Silversea Silver Whisper 14-Night Caribbean (2002)
Michael and Pat M., a couple from England, look far too young to have already accumulated 100 sailing days with Silversea. Yet, after they complete their next Silversea cruise of 34 days from Auckland to Acapulco, they will have accomplished that milestone. Jean and Peter A., also from England, are longtime Seabourn patrons enjoying their first Silversea cruise. Werner and Wilma S. are cruising with their daughter and son-in-law. The four of them flew from their home in Switzerland to join the Silver Whisper for the 14-day Caribbean cruise after which they will return home. In March 2003, Werner and Wilma fly from Switzerland to meet Silver Whisper in Acapulco for a Panama Canal cruise. What could possibly be so special about the Silversea experience to attract so many people from around the world? “The staff is always smiling and happy and each time we return we get to see the same folks we became friends with from our previous Silversea cruises,” says Pat M.
“A happy crew makes for happy passengers,” says Cruise Director Ray Solaire. Ray, a 30-year cruise line veteran, spent 20 years with Cunard Line and has been with Silversea from its beginning. He demonstrates the energy of a man half his age and this energy seems to carry over to the entire crew of the Silver Whisper. This sort of attitude cannot help but contribute to a memorable cruise experience, as we were about to find out during our first Silversea experience.
Exceeding expectations becomes increasingly difficult when so much is expected to begin with. Like Rolls Royce in the auto industry, Silversea has established a brand synonymous in the cruise industry with the ultimate in luxury and is not bashful about charging the highest per diems for its product. Cruise fares on Silversea can range from $350 to over $1000 per day, per person (depending upon such factors as suite selection, cruise itinerary, early booking discounts, Venetian Society discounts, and seasonal rates.) Make no mistake, the Silversea Experience is designed from the ground up for those who expect the very best and are willing to pay to get it. But, is it really worth the high price? “Absolutely,” says Peter A., a first-time Silversea guest. “The level of service, the luxury of a smaller ship experience and the flexible dining options are well worth the price.” This sentiment is shared among many Silversea guests who return time and time again to this premium cruise line.
Senior Editor, Rickee Richardson, enjoys a tour of the bridge with Captain Angelo Carsaro
One thing you notice immediately when you book a Silversea cruise is the incredible attention to detail. Virtually nothing has been overlooked in the quest to provide the best of everything for the Silversea guest. This is evident as soon as your silver foil-stamped cruise documents arrive wrapped inside a real calfskin ticket jacket embossed with the distinctive Silversea “S” logo. That same attention to detail carries through to the onboard experience. Each suite is fully-stocked with quality Italian Bvlgari-brand bath products. Bathroom floors, walls and vanities are drenched in rich Italian marble, and beds are wrapped in the finest linens and topped with fluffy down pillows.
At 25,000 tons, the Silver Whisper is more than twice the size of the Seabourn Pride and carries as many as 388 guests with a crew complement of 300. This results in the highest space-to-guest-ratio in the industry. Launched in 2001, Silver Whisper is the newest of Silversea’s four ships. Her identical twin sister, Silver Shadow, was launched in 2000. Two smaller sister ships, the Silver Wind and Silver Cloud, each with a tonnage of just under 17,000, provide accommodations for 296 passengers. “We like the intimacy of the Silver Cloud,” says James M., a Venetian Society Member with over 115 days aboard Silversea, “but we prefer the roomier suites and the public space of the Silver Whisper and Silver Shadow.”
After checking in at Pier 29 in Ft. Lauderdale, a white-gloved Silversea staff member escorted us on board where we were immediately greeted by Cruise Director Ray Solaire. A welcoming line of sharply dressed, smiling staff members offered crystal flutes filled with chilled Moet & Chandon Brut Champagne which we graciously accepted. Another white-gloved stewardess then walked us to our suite where we were to see our home for the next 2 weeks. Our Verandah Suite (suite 502) is the forward-most suite on Deck 5. About 80% of the accommodations onboard Silver Whisper (and her sister Silver Shadow) are Verandah Suites. There are a few Vista Suites available which are the same size, but have a large picture window instead of a balcony.
