Vineyard in Galician Region of Spain. High enough to provide shade

Having spent more than our fair share of time exploring Cozumel and Playa del Carmen on Western Caribbean cruises, Rickee and I were ready for a change. When the opportunity to explore the other side of the Panama Canal on Silversea appeared, we jumped on it. They call this the “Mexican Riviera”. To say that the terrain and culture does not quite live up to the standards of the Italian or French Riviera might be the biggest understatement possible. Nevertheless, whenever or wherever you sail with Silversea Cruises, the destination can often take a back seat to the onboard experience.

Our cruise aboard Silver Wind was our second on Silversea, the first having been on her newer and bigger sister ship, Silver Whisper, in November, 2002. Silver Wind was the second Silversea ship, introduced in 1995, one year after the cruise line was founded. With her twin sister, Silver Cloud, these two ships have amassed more accolades and awards for service and quality than any afloat, including our Editor's Award for Best Small Ship Cruise Line for 2002 and our 6-Star Award of Excellence. Over the past 10 years, Silversea has become synonymous with “ultra-luxury” cruising. Their reputation is an asset which any cruise line would love to list on their balance sheet. Silversea’s approach to cruising is sophisticated and stylish.

The Review Process

It may be interesting to note that we review 6-star cruise lines much more intensely than we do a 4-star or even 5-star cruise line. Guests can easily pay $500 to $1000 per day for the experience of sailing on a luxury ship, so it is only fair that expectations should run higher. We mention this because some of the things we point out in our review may seem like we are ‘nit-picking’. And if truth be told…we are.

In addition to our own observations, we mix and mingle with other passengers throughout the cruise to inquire about their experiences and thoughts. In some cases, these people are aware of our status as editors for a major cruise travel web site. However, often we are totally ‘under the radar’ and act as any typical cruise passenger. We have found that cruise passengers will say things to other passengers that they will never reveal to a staff member. Finally, we meet with various crew members and officers to ask specific questions about the cruise line and ship.

Getting There

Our Mexican Riviera cruise sailed out of Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, which is about 60 miles south of the capital city, San Jose. However, you should know that it is about a 2 hour drive from one to the other because of the winding, 2-lane mountain roads. We chose to fly into San Jose the day before the cruise, spend the night at a hotel, and hire a town car to take us to Puerto Caldera the following day. This is a very wise choice if it is within your budget. For this journey, we chose to stay at the Real Comfort Hotel which we booked though Hotels.com for about $59 a night. While not a luxury hotel by any stretch, we were pleasantly surprised at how clean and new the hotel was. Our room was nice, quiet and even included complimentary breakfast. The hotel also offers a free shuttle to/from the airport (about a 15 minute ride) and to/from the Multiplaza Mall. Taxis are also widely available at the airport and all over San Jose. The taxis we used were small, but relatively clean and the rates were inexpensive ($12 to the hotel from the airport, $3 from the hotel to the Mall).

*Rickee arrives at Silver Wind in style thanks to Michael Berg, President of Jaguar Limousine.*

Silver Wind embarkation was scheduled for 3:00pm, so we arranged to have our car pick us up at our hotel at noon. The town car was booked on the Internet directly with Jaguar Limousine service (www.jaguarlimousineservices.com). Michael Berg, owner of Jaguar, just happened to be our driver for the day. If you require a limousine or town car transportation in San Jose, we highly recommend Jaguar. The town car was new, spotless and stocked with bottled water for the 2 hour ride. Michael even made a couple of stops along the way at local establishments allowing us to purchase Costa Rican coffee at about $1.50 per pound! Costa Rican coffee is arguably the best in the world and sells in Dallas for around $9 a pound. It pays to know a local! The cost for the town car transfer was $200, almost ½ of what some cruise lines charge for the same service. Of course, there are less expensive ways to get from San Jose to Puerto Caldera. There are public buses which are very inexpensive, and you can also get transfers from your cruise line or travel agent.

We arrived at Puerto Caldera at about 2:15, 45 minutes early. Since it was rather windy and dusty outside, Silversea allowed us to board early, wait in one of the ship’s lounges and sip a glass of champagne while we waited for the formal embarkation to begin. At 3:00pm we walked down to Deck 5, surrendered our passports, had our photos taken for security and were given our room keys and boarding cards. The entire check-in process took less than 5 minutes.

