Earlier on this year I set sail on my first ever cruise and loved it. I was totally converted to the world of cruising and life on board a ship so I was itching to experience more. So when Silversea got in touch and asked if I’d like to join them for a week on their Ultra-Luxury cruise ship the Silver Spirit with a group of other bloggers I couldn’t pack my bag fast enough!
Silversea are leaders in luxury cruising that really go the extra mile in every aspect of their voyages. If you thought you knew what a luxury holiday was, think again because Silversea take luxury to another level and I can’t wait for you to see what life on board the Silver Spirit is like….Champagne flutes at the ready!
We flew out to Athens for a just under a week’s sailing, stopping off at a different destination every day before disembarking in Dubrovnik. The Silver Spirit is just one of the eight (soon to be nine) strong Silversea fleet that’s currently sailing around the world, even venturing as far as the Antarctic (yes really, you HAVE to take a look at those itineraries!) and was built in 2009 to hold just 540 guests. With a guest to staff ratio of nearly 1 to 1, personal butlers and every room a suite, The Silver Spirit is THE ship to cruise on if you’re looking for a truly luxurious and relaxing break away.
The Suites
Cabin isn’t a word we know on the Silver Spirit as every room on board is a suite and some of the largest of the Silversea fleet at that! I give you a full room tour in my vlog down below but my suite was quite simply astonishing in size. We stayed in a Silver Spirit Veranda Suite with a queen size bed, 8 item pillow menu, fully stocked mini bar, double monsoon shower, full size bath, walk in wardrobe and a lovely veranda to sit and watch the waves. Everything you could possibly want or need was in this room and I have to say I slept like a log every single night wrapped up in my Pratesi luxury bed linen and several choices of pillow – try the body pillow, oh my goodness, heaven. The decor was more traditional luxury than boutique but the quality of everything on board from the marble bathrooms to our teak wood verandas was second to none and the maid service left my suite spotless every time.
My bulter Riju was just a button press away and always there to help with anything I needed. Beautiful Bvlgari products in the bathroom, full size bottles of spirits for my mini bar, 24 hour incredible room service and loads of up-to-date movies to snuggle up with in bed. One day I came back to my suite to find Riju had run me a bath filled with rose petals as he knew I’d been out all day, and every morning when he brought up my breakfast in bed I was greeted with a smile. Gourmet chocolates on my pillow every evening and even a miniature paper for each guest’s country left outside the door to read with your morning coffee. I’ve never felt so at home or well looked after on a holiday.
Food & Drink
Ok, we need to talk about the food. With 6 different restaurants available you’re spoilt for choice aboard the Silver Spirit. From Italian to Sushi, delectable French cuisine and cooking your own steak, there really is something for everyone. Bar the Michelin Starred restaurants I’ve eaten in, I can honestly say that the food on board the Silver Spirit was some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Stunning quality ingredients, beautiful presentation and an abundance of incredibly tempting choice.
Even their Afternoon Tea was delicious – something we Brits take very seriously! With a choice of 12 fine teas, delicious sandwiches, freshly baked scones and delicate pastries I was in tea and cake heaven. And the best part? Not only did the pastries look beautiful they were actually full of flavour, and real clotted cream for the scones too. I’m not sure why I expected any less, but still, not something even some of the top places in England can get right.
All washed down with an ice cold glass of Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top Champagne. Bottomless, of course. I told you this was my kind of cruise!
Emily and I on formal night – verandas aren’t the best for selfies when sailing away!
There wasn’t a single meal I didn’t enjoy on board, every course was thoroughly thought through and executed to perfection and their cocktails? Amazing. Not many all inclusive hotels and resorts can produce such high quality drinks round after round but I’m proud to say we tested nearly the full menu and it didn’t disappoint! With knowledgeable sommeliers and a good choice of great wine, freshly ground coffee every time and nothing served at anything other than the perfect temperature we were very, very happy.
During our week we had the great pleasure of doing a galley tour with Jerome Foussier their executive chef which was fascinating. The menus are constantly changing and Silversea are the only cruiseline to host restaurants by Relais & Châteaux serving a six course tasting menu inspired by various wine regions. We ate there on our first night and it was exquisite, try the Lobster Thermidor.
