to dress up may dine informally in the Terrazza and then retire to a lounge for cocktails and after-dinner drinks, but will likely be turned away at the door of the entertainment lounges. On a 17-night cruise there were three formal, eight informal and only four casual nights. Daytime attire is casual.

Fellow Passengers

You'll find your fellow passengers to be well-heeled and well traveled, but not at all reserved or snobby. Many are likely to be repeaters who choose the line for its initiative in creating an ultra-social atmosphere, encouraging guest participation.

Tipping

Your fare includes gratuities. If you truly wish to reward some of the staff for over-the-top service, they will accept a tip, but they do not expect it!