Unfortunately, as we were making our initial walk around the ship to inspect all of the facilities, Rickee slipped on the stairs at the pool deck and broke one of her toes. A crew member quickly contacted the ship’s doctor and her injury was tended to and a crutch provided so she could keep the weight off of her foot.

The Ship

*Silver Wind anchored off the coast of Cabo San Lucas*

Silver Wind is second of two identical Silversea ships constructed in 1994 when the cruise line began operations. It is apparent that the ships were designed and built to accomplish the specific task of delivering the ultimate in all-inclusive luxury cruising. At a time when most cruise lines were focusing on how to build bigger, more elaborate ships, Silversea went in the opposite direction. At 16,800 tons, Silver Wind is small in comparison to today’s mega-ships. She carries 296 guests and a crew of 200. That’s an extremely high ratio of 1 crew member for every 1.5 guests. There are seven passenger decks, all of which can be reached by any of four elevators located mid ship. There are also two winding staircases which run from Deck 4 to Deck 8. The layout of the public rooms and the location of the stairs and elevators combine to make this one of the easiest ships to move around in. From a suite on Deck 5 you can get to any other area of the ship in just a few minutes.

*Dual staircases located mid-ship make getting around Silver Wind very easy.*

The Reception Desk and Tour Desk are located on Deck 6. Located on Deck 5 is The Bar, a popular gathering place for before and after dinner drinks. Deck 5 is also where you typically will embark and disembark the vessel when it is docked. The Restaurant, Wind’s main dining salon, and the alternate dining venue, Saletta, are located on Deck 4 aft. Just down the hall from the Restaurant is the ship’s recently installed Library and Internet Point. Moving up to Deck 6 you will find The Parisian Lounge, the ship’s show lounge. The Terrace Café is located on Deck 7 aft and is the ship’s buffet breakfast and lunch venue as well as an alternate, theme-dinner bistro in the evening. The pool is located on Deck 8 as is the Panorama Lounge, a quiet and elegant lounge that offers a 180 degree view of the ocean being left behind. There is also the Champagne Room which serves as the ship’s cigar and Cognac lounge.

A recent refurbishment and refit finds the fitness center moved to Deck 9 replacing the Observation Lounge. A new library and Internet Point has been added on Deck 4 in a space previously occupied by one of the ship’s suites. Part of The Restaurant on Deck 4 has been sectioned off and redecorated to become the ship’s new 2-star Michelin restaurant, Saletta. Carpeting has been replaced in many places throughout the ship and there are new cushions and upholstery in public areas. New fabrics and furnishings can be found in the suites as well. In general, the ship looks far younger than it is. The only areas showing any real signs of wear are some marble in the suites and tile flooring in the public restrooms. There are no signs of rust ANYWHERE on the interior or exterior of the ship. This is further indication of exceptional maintenance, something we noticed on Silver Whisper in 2002.

The overall décor of Silver Wind is understated and elegant. There are no striking displays of art or sculpture and the color scheme is calming and subtle.

Accommodations

The mid ship Veranda Suite (529) was a comfortable 295 square feet in size. Even though the bathroom was considerably smaller than those on Silver Whisper/Shadow, it was well-appointed. There is a single combination bathtub/shower. Bathroom amenities include shampoo, body lotion, shower gel, conditioner and soap from famed Bvlgari. Cotton swabs and cotton balls are also provided in a container on the marble vanity. A single medicine cabinet offers ample storage, but not as much as you might expect in a ‘suite’. The only disappointment was the towels, which looked more like the kind you would find at a Holiday Inn instead of a 6-star cruise line or hotel. Functionally, the towels were fine and quite absorbent; they just were not much to look at.

As with the Veranda and Vista suites on Whisper/Shadow, the makeup vanity is situated right in front of the bed which makes maneuvering around the suite very tricky while someone is seated at the vanity. A makeup mirror is provided on the vanity, but a lighted mirror would be better. Nevertheless, there is a lot of light generated by the two fluorescent fixtures flanking the mirror. The only electrical outlet we found in the suite was located on the vanity. This means you have to move the mountain of makeup, creams and potions that women like to display on the vanity to plug in your digital camera, video camera, cell phone, laptop recharge transformers, etc. A better option would be to have 2 110 outlets located on the desk/entertainment center.

