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Silver Spirit Facts & Figures |
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ShipParade home |
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Imagine you own one of the most prestigious cruise lines in the world and you are looking to
expand your business. You decide to order a brand new ship, one that is larger than your existing vessels.
Now, will you build a ship that is "revolutionary", with lots of new gadgets and facilities that will wow and dazzle new
guests but might well turn away your existing clients? Or will you stick to your original concept and choose for
a more "evolutionary" ship? Soon after boarding the brand new Silver Spirit at Monte Carlo, Monaco it is
clear that the owners of Silversea Cruises have chosen for an
"evolution" rather than "revolution" and closely follow the look
and feel of their other boutique ships.
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Silver Spirit at Monte Carlo, Monaco |
Silver Spirit at Monte Carlo, Monaco |
Silver Spirit at Monte Carlo, Monaco |
Silver Spirit at Monte Carlo, Monaco |
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With a maximum capacity of 540 guests and 376 crew members, Silver Spirit is considerably larger than the line's other ships. Still, at 36,000 gross tons
she has one of the highest space rations of any cruise ship. You will notice
this in the wide corridors, the numerous public rooms and the wide open decks.
With her suite accommodation forward and her public rooms and restaurants aft, Silver Spirit
would just be a larger version of Silver Shadow and
Silver Whisper if it were not for the many discrete innovations that are incorporated on the line's newest ship.
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Verandah Suite 630 |
Standard bathroom |
Owner's Suite guest bedroom |
Owner's Suite bathroom |
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Quite remarkably in this day and age, Silver Spirit only has
a few different suite categories. On deck 4 you will find a handful of so-called Vista Suites
with picture windows, with all other suites boasting private own teak balconies equipped with two sun loungers and a table. With about 90% of all suites being completely identical, Silversea Cruises obviously had the lucrative charter market in mind when designing Silver Spirit.
The standard Verandah Suite is exceptionally spacious. The
bathrooms are downright stunning, with brown marble and teak
flooring. They boast a tub and separate shower stall with
your choice of regular or "rainforest" shower heads. All
suites feature walk
in closets with ample storage space and bedrooms with your
choice of twin beds or double bed.
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Verandah Suite |
Verandah Suite |
In-mirror television |
Multi-functional power plug |
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Silver Suite |
Silver Suite |
Grand Suite verandah |
Owner's Suite |
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Your butler will ask you which pillows you prefer. There is
an iPod alarm clock (bring your own iPod!) and the mirror
opposite the bed magically transforms into a television once
you press the power button on the remote control. The living
room has a large sofa and chair, plus ample storage space. A
second LCD television is hidden behind the mirror here. Your
refrigerator is stocked with your preference of drinks
(champagne included) and you will find many extras like a
pair of binoculars, fluffy bathrobes and an umbrella hidden
around the suite.
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Cabin corridor |
Grand staircase |
Glass roof over grand staircase |
Main staircase |
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The soothing decor of the suites continues in the corridors, lobbies and staircases. If ever there was a competition for the most understated ship, Silver Spirit
would win hands down. As there is only a fine line between "understated" and simply boring, the Italian design team have used an
intriguing art collection to
brighten up the ship and the result is pleasing. Just like other Silversea ships, you will feel immediately at home on Silver Spirit. In fact, for me
the secret of Silversea lies in the fact that you feel like
you own the ship. Wishful thinking eh?
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Pool Deck |
Pool Deck at night |
Pool Deck |
Pool Deck |
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Pool Deck |
Promenade Deck |
Spa Relaxation Room |
Spa aft deck with Jacuzzi |
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For a ship carrying only 540 guests, Silver Spirit has ample open deck space. Amidships on deck 9 is a good sized swimming pool with three Jacuzzis and
many ultra-comfortable lounge chairs. With a Pool Grill and Pool Bar this is an area that you may never want to leave.
That is, until you see the other nooks and crannies
on this spacious ship. All the way aft on deck 6 is The Spa which has a beautiful sheltered open deck tucked away, complete with oversized Jacuzzi and sun beds. Silversea have greatly enhanced the spa experience on Silver Spirit and now offers the latest in
modern day treatments, like teeth whitening and Botox.