The well-designed Verandah Suites measure 345 square feet, are nicely appointed and tastefully decorated. The interior of the suites reflect the same understated elegance that is found throughout Silver Whisper. The emphasis here is on quality materials, workmanship and creature comfort, not colorful, overwhelming decoration. Bathrooms are large by cruise ship standards and feature separate tub and shower stall and two sinks. The walk-in closet is large enough to hold plenty of clothes for any length voyage and still have room for an adult to get dressed with the door closed. This is a nice feature for early-risers who do not want to wake their traveling companion in the morning. The closet has intelligently been placed between the bathroom and the bedroom, serving as an effective sound barrier. The bedroom area consists of a queen-sized bed, 2 end tables and a small vanity at the foot of the bed with a well-lighted mirror. Finally, the living/dining room area features a large wall unit which has a desk, refrigerator, bar and entertainment center (Television/VCR combo). Opposite from the wall unit is a comfortable sofa, a chair and a coffee table that can be converted to a dining room table for room service. The back wall of the living room is actually a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door leading out to a teak balcony where you’ll find two lounge chairs with ottomans, and a small table just the right size for morning coffee and croissants.
Every suite has a beautiful fresh flower arrangement, fresh fruit is replenished daily or upon request, and a bottle of chilled Moet & Chandon champagne is waiting for you when you arrive. In fact, Moet & Chandon Champagne is poured throughout the ship and is included in your cruise fare, as are a nice selection of wines, all mixed drinks, soft drinks and bottled water, making the Silversea Experience an all-inclusive experience. Our suite was kept immaculate throughout the cruise by our Austrian stewardess, Martina.
“Is there something you want that’s not on the menu? Ask your waiter. I requested a Caesar salad, creamed spinach and/or green beans every evening.”
The ship itself is very well laid out with a reception area mid-ship on Deck 5 with the purser’s desk, tour desk, and the offices of the cruise consultant and hotel manager. Most of the public rooms aboard Silver Whisper are located aft on Decks 5, 6, 7 and 8 with the exception of the Mandara Spa and Observation Lounge found on Deck 10 forward. The Casino and boutiques are located mid-ship on Deck 5. This layout makes traversing the ship very quick and easy. Moving vertically is made possible by four stairways and four elevators located aft from Deck 3 thru Deck 8 and one staircase and elevator forward. The elevators are small and slow, but they get the job done. The stairs are so well-designed and easy to negotiate, we rarely saw anyone using the elevators unless required to do so because of a wheelchair. The ship is also very accommodating to wheelchairs with several ramps in front of doorways. There are even wheelchair-designated public restrooms in many areas of the ship.
The décor of the ship can best be described as understated elegance. There is a contemporary monochromatic feel to the interior spaces with walls virtually void of colorful artwork with the exception of The Bar and The Restaurant which do have a few splashes of red and orange. The furnishings throughout the public rooms are constructed of rich woods and fabrics and are very comfortable. In spite of this lack of color and panache, the ship radiates a beautiful elegance.
“Enjoy dinner in the Terrace Cafe for an intimate candlelit dinner. Reservations are limited to 50 people per evening.”
When the ship is in port, guests can walk leisurely off the ship without the hassle of long lines. Even tender operations are very efficient and smooth. Of course, you can also enjoy an organized excursion arranged through the ship's tour desk. Shore excursions are competitively priced with other cruise lines and we noticed at least one Silversea crew member accompanying every tour.
Enjoying a day at sea aboard silver whisper
Sea days aboard Silver Whisper can be enjoyed at the ship’s pool on Deck 8 where attendants will spoil you. On hot afternoons, you will be offered chilled face towels, fresh watermelon and pineapple. A cool drink is always available from the pool bar to be delivered to your lounge chair. And you can forget about having to dry your hands to sign for your drink because all of your drinks are complimentary on Silversea. If the pool is not your thing, you can relax in one of the many lounges on board to read a good book, converse with friends, or partake in one of the many activities offered by the Silver Whisper staff ranging from cooking demonstrations to trivia contests.
Silver Whisper guests who wish to connect to the Internet during their cruise may do so at the ship’s Internet café on Deck 8. Guests who have attempted to access the Internet from other cruise ships will immediately appreciate the way Silversea charges for access. Guests are charged $.75 cents per minute, but the charges are only accrued as files are being uploaded or downloaded from the net. The result is an affordable and fair way of paying for the service. “We view our Internet café as an extension of the service we offer to our guests,” says Communications and I.T. Officer Vassant Ramakrishna.