*The desk has a mini bar and small television which can be seen from the bed*

The desk/entertainment center is directly across from the full-size sofa and coffee table. The television is located in the lower right cabinet of the entertainment center. The placement of the television makes it difficult for a person laying on the far side of the bed to view it. We would like to see the TV moved up higher in the cabinet, or better yet, a flat-screen LCD mounted to the wall next to the room divider. It never hurts to wish! The veranda spans the width of the suite and is covered in teak. There are two white plastic adjustable chairs (no loungers) with padded fabric cushions and a small white plastic table. For some reason, the white plastic looks out of place on a ship as elegant as Silver Wind.

There is a small coffee table which is easily converted to a comfortable dining table with the addition of a square tabletop that fits on top. When not in use, the square tabletop is stored behind the sofa or under the bed. The walk-in closet is quite large and can easily hold enough clothes for a two-week or longer journey. There are plenty of wooden hangers and more are available upon request from the stewardess.

The queen-size mattress was VERY comfortable and the linens were of the highest quality and thread count. Silversea has introduced new down-filled duvets that are heavenly. The standard pillows are the fluffy down variety, a little too soft for my preference. A quick call to housekeeping and we had two firmer pillows in their place.

The suites are maintained twice each day by the stewardess and her assistant. Beds are made up and the suite cleaned each morning and once again in the evening when the bed is turned down. There are always chocolates waiting on the bed when you return to your suite after an evening of dining and entertainment.

Dining

Mealtime is always something special on Silversea. You do not simply ‘eat’ on Silversea, you dine. Whether you choose to dine in The Restaurant, Terrace Café, Saletta or in your own suite, you will do so on a white linen tablecloth which has been set with flatware and china. Even casual dining is something special. The dining service onboard Wind is crisp and polished with a decidedly European flair.

The day begins with breakfast at 8:00am in The Restaurant or The Terrace Café (buffet style). The breakfast menu in The Restaurant is extensive and everything is made to order. Even if something is not on the menu, chances are you only need ask and it will be prepared for you. This is true of any meal, not just breakfast. Even though The Terrace Café is less formal than The Restaurant, you are not deprived of linen tablecloths and excellent service. Here you will enjoy a lavish buffet of fresh fruits, breads, pastries, eggs and meat selections. You can also order fresh egg dishes in the Terrace Café. Of course, you can always enjoy breakfast is ‘en suite’. Room service will deliver a full breakfast to your suite.

At noon, The Terrace Café opens for lunch with a buffet filled with hot dishes, cold cuts, salads, fruits and amazing desserts. There is a carving station serving roasted meats and a made-to-order pasta station featuring daily creations. One unique and welcome regular on the lunch buffet is fresh Sushi. A mountain of fresh chunks of tuna is surrounded by a variety of Sashimi hand rolls. Once your plate has been filled, it will be surrendered to one of the polished staff who will carry it to your table. The Terrace Café features several tables located outdoors for a wonderful al fresco dining experience. A full service menu lunch is served in The Restaurant starting at 12:30pm. We found The Restaurant to be much less crowded at lunch since most guests opt for The Terrace. You can also enjoy burgers and hot dogs poolside if you would like to eat without changing out of your swimsuit.

Just in case you get hungry before dinner, the ship offers a traditional British Tea service at 4:00pm in the Panorama Lounge. A nice selection of finger sandwiches, cookies and scones (served with traditional clotted cream) complement the selection of teas.

““As much as anything, the people you meet aboard the ship make the cruise. The typical passenger is older, well traveled, educated, affluent, and friendly. You can board the ship without knowing a soul and never eat a meal alone because it is so easy to meet people.””

— Joel & Harriet Gilbert - Silversea Guests

Executive Chef David Greves begins working his culinary magic at 7:30pm when guests migrate to one of Silver Wind’s three dining venues for the evening meal. The tradition of dressing for dinner has been preserved on Silversea. Even on informal evenings most men will wear a jacket and tie and ladies will wear a dress or dressy slacks. On formal nights, the ratio of tuxedos to suits is probably the highest in the cruise industry. It seems fitting that one should pay such respect to this level of dining and service. Steven Weber, the ship’s Maître d’ Hôtel, greets guests by name as they arrive at The Restaurant. You can count on Steven to ensure that any special dining requests are met. The Restaurant is a sophisticated, understated dining room with nothing to distract from the food and service. The menu changes each evening and offers a variety of hot and cold appetizers, salads, soups, and main courses. The service is polished and attentive. Waiters and assistants will routinely greet you by name and remember your personal preferences. Head Sommelier Jérôme Larbi selects two complimentary wines (one red and one white) each evening. The complimentary wines offered ranged from average to very good. There is also an extensive selection of premium wines available (at an additional cost) from Silver Wind’s wine cellar.