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Panorama Lounge terrace |
Panorama Lounge terrace |
Panorama Lounge |
Observation Lounge |
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Panorama Lounge |
Panorama Lounge |
Observation Lounge |
Observation Lounge |
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My personal favorite is the open deck aft of the Panorama Lounge. I'm predicting this will be the most popular evening hangout on warm weather itineraries. The
teak terrace is connected to the Panorama Lounge by means of an indoor/outdoor dance floor with glass doors that can be opened when the weather is right. Inside, warm
colors and over stuffy chairs make the Panorama Lounge the perfect spot to sit and watch the world go by.
You will enjoy the daily High Tea here. Still, if you really want to
follow the ship's course, you're better off in the Observation Lounge all the way forward on deck 11. In addition to the view and the bar,
you will also find a small library with reference books here.
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Lobby |
Boutiques |
Boutiques |
Casino |
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La Terrazza |
La Terrazza |
La Terrazza |
Stars Supper Club |
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The charm of Silver Spirit lies in the fact that there are so many intimate public rooms. Adjacent to the spacious shopping gallery on deck 8 is
a cozy cigar lounge and a dedicated casino. All in "boutique format",
of course! One deck below is La Terrazza, the ship's buffet restaurant.
The actual buffet area is quite large and cleverly hidden behind frozen glass
doors. During breakfast or lunch you simply point at the food you'd like to have and an army of waiters will bring it to your
table (indoors or outdoors on the large teak terrace). At night, the doors to the buffet section close and the restaurant serves up regional Italian
a la carte specialties.
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Le Champagne |
Seishin |
The Restaurant |
The Restaurant |
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Guests on Silver Spirit have many choices when it comes to dinner. Apart from the before mentioned La Terrazza and the 24-hour in-suite service, there
are no less than 3 other specialty restaurants. The most innovative is Stars Supper Club. In a cozy,
clubby environment, Maitre D' Darlene and her team serve
elegant finger food from an extensive menu while entertainment is ongoing. Stars will also be the scene for nightly disco. On our pre-inaugural sailing, we
thoroughly enjoyed this room with its the sultry jazzy ambiance and its great food and drink.
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Le Champagne |
Seishin |
The Restaurant |
The Restaurant |
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But this is not all. At the entrance to the large main dining room, there are two small dining rooms that seat only a handful of guests. On starboard, you
will find Le Champagne. In this "wine restaurant" by Relais
& Chateaux, guests savor on six-course dinners paired with fine wines. Next door is Seishin (the Japanese
word for "spirit"), serving Asion fusion dishes. For both specialty restaurants, reservations are needed and you will pay an additional fee per person. If you would
like to avoid fees, simply hop into The Restaurant. While the decor is a little too-understated for me, the meals I've enjoyed here were all but understated. Silversea prides itself on the quality of their meals and there's good reason for that.
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The Show Lounge |
The Show Lounge |
The Bar |
Reception |
After dinner, many guests will head for the The Show Lounge. The design team should be complimented for creating a very intimate, almost cozy entertainment venue
with excellent sightlines despite the restricted headroom. We saw one show here which was excellent, but missed out on the production show featuring the Elton John
songbook due to a memorable (and therefore lengthy)
dining experience. Despite the force 9 gale, we learned
the show received rave reviews. Earlier in the day Captain
Angelo A. Corsaro joyfully announced that we would bump into some heavy seas on our way to Barcelona and that this
provided a good opportunity to test
the vessel's behavior in bad weather. Alas, the gale
force winds prevented some guests to make it to dinner which was
a shame as the menu featured specialty dishes from all restaurants on board.
In the pouring rain Silver Spirit docked at Barcelona
the next morning. Not being in a hurry to leave the
vessel, we sat down in the attractive Main Bar to
observe the comings and goings of guests,
officials and visitors. A great new addition on deck 5, the Main Bar proved one of the most popular venues on our short pre-inaugural cruise.
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Devoid of shocking gadgets and signs of bad taste, Silver Spirit is a ship for people that want the best in life but don't feel the need to show off. Silversea
should be commended for sticking close to their original concept
as this ship feels like home for Silversea regulars and does not overshadow the rest of the fleet. That said,
Silver Spirit holds some innovations and enhancements that will please both Silversea regulars and first-timers.
Leave it to the excellent crew to make all guests on
board feel like ship owners!
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