Silver Spirit
Luxury Cruising Around the World
Part Two
by Linda Coffman
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| Royal Suite 701 |
The Suite Life Onboard
As on the smaller Silversea ships, all accommodations on Silver Spirit are suites, 95% of which have private teak-floored verandas. All are located midship to forward and none are aft. Six configurations of spacious accommodations are truly of suite proportions, with separate bedrooms in the top four categories that feature spacious living room/dining room areas. Veranda Suites and Vista Suites have a curtain to separate sleeping and sitting areas with a table that converts to dining height for meals. All have walk-in closets, a dressing table, desk, a granite-topped bathroom, and a separate shower and tub.
Amenities befitting true luxury suites include a flat-screen interactive TV with DVD player, iPod docking station, personal safe, hair dryer, fully stocked minibar, fresh fruit and flowers, personalized stationery, shampoo, conditioner, designer soap and lotion by Bvlgari, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Neutrogena, Egyptian cotton towels and robes, slippers, and umbrellas. Topped with a memory foam cover, mattresses feature a spring system with a soft and firm side that can be reversed to suit your preference. Down duvets, a choice of nine pillow types, and 300 thread count Egyptian cotton linens insure sweet dreams. Top-category suites have such added benefits as double-sink vanities, bidets, and bathtubs with whirlpool jets in the bathroom, a wet bar, and a guest powder room.
Owner's, Grand, and Royal Suites can be configured with two bedrooms by adding a connecting suite. Worth Noting: Suites in a variety of categories have the capacity for a third guest and four suites are designed for wheelchair accessibility. Internet service can be accessed throughout the ship with your own laptop or other WiFi capable device.
| Suite Type |
Size (sq. ft.) |
| Owner's Suite |
1,292 |
| Grand Suite |
990 |
| Royal Suite |
990 |
| Silver Suite |
742 |
| Veranda Suites |
376 |
| Vista Suite |
312 |
Spa & Relaxation Luxuries
Located on Deck 6, The Spa has nine massage rooms, indoor/outdoor relaxation areas, and an outdoor whirlpool where you can order a complimentary fruit smoothie, champagne, or cocktail while soaking away your cares. A ceramic-tiled Thermal Suite is furnished with heated lounge chairs and a private Hammam (Turkish bath) Chamber. Fees apply to certain services, but in the men's and ladies' locker rooms there are complimentary saunas and steam rooms. In addition to the usual beauty treatments and massages, you can address your wellness concerns with acupuncture treatments. For a bit more "help" with restoring a youthful appearance, Restylane, Perlane, Botox Cosmetic, and Dysport Wrinkle treatments are available.
Adjacent to the Spa, the fully equipped Fitness Centre includes an aerobics studio, 4 multi-purpose exercise machines, 3 elliptical cross-trainers, 4 treadmills, a recumbent bike, free weights, and
assorted multi-purpose weight/resistance-training equipment. A personal trainer is on hand to get you started with your exercise regime and classes are available from simple stretching to yoga and pilates.
On sea days it was never a problem finding a spot to relax in the sun or shade, either by the swimming pool or the cozy covered outdoor lounging area aft of the Panorama Lounge with a view of the ship's wake.
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| Panorama Lounge |
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| Spanish Barbeque |
Lounges & Entertainment
Sometimes you just want to be alone, even if it’s only for a little while. I seldom leave home without my iPod and often search for an out of the way spot to curl up and read with a book from the ship's well stocked library. I found the perfect quiet spot aboard Silver Spirit. I felt like an explorer as I looked for the Observation Lounge—through a passageway of suites and all the way forward on deck 11. To my delight, I also found a telescope there, as well as refreshments—coffee, tea, water, and soft drinks are available all day long.
One of the most social spots aboard Silver Spirit is the Panorama Lounge where the seating is as comfortable as it looks in the photo here. It’s where the coffee corner is available for early risers in the morning, team trivia is played in the afternoon, canapés are served before dinner, and where we joined fellow passengers to dance away the night, either to live music or tunes played by the DJ at the late-night disco parties.
There’s a lot on tap every day and sea days were especially full—seminars, games and competitions, dance and language lessons, and my favorite, enrichment lectures. If you should happen to get busy with some other activity and miss one of the lectures, they are taped and shown later on the television in the suites. I love the idea of being in “two places at once” and not missing anything.