Silver Wind offers two other evening dining venues, each with its own interesting twist. The Terrace Café transforms into a quiet bistro setting. The menu ‘theme’ changes each evening and offers a fixed selection of menu items which are pre-selected by the Chef. We visited The Terrace Café on Asian night and American Steak night. Both visits were memorable, with the Asian night being the real standout. There are generally only between 20 and 50 guests dining in The Terrace Café. While there is no charge for dining at The Terrace Café, advance reservations are required. As you would expect, the service here is near perfect.

“Did you know? Saletta will be added to the Silver Cloud when she emerges from dry dock in Spring 2004.”

— CruiseReport.com

A new addition to the dining choices is the Relais & Châteaux Relais Gourmands-inspired Saletta. This specialty restaurant features the creations of Mr. Joachim Koerper, Chef/Owner of the Michelin 2 Star Girasol Restaurant in Moraira, Spain. Saletta is the most elegant restaurant on Silver Wind and serves a maximum of 30 guests each evening. Reservations are required and even though there is no charge for the meal, there is a charge for any spirits and/or wines consumed in Saletta. The menu in Saletta changes every day or two and features some very unique creations which are not commonly found in restaurants on land or at sea. The 5 course fixed menu is nothing short of amazing. Thankfully, the portions are small with the emphasis on creativity and quality preparation. The beef tenderloin with truffles served in Saletta was far superior in taste and tenderness to the beef served in The Restaurant. Virtually everyone we spoke with who had tried Saletta agreed that it was a highlight of the Silversea experience. Our visit to Saletta confirmed that opinion.

Dining Highlights The poolside barbeque held one evening each cruise features a massive selection of grilled meats, salads, deserts and pasta. The Galley Luncheon is a special buffet lunch served in the galley.

The quality of the food and the ingredients used in preparation throughout the ship is generally very high. Some of the seafood offerings were exceptional with the fresh lobster being the real standout. Bernhard Stacher, Silver Wind’s Food & Beverage Manager, says “90% of the seafood served on board is fresh and not frozen.” The exception is certain fish which is served raw (e.g. Saku tuna for sushi) which must be frozen for at least 3 days at minus 21 degrees to ensure that any bacteria is killed. Notwithstanding the filet served in Saletta, the steaks I tried on Silver Wind, while cooked perfectly, were a little tough. The prime rib, on the other hand, was tender and juicy. All of the lamb and veal dishes we tried were excellent. We did not notice an appreciable difference in the quality of meals served in The Terrace Café bistro over the much larger and busier Restaurant. Perhaps that is because the food in The Restaurant already meets such high standards. The presentation of every course served could not have been better. As Chef Greaves says “the food must look as good as it tastes,” and it certainly does on Silver Wind. The service levels in every dining room were exceptional with little room for improvement.

There is also a 24-hour room service menu for meals delivered to your suite. During regular restaurant hours, you can order from The Restaurant menu and have your multi-course meals delivered to your suite.

Bars & Lounges

There are three bars on Silver Wind. The Pool Bar is, as you might guess, located near the pool on Deck 8. The Panorama Lounge is located on Deck 8 aft and The Bar is located on Deck 5 aft. All champagne, soft drinks, wines and liquor are complimentary with the exception of some premium brands. Philipponnat Royale Reserve has replaced Moet & Chandon as Silversea’s signature champagne. We found it to be light, crisp and just sweet enough to satisfy most tastes. It is every bit as good as the Moet & Chandon previously poured, and many guests thought it to be better.

The bar service on Silversea is excellent. Mixed drinks are served in large heavy glasses with clear, cubed ice. Virtually any brand of liquor you could possibly want is available on a complimentary basis. There are a few premium cognacs, brandies and ports which are available for an additional charge. Waiters are very prompt and polite. If you are drinking champagne or wine, don’t be surprised if your glass is filled while you are not looking before it gets half empty. The Bar and The Panorama Lounge are popular from 7:00pm for pre-dinner drinks. A nice selection of canapés and hot hors d’oeuvres are served in each lounge from 7:00 until 7:30 each night.

You may also order your favorite beverage from any other location on the ship. For example, if you wish to have a drink delivered to your suite you can call room service. Drink service is also available in the Parisian Lounge during evening entertainment.

