First Look at Silversea Silver Moon
Silver Moon docked in Rhodes, Greece
I can’t think of a better way to come out of a pandemic-induced cruise shutdown than to spend ten glorious days aboard a brand new ultra-luxury cruise ship. Our cruise aboard Silversea Cruises’ brand new Silver Moon is our first since February 2020. This is only the fourth sailing of Silver Moon with guests on board but you would never know it from the service levels. There is no evidence that this crew have not been working for over a year. We have found no missteps in the service levels.
Like her sisters, Silver Muse and Silver Spirit, Silver Moon carries only 596 guests. There are similarities across the three ships, but Silver Moon has some very distinctive differences that set her apart from her siblings
S.A.L.T (Sea And Land Taste)
There is a new culinary initiative at Silversea called S.A.L.T., an acronym for Sea And Land Taste. Silver Moon was designed to reflect this new initiative. S.A.L.T. is designed to deliver a destination-focused culinary immersion for Silver Moon guests. For years I have been wanting a cruise line to shape their menus based upon the destinations to which we sail. Well, Silversea is doing just that with S.A.L.T.
First, there’s the S.A.L.T. Kitchen, a restaurant on Deck 4 (where Indochine lives on Silver Spirit and Silver Muse). S.A.L.T. Kitchen is open for dinner each evening with open seating. The menu is divided into two sections: one which remains the same throughout the cruise, and another which changes daily based on the location of the ship. The latter reflects local delicacies, dishes and flavors. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, unpretentious and very comfortable.
Next door to S.A.L.T. Kitchen is The S.A.L.T. Bar, an intimate, albeit rather small, lounge where you can enjoy some of the most creative cocktails anywhere in the world.
On the opposite side of S.A.L.T. Kitchen on Deck 4 is S.A.L.T. Lab. This is where guests can join Silversea chefs and guest culinary experts to get a hands-on experience preparing regional dishes. This is perhaps the best reflection of S.A.L.T. because it allows guests to take recipes from the destination back home to enjoy. Each guest is provided an apron, utensils and food product at neatly arranged cooking and food prep stations. It is brilliant.
The S.A.L.T. Lab
The final piece of the S.A.L.T. ecosystem involves specially designed shore excursions where guests can visit local farms, wineries, cafes and restaurants. Our initial impression of the S.A.L.T. program is one of huge optimism. The program is already excellent, but there are a few tweaks here and there that will make it even better. Remember, this is only the fourth sailing. We are confident that S.A.L.T. will only get better over time.
It will be interesting to see if S.A.L.T. is extended to Silversea’s existing fleet. It would certainly require some dry dock time to accomplish this.
An investment in the future
As you would expect, the service aboard Silversea is as good as it gets. This is 6-star cruising at its finest. Some feared that the purchase of Silversea by Royal Caribbean would diminish the product. From what we have seen, the result has been an investment in better entertainment, new ship builds, and special touches like unlimited complimentary caviar. And, there’s no doubt that the financial strength of Royal Caribbean has helped Silversea weather the Covid shutdown.
And, there’s talk of a new “Evolution Class” of Silversea ships coming in 2024.
What’s Different?
If you are familiar with Silver Spirit (after the stretch) or Silver Muse, you will feel right at home aboard Silver Moon. Here are some changes you will notice:
Indochine has been replaced with S.A.L.T. Kitchen.
The Atlantide Bar has been replaced with The S.A.L.T. Bar.
Kaisecki has been moved to the starboard side of the vessel, where La Dame is on Muse. Oh, and there is no more Teppanyaki-style cooking at Kaiseki on Moon. All dishes are prepared in the galley.
La Dame has been moved to Deck 8 port side, next to Arts Cafe. La Dame is much larger and you now get aft ocean views while dining here.
The S.A.L.T. Lab is on Deck 4 port side, in the space where Kaiseki is on Muse.
Dolce Vita on Deck 5 now has a massive circular bar right as you walk in from the midship elevator lobby. This is a big improvement that really breaks up an otherwise sterile space.
You can now access the rear of S.A.L.T. Kitchen and Atlantide restaurants from the forward elevator lobby.
That’s about it. The rest of the ship’s public spaces are virtually unchanged.
Dolce Vita - Deck 5
Initial Analysis
Prior to our sailing on Silver Moon, Silver Spirit (stretched) was our favorite Silversea ship. It’s not that we did not like Silver Muse, but we have spent so much time on Silver Spirit that it holds a special place in our hearts. However, Silver Moon is our new favorite Silversea vessel. But remember, any Silversea ship is always a special place to be.
Somehow, Silversea has managed to improve on an already near-perfect platform with Silver Moon. The ship is beautiful, the crew is amazing and there may be no better time than right now to see the world with Silversea. If we have learned anything over the last 18 months, it is that we should never assume that there will always be time to enjoy life. Now is the time to see the world, and there is no better way to see it than with Silversea.
Watch for our full ship review and videos of Silver Moon coming soon.
Rickee Richardson (Senior Editor) and Chris Dikmen (President) CruiseReport.com
