Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining!

On Wednesday the 14^th August, I was lucky enough to be invited to Southampton to have a look at the Silver Cloud, the flagship in the Silversea Fleet. I was quite reserved about my feelings on the ship as I had heard so different reviews but I always say you should try something and make up your own opinion and I always stick to this, although hearing your feedback is appreciated as we all have different views. The Silver Cloud was completely refurbished back in last October so she has a fresh feel to her, being the oldest ship in the fleet you would not think it.

Silversea are renowned for their stunning voyages, offering cruises to many ports of calls the larger ships cannot get to, on board there ships you will find attentive staff, amazing suites and it’s All Inclusive 6* Ultra Luxury and Intimate Cruising.

Well what can I say, she is simply stunning! The cruise line is privately owned by an Italian family, which started in 1994 when Antionio, first christened the Silver Cloud whom was named by his wife Eugenia, the company is now run by their son, Manfredi and as he says ‘Welcome to our family and it is exactly like that one board. It’s a feeling of coming home. It is an understated luxury, a feel of elegance and sophistication but in a Mediterranean feel. I was also lucky enough to see the Oceania Marina on Saturday gone and the difference as so apparent. Oceania offer very glamorous style of ships with over the top expensive furniture such as Ralph Lauren sun loungers at $100,000.00 each and $10,000.00 bar stool, whereas Silversea have made their ships feel more of a home from home.

One of the things I love about Silversea and sadly many of the mainstream cruise lines are going the other way is that they have licenses to carry over double the amount of people they are doing, so with the Silver Cloud having a guest capacity of 296 she could have over 600 people but in order to keep the exclusivity and also the spacious suites they have decided that the guest space is more important that making more money. This is also the same on the larger ships giving you more space in and out of your suite.

Silversea have an exclusive partnership with ‘Relais and Chateaux’ which is an exclusive collection of 520 of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in more than 60 countries. This prestigious international association honours only the finest chefs in the world with the title ‘Grand Chef’. Silversea is the only cruise line to partner with the ‘Grand Chefs’ of Relais and Chateaux.

Through Silversea partnership with the international stars of this esteemed organisation, they proudly offer the signature dishes of the La Collection Du Monde in ‘The Restaurant’, the main dining venue found on every Silversea ship. Here inspired cuisine is created exclusively for guests of Silversea.

Also an exclusive for Silversea is ‘Le Champagne’ the only Wine Restaurant by Relais and Chateaux at sea, where renowned world wine regions are showcased in a set menu of Six inspired courses. To find out more on ‘The Restaurant’ and ‘Le Champagne’ please read on…

We started check in at Southampton at the City terminal, where they started checking me in as I was actually travelling on the cruise, I am sure my bosses would not have minded should they have let me gone on the 14 night cruise to Monte Carlo but unfortunately they caught on that I was there for the day visit, but hey it was worth a try. We checked in and we boarded the ship. The Silver Cloud homes just fewer than 300 guest so it was a simple stairway from the dock up to the ship rather than the usual walkways. We started in the lounge area where the guests join the ship. The Silver Cloud does not have and I don’t think it needs an atrium, It’s a very intimate ship. The main stair case is in the centre of the ship and goes all the way to the top, it does what it say on the tin, why does a staircase need to be a focus point providing it gets you to where you want to go and to be honest, we are amongst friends here, who uses the stairs when we are on holiday, take the lift!!

From here we were taken to the Show Lounge where we were greeted by the very friendly staff, who may I add had a lovely glass of champagne on hand for us and we had a short catch up on what Silversea are doing over the next couple of year, so exciting news with a new ship joining the fleet in September, the Silver Galapagos, which is being based in the Galapagos all year round offer two different 7 night cruises, why not back to back and have a 14 night ultimate cruise?

Anyway enough of that, back to the Silver Cloud, after our lovely drink and catch up in the show lounge we were spilt in to small groups to ensure we would get the most out of the time on board, in total they were about 40 people, a mix of travel agents and press!! We were taken first to have an Exclusive look at the cabins on board starting with the Owners Suite these are mid ship and on entering you enter a bed room and my first thoughts were blimey this is small, until I walked around the corner, there was a huge living area, the bedroom was the second bedroom as this suite can be as a one or two bedroom suite with two bathrooms for two bedrooms, of the other end of the living room was the master bedroom, and again with its one walk in wardrobe. Truly and utterly beautiful if you are looking for something special, it’s also complete with an Illy Espresso machine and Bang and Olufsen audio system, the suite also has a separate dining area so should you not wish to leave your suite there is no need. These are in a mid-ship position with a large balcony.