Entertainment

*Executive Chef, David Greaves entertains guests with an impressive cooking demonstration.*

The entertainment on Silver Wind was noticeably less impressive than we found during our cruise on Silver Whisper (November 2002). Missing was the enthusiastic song and dance production shows formerly provided by Jean Ann Ryan Productions. There were good performers, such as the comedy and magic of Des and Cherry, Harmonica Virtuoso, Bernie Fields and vocalist Steve Teague. These were very good lounge acts, but do not fully utilize the stage, sound and lighting capabilities of The Parisian Lounge. There is good news on the horizon, Jean Ann Ryan Productions will be back on board all Silversea ships in March 2004. Apparently Silversea listens to its guests.

For those who wish to remain in their suite, there is satellite television and a selection of movies which play at various times throughout the day. On our cruise, the satellite television programming was sub-standard. There was no CNN or any news channel for 7 of the 10 days, and other channels were hit and miss. Cruise Director Collin Brown confirmed that Silver Wind was to receive a new satellite system within the next week or two with additional programming (CNN, BBC News, etc.). He also mentioned that all Silversea ships will get new DVD players to replace the outdated VCR’s and a large selection of DVD’s will be available for checkout from the front desk.

Activities

*Cruise Director, Colin Brown and I share a moment at the farewell reception.*

You might think that a ship with only 292 passengers would have very few, if any, activities. Not so. It seems that there is always something going on somewhere around the ship.

Power Walk Session at 7:00am; Step Trax Class at 8:00am; SculptTrax Abs, Buns and Thighs Class at 9:00am; Internet Assistance at 9:00am; Bridge Lecture at 10:00am; Morning Coffee Chat at 10am; Table Tennis at 10:30am; Lecture Series at 11:00am; Shuffleboard at 11:00am; Afternoon Tea at 4:00pm; Pilates at 4:00pm; Yoga Dynamics at 5:00pm; Team Trivia at 5:00pm; Golf Putting at 5:30pm.

For risk takers, there is a casino on Silver Wind with 8 slot machines, 3 poker machines, 2 blackjack tables and a roulette table.

The Fitness Center on Deck 9 forward now occupies the space previously used as the Observation Lounge. The Fitness Center has three stationary bicycles, three treadmills, a universal weight machine, free weights, mats and exercise balls. There is a basket of complimentary bottled water and fresh towels. On several visits to the Fitness Center, we found the room to either be too cold or too hot. The equipment is showing its age and should be upgraded. There are no bottled water holders on the bikes or treadmills and no elliptical trainer. The ceiling is so low that my head would hit it when I stepped on the treadmill. I am only 6’ 1” tall. Our suggestion would be to replace the three old treadmills with two new ones and a new elliptical trainer. There is a nice outdoor walking/jogging track area on Deck 9.

The Itinerary

PUERTO QUETZAL, GUATEMALA

Puerto Quetzal is the port for the town of San Jose, Guatemala, which used to be the country’s second largest port. Most ships had to stay at anchor and discharge their cargo to shore by lighter vessels. Puerto Quetzal was built to allow ships to dock. If you are looking to stock up for your next garage sale, you will enjoy the marketplace where vendors sell hand made crafts, leather items and pottery. Silversea arranged a complimentary shuttle from the ship to the cruise terminal where the marketplace was setup.

The big draw here is the Mayan ruins of Tikal and Copan. Both tours take 9 hours and require an airplane ride. There is also a day long tour of Antigua Guatemala (not to be confused with the Antigua in the Caribbean). A 90-minute drive takes you from the ship to Antigua where you can walk through a variety of historical buildings.

*Me and Rickee with Ixtapa in the background.*

ZIHUANTINEJO, MEXICO (IXTAPA)

This quaint fishing port boasts more than 16 miles of beaches and semitropical weather all year round. The main plaza faces the ocean; from here the town spreads out, covering just a few square blocks. The large, computer-planned resort of Ixtapa is only 5 miles away and features luxury hotels, miles of beaches, two 18-hole championship golf courses and upscale shopping malls.

MANZANILLO, MEXICO

This major port city was first visited by Hernan Cortez while he was in search of Chinese treasures. By the 1970's, Manzanillo had become a major Pacific manufacturing center and port. Manzanillo has also become a popular destination for sun and adventure seekers. The bustling beach areas are Manzanillo's main appeal. You can choose from relaxing on a sun-soaked beach or participate in one of the many watersports and fishing activities.

