FBI Travel Independent Professional Travel Advisor and Virtuoso Cruise Icon, Deborah Hilton, recently sailed aboard Silversea’s new Nova-class ship, the Silver Ray, on the 11-night Athens to Venice itinerary. Deborah has cruised over 30 times and has travelled with Silversea previously, so her insights on this ship were highly anticipated!
The ship:
The Silver Ray is the second of Silversea’s Nova-class ships and launched earlier this year. There is a maximum of
728 guests with 544 crew. We had around 600 travellers on our cruise and I was surprised at how spacious the ship was – we didn’t seem to run into many people and we never had an issue getting into our preferred restaurants for meals or lounge areas to relax.
The decor really made you feel like you were in your own home. Beautiful artwork, captivating figures and room dividers around the elegant bars, Arts Cafe and public areas.
Climbing onboard a tender was much easier – there were roughly 8 steps inside the ship and then you walk straight onto the tender, no clambering awkwardly down steps on the outside of the vessel.
The elevators are on the outside of the ship and they are all glass. This made for stunning vistas ascending or descending to your destination. The whole design of the ship allows for wonderful views from every deck.
In the past, Silversea have had a centrally located pool but on this ship, it’s a wonderful infinity pool on the starboard side with comfortable lounges dotted around the deck.
I’ve travelled with Silversea before and in a nutshell, the Silver Ray is next level. I was so impressed with everything.
Suites:
The suites are huge. I felt they were much bigger than the last Silversea ship I was on. Everything is considered and well-thought out from charging points by the beds, the bespoke linens and contemporary decor. Each suite has a balcony with comfortable table and chairs.
The bathroom is just stunning. Our butler organised a shower experience for me one evening. He discreetly placed a fragrant shower bomb in the shower, laid out several beautiful candles and adjusted the lighting. Travellers have the option of bathrooms with a full shower – and it’s a big shower – or a suite with a smaller shower and a separate bath. Please let your travel consultant know your bathroom preference when you book.
Each suite has a personal butler and ours was amazing, no request was too much. There is also a dedicated housekeeper and this included a twice daily room service and turn down service.
Food and drinks:
There isn’t a large dining room on this ship. There are 7-8 themed dining rooms, each serving a different cuisine including French, Italian, International and Japanese. My favourite was S.A.L.T (Sea And Land Tastings) with the delicious food focusing on the destination.
We also really loved the outdoor dining experience at The Marquee. The grill offers you the chance to experience hot rock cooking. Quite literally, a hot rock is placed on your table and you can cook your own meat or fish to your liking.
By day, La Terrazza offers sumptuous buffet breakfasts and lunches. By night, it transforms into an authentic Italian restaurant.
Alcohol is included throughout the ship and there is an extra charge for premium wines. There are plenty of smaller bars and all offer a cocktail of the day.
The Arts Café, located on Level 4, have all-day snacks, cakes and pastries with barista coffees and TWG teas. This was open from 6am to 6pm each day and offered comfy tables and chairs along with workspaces for catching up on emails and reading newspapers.
Shore excursions:
Many shore excursions are included in the voyage price such as guided walking tours, shared coach tours, local experiences, even olive oil tastings!
The ship was generally docked so close to the towns and cities, we just walked in ourselves and were happy to explore on our own in some locations. Silversea also provided a shuttle bus for those that didn’t want to walk or when the ship is docked further out of town.
Optional private paid tours are available where Silversea organise a private car and a guide, specialist sightseeing, hikes, yachting and kayaking, food and wine experiences and beach clubs.
Entertainment:
The nightly live shows offered in the Venetian Lounge were colourful and entertaining. The singers and dancers really were very professional and versatile.
Aside from these, there was a comedian, pianist and live entertainment throughout the ship.
Dress code:
Silversea advise that during the day, the dress code is casual wear and in the evening after 6pm, it’s elegant casual or optional formal. Elegant casual basically means no jeans, shorts, sneakers or flip flops in indoor areas. There are formal nights on voyages over 8 days.
Who was onboard:
The average age would have been 40-50. There were lots of multi-generational families on board including
families with babies - the minimum age depends on which Silversea ship you’re on. There is a small kids club and there are babysitters available to book.
For those that like to travel on their own, Silversea do a fantastic job of organising dinners and get togethers for single travellers so you can meet new people.
Summary:
Silversea's Silver Ray is a simply stunning ship. I haven’t experienced anything quite like it and it has set a new benchmark in the cruising world. Everything was impeccable from the service to the food to the shared spaces and design. I could not fault a thing. I would happily recommend the Silver Ray to my clients and would certainly choose this ship again for my own travels.
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