I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to join Silversea Cruises and explore their ship, Silver Spirit in Southampton. On arrival at Southampton City Cruise terminal, we were met by our representative from Silversea. We passed through the City Cruise Terminal which is well signposted and is very straightforward. You drop your bags at the bag drop off, head through security and check-in for your cruise.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I went aboard Silver Spirit for the first time. Although the Silver Spirit is now in its fifteenth year of sailing, it still looks as good as new. Following an add-on and a refurbishment in 2018, Silver Spirit offers one of the most fully inclusive cruise experiences available. With eight luxury dining options, I couldn't wait to see what was on offer. She has a guest capacity of 608, and has all-suite accommodation, which creates a smaller more intimate atmosphere on board compared to some of the larger cruise lines.
We went straight up to the Panorama Lounge for a champagne reception. This is located at the front of the ship where you can enjoy complimentary drinks, afternoon tea and listen to live music. During our visit we had the resident pianist and guitarist to enjoy listening to in the background. Plenty of seating and a lovely view wherever you are in the world! After a quick drink, we headed on a tour to look around the cabins before the next set of guests were due to arrive.
The staterooms on board the Spirit are all suites. I had a look around a couple of suites, a Superior Veranda Suite which is located on the upper deck, this suite has a comfortable living space all the comforts and luxury that you would expect with Silversea along with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto a private veranda. These suites are a spacious 35-square meters. Another stateroom we viewed was the Grand Suite, ideal for entertaining friends while you cruise or enjoying a quiet dinner privately. This is available as a one-bedroom configuration or as two-bedrooms by adjoining with a Veranda Suite, so would also suit two couples wishing to have a private area but the beauty of a "Villa at sea" with friends. The size of the one bedroom is 132-142 sq.m. including veranda and the Two bedroom 175 sq.m. including veranda.
We then moved on to look around the rest of the ship and what some pleasant surprises this bought. The pool area, where you can while away a day at sea, has a large pool and three jacuzzis with The Grill, Silversea's casual dining restaurant which serves a range of burgers and salads by day, and turns into the Hot Rocks table BBQ at night, alongside.
On Deck 6 sits the Zagara Beauty Spa and Fitness Centre which also includes an indoor jacuzzi and a fully equipped gym, fitness suite and nine beauty rooms for all the treatments you could wish for. This area was particularly large, I thought, for the size of the ship so for any spa lovers, this is a must!
On to the best part... Silver Spirit is perfect for those who want a cruise ship with all the fine dining and facilities of a 5 star hotel. There is a designer shopping arcade, a beautiful Arts cafe which exhibits paintings and art from artists that are also all available to purchase, as are all the paintings and murals around the ship. Here you can relax, read and enjoy a snack or brunch if you missed that all-important breakfast. This cafe/deli-bar had a lovely, relaxed atmosphere, this was one of my favourite places. In the evening this becomes an evening cocktail lounge. The outdoor terrace makes this lovely area into an al-fresco area for summer days. The speciality restaurants and dining venues are plentiful and all looked irresistible... Make sure you book a cruise long enough to sample them all!
On to the restaurants, the Indochine offers Asian cuisine, Spaccanapoli, Silversea's Italian restaurant using the freshest authentic ingredients. La Dame, a French restaurant with fine wine with a six-course experience and Seishin, an Asian fusion cuisine restaurant with inspiration from Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam and India (at a small supplement). Silver Note, a tapas-style eatery with international cuisine complimented by Jazz and Blues music. Of course, there is a large buffet restaurant for those who like a more relaxed buffet-style approach. Finally, brings me to The Atlantide, the clue is in the name, this elegant bar and grill offers everything from the sea at it's very best! but for those non-fish eaters (like me) the menu was exhausting, I wouldn't know what to choose if I was on board! On this occasion, I chose very well and had one of the best dining experiences ever!
The Venetian Lounge (the Theatre) has full scale productions, feature films, port talks, enrichment lectures which will be invariable based on the destination you are visiting. The spacious decks leave plenty of room for relaxation, Silversea make sure that there is something for everyone.
If you would like any further information, please call me on 01242 808549, send me an email href="mailto:caroline.sutton@milesmorgantravel.co.uk"> caroline.sutton@milesmorgantravel.co.uk. I was blown away with Silver Spirit. I have lots of photos to show you more a more realistic impression too so pop in and see me in our Cheltenham store inside Waitrose.