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO

Located in the center of Mexico's Pacific coast, Puerto Vallarta is one of the country's most picturesque destinations. In addition to its visual appeal, Puerto Vallarta offers a variety of cultural entertainment and a lively nightlife. The ship offered a tour called "Nature's Canopy" which, among other things, allows participants to swing from one platform to another on a zip line. Very cool.

*Rickee with new friends, Joel and Harriet, prepare to mount up for the ATV Tour in Cabo.*

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO

Cabo San Lucas is like the Maui of Mexico. This west coast community has exploded over the past two decades and features some of the most exotic vacation resorts in Mexico.

One tour that we enjoyed was the ATV adventure. For more than three hours you get to explore hilly dessert trails on four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles (ATV's). This tour is good for anyone in reasonably good physical condition. Beware, you will get VERY dusty during the ride. The tour operator provides helmets, goggles and bandanas.

The Silversea Experience

The ‘experience’ one gets when sailing Silversea is more than the sum of its parts. There is an atmosphere on Silversea that has yet to be duplicated by any other cruise line we have ever sailed. When you sail Silversea, you feel like you are on the best cruise line in the world. You feel important, like you have arrived. You realize you are experiencing a level of luxury that only a small fraction of the world’s population will ever enjoy.

Silversea has put into practice a philosophy of customer service that meets the demands of the most discriminating clients. Max and Caroline Welling from Jersey Island have accumulated over 330 days on Silversea over the years and are planning another 90-day voyage later in the year. “There is no other cruise line to compare to Silversea,” says Mr. Welling. “Nobody else offers intimate ships with balcony suites and open-seating dining with this level of service,” he continues. Mr. Welling makes a very valid point.

How To Get The Most Out Of A Silversea Cruise

Use a knowledgeable and trustworthy cruise professional with experience in selling Silversea. Ask your travel agent how many Silversea cruises they sell each year. If they say “none” or “very few”, look for an agent who understands this product.

Pay for your cruise with your American Express Platinum card. This will get you extra benefits like $300 in shipboard credit, a complimentary bottle of Dom Perignon champagne in your suite, dinner with a senior officer and a private tour of the bridge!

Once on board, if you want something ASK FOR IT! Chances are, Silversea will get it for you. In my case, I like creamed spinach with dinner each evening and a Caesar salad. Don’t expect them to read your mind and don’t be shy about making requests.

Book your next Silversea cruise on board and save an additional 5%. Even if your plans change, you will get the 5% discount applied to your next Sivlersea cruise. Also, your travel agent will get full credit for any cruise you book on board.

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

Chris and Rickee weigh in on various aspects of Silver Wind.

The Ups

👍🏻 - Cruise Director Colin Brown. Colin seemed to be everywhere! His ease with the guests, his never-ending supply of energy, his warm smile and charming demeanor combine to make him very good at what he does. 👍🏻 - Maitre’d Steven Weber. Steven will greet you by name on visits to the dining room and he will make sure that any of your special dining requests are met. - Cruise Consultant, Vivienne Grouse. Vivienne is on hand to assist with booking your next Silversea cruise. She will also make sure you get the best suite location on the ship for the money. Guests who book a future cruise while on board receive a 5% discount in addition to any other discounts that may be offered.

👍🏻 - Assistant Cruise Director, Michael Gregurich – Full of energy, always smiling and a pretty darn good singer to boot! Michael will be leaving the Wind to become the Cruise Director when Silver Cloud emerges from dry dock this Spring.

👍🏻 - Maintenance/Housekeeping. The Silver Wind is immaculate. The exterior of the ship literally sparkled with fresh paint. The interior surfaces and brass were also polished daily and well- maintained. Public restrooms are cleaned regularly. - Medical Staff. Rickee fell the first night out and broke two toes on one foot. Within minutes, a nurse was speeding her to the medical center on Deck 3 in a wheelchair. The doctor was summoned from the dining room and Rickee received very competent care.

👍🏻 - The Terrace Cafe. This is an excellent venue for buffet breakfast and lunch and transforms into an intimate, candlelit bistro for casual “theme” dining each evening. Panoramic views of the ocean and optional al fresco dining make this a beautiful dining area.

👍🏻 - The Restaurant is Silver Wind’s main dining room offering open seating dining from 7:30pm to 9:30pm each evening. We are sold on the concept of single seating which allows you to dine whenever and with whomever you wish. Service, food and presentation are all excellent.