The proportionately scaled production shows, concerts, and cabarets presented in the Theater showcased some extraordinarily talented performers. A pianist, a duo, and a trio offered music for listening and dancing in the Bar, the Panorama Lounge, and poolside most evenings. Jazz is the highlight during and after dinner in Stars.
When Silver Spirit remained docked in Malaga for the evening during our cruise, the weather was as perfect as the setting for cocktails and barbeque dinner under the Spanish sky. The barbeque spread included the suckling pig pictured here as well as barbeque ribs and chicken, steaks prepared on the spot, and a variety of side dishes. For dessert, there was Crepes Suzette.
As this was a World Cruise segment, guests were invited to dress in “Spanish” attire and some did with colorful fringed shawls on the ladies and matador finery for the men. A world cruiser told me that they were informed ahead of time of the “theme” nights and could pack accordingly or purchase items ashore, such as the lovely shawls and fans. To end a beautiful evening, we were treated to a Flamenco Show featuring local performers. The evening was magical and a highlight of the voyage.
Service, Silver Spirit-Style
From the moment we stepped board, we learned the true meaning of pampering as the staff aboard Silver Spirit spoiled us with constant, yet unobtrusive service. While Mel and I consider ourselves low key and low maintenance, crewmembers went out of their way to satisfy our every whim—even whims we didn’t know we had. Every suite on Silversea ships is served by a butler, but ours, Julian William, deserves special mention. Pictured here with me outside our suite on Silver Spirit, the decorations and rose he presented me with were in honor of our wedding anniversary, which Mel and I celebrated while on board.
Let's step back to when Julian first greeted us as we arrived at our Royal Suite. To make us feel at home he pointed out the suite's amenities and where various elements were located. He also demonstrated how to use them—such as the television/DVD, CD player, alarm clock with iPod dock, and, most importantly, the numerous light switches. When he noticed our many electronic gadgets, he brought a power strip so we could plug multiple items in for simultaneous recharging. He also offered a variety of bathroom toiletries for us to choose from and asked if we had a preference from the pillow menu. Then he left after opening a bottle of champagne and returned later with afternoon canapés and the body pillow I find comfortable for sleeping.
Julian always seemed to be on duty and often arrived unannounced to check on whether we needed or wanted anything. In addition to bringing afternoon canapés, he noticed which ones we liked the best and made certain those were the ones we got every day. He also took care of making our dinner reservations and served our room service orders. Aside from what we might have expected, there were some unexpected surprises. After a particularly warm day ashore we returned to find that Julian had drawn me a scented bubble bath. He also noticed hat Mel's new grey suitcase had gotten soiled in transit and cleaned it with a non-toxic cleaning solution.
Totally unexpected was our anniversary surprise. In addition to the balloons on our door in the morning, Julian and our stateroom attendant, Made Diah, decorated our dining table while we were out for the evening. We arrived back in our suite to find more balloons hovering over the table, which glowed with candlelight (battery operated). The centerpiece was a Happy Anniversary cake. Chocolate—our favorite.
That doesn't sound very "low maintenance" but most of Julian's services were spontaneous. Although we were in a Royal Suite and you would expect us to get superb service, we compared our experiences with those of our neighbors and learned that Julian did the same for all his guests.
It was a real letdown to arrive back home where the only ones in our family that get treated royalty are Elvis, Priscilla, and Lisa Marie, our tabby cats.
Silver Spirit Fast Facts
• Entered service 2010
• 36,009 tons
• 540 passengers
• 376 crewmembers
• 8 passenger decks
• 1 swimming pool, 4 hot tubs
• Complimentary guest laundry facilities
Back to Silver Spirit -> Part One
Photographs, © Linda Coffman, CruiseDiva.com
From Cruise Diva's Silver Spirit Blog Archive:
- Solid Sterling Experience: Silver Spirit
- The Royal Treatment Aboard Silver Spirit
- Silver Spirit Amenities
- Silver Spirit at Sea
- Getting Away From It All
- Barbeque Under The Spanish Sky
- Days Ashore
- Social Spots
- Dining Delights
More from CruiseDiva.com:
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Silversea Cruise Line Profile
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