Next up was the Grand Suite, positioned at the front and has a balcony looking out over the front of the ship so great for long sea days or those evening just before you leave port, these again can be made up as one or two bedrooms, again with one or two bathrooms. The suite has three tables, a separate dining area, a card table and a coffee table, but don’t worry these suites are huge and it’s like having three separate areas within the main living area, of the living area is the master bedroom again with bathroom complete with whirlpool tub, the Royal Suites sit a deck lower and are slightly smaller but have the same concept with the separate living area, balcony overlooking the front of the ship and again can be made up as one or two bedrooms.

My favourite is the Silver Suite, a perfect size for two, you walk in to your suite and to the left you have the bathroom, this time with only a shower, no tub but don’t let that put you off! The bedroom is to the left and is enclosed by two glass doors either ends. If you walk through the bedroom you end up at the separate dining area, right next to the window so great with in suite dining, around the corner is the expansive living area, and trust me again this does not disappoint, complete with a writing desk, sofa’s and TV unit, I could live in here. These again are Midships and have a spacious balcony, what more could you want?  Again this suite has the coffee machine in suite and the sound system, many cruise lines offer only a kettle!!

The Veranda Suites are the more down to earth suites, again a good size but more of a Mini-Suite layout, with the bathroom and walk in wardrobe leading though to the bedroom area with separate sitting area which can be divided by a curtain should you wish, these again have a balcony and can be found mid-ship or forward on the Silver Cloud.

The lead in grade should you wish to try this fantastic cruise line but are more budget conscious is the Vista Suite, these are found on deck four, again same concept as the Veranda suite with the exception that it does not have a Balcony.

One of the famous Silversea’s sayings is ‘A home from home where every day is a delight, and every night is an occasion’

Now I know I have done this, have you ever been walking done a corridor on a cruise ship and realised that you are walking down the wrong side? With all the Silversea ships the accommodation is at the front with the restaurants, bars and lounges at the back this means that they have one corridor down the middle of the ship accessing suites on both sides of the ship. Yes this all means that there are no Inside cabins to be found on Silversea and all accommodation is Suite accommodation.

Know if you are still reading this, firstly sorry to carry on but it’s worth reading this far, as all suites on Silversea have their own butler, so whether it’s the unpacking or the horrible thought of packing to leave, don’t worry they can do that, if you are in a suite with a whirlpool bath, want a bath? Your butler can run it for you. If you fancy a tailor-made trip on the next port of call, your butler can arrange it, noting is too much trouble for them.  As they day ‘A dedicated butler who thinks of everything so that you can forget about it all’ sounds like bliss!

After this we headed for the ‘Panorama Lounge’, as most of the things to do and places to eat are on the back end of the ship, this means uninterrupted views from the side and the back meaning you can have a nice glass of Champagne or a fresh pizza, maybe even both whilst watching the sun set, the Panorama lounge is where you would go for the lighter snacks.

On this deck and a short walk from the Panorama lounge is the entrance to the pool deck, she has a nice size pool and 2 hot tubs, both are drained and filtered on each turn around day which I must say I have never seen done before and is a nice touch as you can be sure the water has not just been sitting there. There is also a pretty café out here called ‘The Grill’ for snacks in the sun. We now head up deck, towards the back of the deck there is a Jogging track should you wish to use it or you could head forward and take advantage of the gym and there is also a personal trainer on board or you could pretend that this deck does not exist, but it is a nice spot to catch the rays as during the day the sun beds are put out and the overlooks the pool area. The gym is not huge however ample size.

Down a deck from here we come to the library where there is an array of books and dvd’s which you can use complementary, all TV’s in the suites have dvd players.

Across the hall is the Beauty salon, mainly used on board is Elemis products although they have so much beauty product’s it’s difficult to say all the different types they have and with me being a Man, this is not my special subject. There are also steam rooms and saunas here which you may use, there is a hairdresser on board but they get booked up fairly quickly.