Silver Whisper Docked in Grenada
A cruise aboard a luxury ship like Silver Whisper would not be complete without a relaxing trip to the spa. All Silversea ships feature spas operated by Mandara Spa which originated in Bali. Mandara Spa offers a variety of salon treatments including facials, waxing hair and nail care. But what we were looking for was a relaxing massage, and we found it. While I was enjoying 80 minutes of “Balinese Bliss”, Rickee submitted herself to the “Massage Around the World” (see inset for descriptions). Both treatments were as good, if not better, than any we have received at sea or on land. At $160 each for 80 minutes, the treatments are a bargain. When you sail Silver Whisper, you simply owe it to yourself to indulge.
Room service is taken to a new level on Silversea
Evenings aboard Silver Whisper often begin with a visit to The Bar on Deck 5, or The Panorama Lounge on Deck 8, for pre-dinner drinks and conversation. Both venues feature canapés as well as a selection of hot hors d’oeuvres. Here you can meet and converse with some of the most interesting people in the world.
Dining aboard Silver Whisper is what you would expect from a 6-star luxury ship. Breakfast and lunch is delivered to your table in the Restaurant, while a beautiful buffet is served in the less formal Terrace Café on Deck 7. Evening meals can be enjoyed in the more formal atmosphere of the Restaurant on Deck 3, or the more casual and intimate Terrace Café which is transformed into a candlelit bistro-style restaurant on most evenings. With virtually no exceptions, everything that was delivered from the galley was prepared to order and of exceptional quality and presentation. For those times when you don’t feel like getting out, you can have room service in your suite. The living room table is converted into a dining table complete with linen tablecloth, china and silver service for a memorable “en suite” dining experience. The complete Restaurant menu is available for room service during normal dining hours and there is a 24-hour menu available for the non-dining hours.
Where Silver Whisper really shines is her staff and service. It would seem that everyone working on Silver Whisper enjoys their work and truly loves their job. We did not encounter a single employee during the 14 days who was anything less than accommodating, friendly and sincere. You cannot walk down any hallway on Silver Whisper without receiving one or more greetings from staff members.All, of course, delivered with a smile.
Making new friends is easy aboard a small ship
As we prepared to disembark Silver Whisper, we suddenly realized why so many people return time and time again. While we are sad to leave our new friends behind, we are excited at the prospect of returning in the near future. For as we leave Silver Whisper, we see a new group of passengers waiting to board. We envy them because we know they will enjoy, in the words of Ray Solaire, many “Glorious Days” aboard Silver Whisper.
The Thumbs report
👍🏻 - Master Angelo Carsaro. Here is yet another one of those attractive Italian ship captains that all men love to hate. But if you can overlook his good looks and charming accent, he is very gracious and quite accessible throughout the ship.
👍🏻 – Cruise Director Ray Solaire. An accomplished entertainer in his own right, Ray is full of energy and vigor. Not only was he with Cunard Line for 20 years, he has been with Silversea since its beginning. Make sure not to miss his show during your cruise!
👍🏻 - Enzo Mazzali, Maître d' Hôtel. Enzo seems to be in three places at once. He is always visible in the Restaurant and Terrace Café and visited our table every evening at dinner in The Restaurant. If you want something special, just ask Enzo and watch him work his magic!
👍🏻 - Wendy Mason, Bvlgari Boutique. It may seem strange to give special mention to the manager of the Bvlgari boutique, but Wendy is a centerpiece of attitude aboard Silver Whisper. In a word, she is simply radiant. She is gifted with beauty, elegance and a warm smile that helps define the Silversea Experience.
👍🏻 - Maintenance/Housekeeping. The Silver Whisper is, unquestionably, the cleanest and best-maintained ship we have sailed to date. Crewmen were seen painting the hull every day in port. Windows in the dining room and other public rooms were kept free from water spots. The ship literally sparkles it is so clean.
👍🏻 - The Terrace Cafe. This is an excellent venue for buffet breakfast and lunch and transforms itself into an intimate, candlelit bistro for casual dining most evenings. Panoramic views of the ocean and optional al fresco dining make this a beautiful dining area.
👍🏻 – The Restaurant. This is Silver Whisper’s main dining venue 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. Apparently, so are many of the guests with whom we had the pleasure of dining. Service, food and presentation are all excellent.
👍🏻 – Room Service. Even though dinners were not served course-by-course, all deliveries were timely and food was delivered hot and delicious. The coffee table is quickly converted to a large dining room table complete with linen tablecloth, china and silver flatware.
👍🏻 – Bar Service. Drinks are made to order and served in heavy crystal glassware with ice cubes. Moët & Chandon champagne flows freely throughout the ship. There is no skimping here on liquor. The only requested drink we could not get was a Mojito which requires fresh mint. Apparently, there was no fresh mint to be found on board.