*Elegant dining is the order of the day in Saletta.*

👍🏻 - Saletta. This is an amazing dining experience. The creations of Mr. Joachim Koerper, Chef/Owner of the Michelin 2 Star Girasol Restaurant, as prepared by Silver Wind's dedicated Saletta chefs are works of art. Fortunately, this is art you can eat!

👍🏻 - The Pool Bar and Grill offers excellent drinks, good burgers, all-beef hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches and a variety of salads. Table service is a great convenience, but we would also like to see the addition of a walk-up order area for food. During peak periods, the wait for an order can be considerable. - The Mandara Spa on Deck 7 has a new relaxation room that is very classy. Massage treatments are second to none. - Mid ship Verandah Suites are well-designed, comfortable and quiet. Even though they are smaller than the Veranda Suites on Whisper and Shadow, they are as good as or better than most comparable suites on other luxury ships.

👍🏻 – All-inclusive. Virtually everything is included in your cruise fare - champagne, wine, mixed drinks, soft drinks and bottled water. A bottle of liquor will also be delivered for consumption in your suite if you desire. All gratuities are also included.

👍🏻 – Single-seating dining. Perhaps the single biggest advantage Silversea and other luxury lines have over "mainstream" cruise lines is the option to dine whenever and with whomever you wish.

👍🏻 – Daily Information Guide - Silversea Chronicles. Worthy of special mention. This onboard guide to daily activities and events is the best of any cruise line we've seen! Hence, we give it our 'Best at Sea' award. Not only is the Chronicles professionally laid out and easy to read, it is packed with valuable information. A logical Daily Program provides a timetable of all events onboard. The Silversea Chronicles is left in your suite during the evening turndown service (along with chocolates, most likely) so you always know what is happening the next day. They even include a preview of the day's lunch and dinner menus!

👍🏻 - Laundry/Dry Cleaning Service aboard Silver Wind is exceptional. Items we sent out by 9:30am were returned the same afternoon!

👍🏻 - The Library is well-stocked with books and video tapes and is open 24 hours per day. The honor system is utilized here so you can drop by any time, grab a book or video, and simply return it when you are done. - Afternoon Tea aboard Silver Wind occurs every afternoon at 4:00pm. An excellent selection of sandwiches, desserts, and scones with clotted cream make this one of the nicest teas at sea. - The Parisian Lounge is a superb venue for a variety of production shows and entertainment acts. The lounge features great sightlines with very few obstructed views. Unfortunately, on our cruise, the entertainment provided did not live up to the capabilities of the venue. - Special Requests. Silversea is very good about dealing with special requests. I ordered Caesar salad every evening, no problem. When we requested firmer pillows for the bed, they were brought immediately. Even though Eggs Benedict did not appear on the breakfast menu for room service, we wrote in the request and they were delivered hot and delicious. The only slip up was at dinner in The Restaurant. My standing order for creamed spinach was missed on three of the five nights we ate there.

The Downs

The Fitness Center is small, cramped and under-equipped. The treadmills are old and worn out Life Stride models with no holders for water bottles. The ceiling is so low that when jogging on a 6% incline my head would hit the ceiling (I am 6’ 1”). Given the average age of Silversea clientele, they should replace at least one of the treadmills with a good elliptical machine.

👍🏻 - The Internet Point. What a contrast from the Internet Café on Silver Whisper! The Internet Point on Deck 4 experienced more than its share of problems. The satellite appeared to be offline more often than it was online. Connections to the Internet were some of the slowest we have seen anywhere, land or sea.

👍🏻 - Entertainment. The entertainment we experienced was good, but the ship really misses the punch of the production shows. Jean Ann Ryan Productions will be back in March and it will be welcomed by every guest with whom we spoke. - Towels. The towels provided in the suites are simply not up-to-par for a 6-star cruise line like Silversea. They were coarse and, well, just ugly. The good news is that Hotel Director, Yves Joubin, verified that new and better towels are on the way! - Smoking policy in Parisian Lounge. This is one area of the ship that should be designated as a non-smoking venue.

👍🏻 – Overall. Our opinion of Silversea has not changed one bit. This remains a 6-Star luxury cruise line that can easily be considered the most luxurious on earth. If you will settle for nothing but the very best, and can afford it, Silversea has no equal.

If you have any questions about our Silver Wind cruise, please feel free to email us reviews@cruisereport.com and we will do our best to answer any questions.

Cruise Review Archive

Silversea Silver Wind Mexican Riviera (2004)