Also on deck 7 is ‘La Terrazza’ the on-board Italian restaurant where you can get freshly baked pizza’s and handmade pasta, for all your Italian desires this is certainly the place to be, and if you walk out the doors at the back there is a large Al Fresco dining area, so you can sit back and relax, sailing out of Portofino, glass of wine and a nice Italian dish from the beautiful county you have just visited, is that not what cruising is all about?

On deck 6, this is the main deck for guest relations, here you will find the reception area which is open 24 hours a day, concierge and the future cruise office, more of the boring area of the ship, but if you walk towards the back you have the Show Lounge, this is more of a laid back atmosphere, generally on the first and last evening they have a film on and you are left to relax and soak in the beauty of this amazing room, the room is themed again with an Italian feel with paintings everywhere, they tend to use this lounge for more casual events, and not so much Broadway shows, she is a small ship so if you are after that then the larger ships in the fleet might be worth looking at, but please don’t let this put you off. This is a beautiful lounge, and the chairs where so comfy you have to watch you don’t nod off, and that is easier said than done after a couple glasses of wine.

For ‘The Bar’, there are two ways to find this either go to the bottom of the Show Lounge and walk either to your left or right and there is a slope leading to the lower deck or take the lift or if you dare the stairs down to deck 5. This is a beautiful little bar, remember she only homes 296 guests so the areas can sit a lot of people but don’t need to be large in order to do so, this is a very funky area, it was completely redone in the refurbishment back in October so again has a fresh appeal to it. On from here you have the Casino on the left, you do not need to enter here if you don’t want to, and as on some ships you have to walk through to get to other areas on board, on the Silver Cloud you don’t need to. On this deck you also have the Boutiques, which feature a Perfume shop, a gift shop and a lovely Jewellery shop.

As we take the lift or stairs to deck 4, this is the bottom passenger deck, this is where the Vista Suites are, and the Launderette should you wish to use it, I think it’s like a gym, we go with good intentions but never quite get there.

There is also a beautiful restaurant on this level called ‘Le Champagne’ this is where the Michelin guest chefs will cook for, so worth going to if you are on a Culinary Arts voyage, although I would recommend booking prior to cruising, this comes with a cover charge of $30 per person but when you think what would a Michelin starred restaurant would cost in London, well that covers that, when not in the hands of guest chefs this is still worth a visit as it offers a taster menu in an elegant surrounding.

On from here is ‘The Restaurant’, as I said Silversea are a home from home and nothing is pretending to be something it’s not, the ships are luxurious however they are a more traditional feel, and this is what I think I feel in Love with. Some of these larger ships spend so much money on furniture and the main thing is the experience, you are not necessary going to travel with a cruise line because of what art they display, don’t get me wrong I appreciate fine art, but it’s the overall experience which is going to draw you back and I think Silversea have this appeal.

In the main restaurant, its elegantly appointed, noting is over the top, no huge chandeliers, just lovely laid tables, one of the things I notice most tables around the edge of the dining room where tables for 2, fairly rare to find many tables for 2 but there were quite a few here. Now on to the food, if I am honest I don’t know what I had, just that is what out of this world amazing, I tried a couple vegetarian and a couple meat options and both where to die for. If you would like menus let me know and I can get hold of them. The potions were a nice size and tasty. What more can I say?

All of the dining is complimentary, even in the speciality restaurants with the exception of ‘Le Champagne’, Dining is open in many restaurants so you just turn up and dine, It is about savouring the wines and appreciating the food, so it’s not a quick in and out, so if you want to be in and out in 20 minutes maybe consider what Silversea has to offer you. It’s worth it though, trust me!

The staff could not do enough and they were always smiling, it is all about attentive service and that’s what you get.

Silversea have some exciting new announcements, one of which is again the exclusive partnership with the Royal Geographical Society with IBG, to share some of the world’s most important geographical research and archive material with guests travelling on Silversea expedition ships, including Silver Explorer and Silver Galapagos.

But all in all a great day, and I would most definitely go with Silversea, one of the best cruise lines I have seen to date.

If you would like to know any more on Silversea or just for a chat on your experiences please give me a call, yes I am here to help with booking your next cruise but I do like I good natter about cruises gone by…. Contact details below, and as I say anything at all please feel free to contact me.

[email protected] – www.tomstravels.co.uk – 0800 408 6143