👍🏻 – Entertainment. We found the entertainment to be better than what we expected aboard a “small” ship. The Jean Ann Ryan Production Company is a spirited troupe of singers and dancers that put on some very creative shows with excellent vocals. Paul Balfour, a featured entertainer, is an accomplished harpist and vocalist with two performances. Of course, Ray Solaire’s show was quite entertaining. The Armadillo String Quartet provided wonderful concerts, as well.
👍🏻 – Coffee. Coffee was consistently good throughout the ship. "Freshly-brewed with a smile," says Armani, Silver Whisper bar waiter.
👍🏻 – The Pool Bar and Grill. 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 concept, 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 Casino. Even though it is small, it can be very lively. All that is missing is a no smoking policy. It is far too cramped a space for smoking to be allowed in this area.
👍🏻 – The Observation Lounge. Located on Deck 10-forward with a clear 180 degree view of the sea, this is the perfect venue for early morning coffee and pastries.
👍🏻 – The Mandara Spa. Located on Deck 10, the spa is small and lacks personality, but the massage treatments here are second to none.
👍🏻 – Verandah Suites. Verandah suites are large, well-designed, comfortable and quiet. Bathrooms are the largest we have seen on any ship.
👍🏻 – 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.
👍🏻 – Laundry/Dry Cleaning Service. This service is exceptional and competitively priced. Items we sent out by 9:30am were returned the same afternoon!
👍🏻 – The Internet Café. This is, hands down, the best Internet Cafe I have seen on any ship. There were plenty of terminals with bright LCD flat screens AND intelligent pricing. A simple card-swipe logon procedure was all that was necessary to access the system. Silversea charges 75 cents per minute, but only charges for actual download time (the time it takes to download a web page or email). In other words, you are not charged for the time it takes to read or write an email, only the time it takes to send or receive it. This is the ONLY fair way to charge guests for Internet access.
👍🏻 – Afternoon Tea. Tea aboard Silver Whisper 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 Viennese Lounge. This is a superb venue for a variety of production shows and entertainment acts. It is equipped with excellent sound and lighting systems and all the latest computerized effects. The lounge features great sight lines with very few obstructed views.
👍🏻 – Bvlgari Boutique. This is a beautiful, albeit pricey, boutique offering a selection of the popular Italian designer’s jewelry, watches, handbags, and clothing items.
👍🏻 – The Library. The library is well-stocked with books and video tapes and is open 24 hours per day. The honor system is employed here so you can drop by any time, grab a book or video and simply return it when you are finished.
👍🏻 – Hospitality. 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 we had Eggs Benedict, delivered hot and delicious.
👎🏻 – The Fitness Center. The workout room is too small, cramped and under-equipped. The treadmills are excellent Life Stride models, but the ceiling is so low that when jogging on a 6% incline, Ihit my head on the ceiling (I am 6’ 1”). There were a few recumbent cycles and a spin cycle, but no elliptical trainers.
👎🏻 – Suite Doorbells. They sound like an inexpensive buzzer instead of a nice chime and make you jump every time someone buzzes at your door.
👎🏻 – Smoking policy in Viennese Lounge. The port side of this room is designated as a smoking section. This is one area of the ship that should be designated as a completely non-smoking venue.
👎🏻 – Chlorinated water. Like just about every cruise ship, Silver Whisper is not above serving you chlorinated water at mealtime. There is a solution, however. You can request bottled water with your meals.
👎🏻 – Boutique. The store is large enough, and the prices are fair, so why the thumbs down? An incredibly poor selection of logo-branded items is the cause for this rating! The few clothing items they did have bearing the Silver Whisper name were monogrammed in the same color thread as the garment making the name impossible to read. There were no items with the distinctive Silversea “S” logo. Many others we spoke with commented on their disappointment with the lack of available logo items. The one exception was a white Gear® Jacket with blue monogram.
👎🏻 – Photos. Unfortunately, there is no ship's photographer. While I appreciate Silversea's attempt to restrict solicitations of its guests, it would be nice to have a good quality boarding photo, a picture with the Captain or even a private portrait session.
👍🏻👍🏻 – Overall. This is a 6-Star luxury cruise line that could very well be the best cruise experience in the world today. If you will settle for nothing but the very best, and can afford it, Silversea is an incredible vacation.
If you have any questions about our Silver Whisper cruise, please feel free to email us at reviews@cruisereport.com and we will do our best to answer any questions.