If you have any allergies or dietary requirements Silversea are only too happy to oblige – low sugar, low sodium, dairy free, gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options are all available so nobody goes hungry or thirsty under their watch!
On The Ship
The great thing about cruising is it’s totally flexible – you can head off and explore your destinations or simply relax and chill out by the pool. We did a mixture of both during our week and spent some seriously lazy days in the Mediterranean sunshine and some more active ones out and about. Another thing that set The Silver Spirit apart from my other cruising experience was the size of the pool. With such few guests and a large area to sunbath and swim it was nicely spread out and incredibly comfortable. No sardines here! The water was cool and the three jacuzzis beautifully warm.
I took a visit to the spa during my week on board for a gel manicure. Now I visit a lot of spas and wear gel nails for most of the time and hands down this was the best gel manicure I’ve ever had. My therapist worked so perfectly as I sipped my cucumber water and I felt a million dollars when I left. Treatments are on the pricey side (think around $59 for a set of Shellac nails) but it was worth every penny (cent!) and I would highly recommend popping in for a pamper during your cruise. They have everything from massages to hair appointments, a thermal relaxation room and more jacuzzis. It really is a testament to the ship.
It wasn’t all eating and drinking on board the Silver Spirit, we did actually do some exercise too! The gym is well equipped with sturdy machines and some weights along with free classes you can join in with during your stay. We took part in yoga on the deck and although it was tough in 30 degree heat it was absolutely stunning to look out over the water whilst relaxing and re-balancing.
You can also hire a personal trainer on board for an extra charge if you’re really determined not to let the incredible food and drink knock you off those scales!
Evening entertainment came in the form of live music, shows and karaoke (I may or may not have broken my karaoke virginity on our second night on board!). It was varied and always finished with a disco upstairs on the dance floor. There’s a casino if you fancied gambling during your stay, a cigar lounge, boutiques (for spending all your casino winnings!), a library and several bars and lounges to enjoy a drink, a dance and some live piano.
Life is incredibly laid back on The Silver Spirit whether you fancy hitting the hay early ready for a day of adventures, or dancing the night away with a cocktail or two.
The Destinations
During our week we got to see the wonders of Athens, Mykonos, Monmevasia, Zakinthios, Corfu, Montenegro and Dubrovnik and again it made me appreciate how wonderful it is to wake up in a new place every single morning. Silversea offer free tours for their all inclusive guests along with a number of paid excursions which you can book in for ahead of each destination.
Some days we anchored at sea and jumped on a tender boat to shore, others we managed to get a parking space(!) in the port and could just hop on and off. Either way exploring your destinations was incredibly easy and really fun.
For our excursion we chose to take a speedboat in Montenegro to the Blue Caves which was both exhilarating and mesmerising. Just outside of the bay of Kotor lie the Blue Caves, a natural hall with just a 9 metre high entrance and crystal clear bright blue waters. Our cameras really couldn’t capture the sheer beauty of the caves so this is definitely one to see for yourself – it was a little hairy jumping in but we did it and quite frankly it was beautiful.
Silversea make it so easy to explore your destinations – you can spend as much or as little time there as you like. Most days we spent our mornings exploring the destination and our afternoons exploring the pool….and the cocktail menu!
The Verdict
Our week on the Silver Spirit was out of this world – It’s quite clear why Silversea have one of the best reputations around for luxury cruising. Everything was perfect from the food, the drink, the amenities and the staff who couldn’t do enough to make your stay amazing. It really blew me away.
I wouldn’t hesitate to travel with Silversea again and I’d whole heartedly recommend them for your next cruise, a special holiday or honeymoon. The only problem was (apart from my 5lb gain on the scales) that I never wanted to come home!
WATCH: A Week on The Silver Spirit | Travel Vlog
Take a look at some of the Silversea voyages and expeditions setting sail soon on their website HERE – put me down for the world cruise…I’ll see you in 4 months!
Have you ever considered cruising? Would this be your kind of holiday?
xax