Day 13 - Key West (missed)
High winds cause us to miss our port call in Key West
December 11, 2018 - Silver Spirit was scheduled to dock in Key West this afternoon at 1pm, but around noon, the Captain made an announcement that high winds would make it unsafe to attempt a docking maneuver. As a result, we get to enjoy another day at sea before arriving in Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow morning.
Even though Cruise Director, Jimmy Kovel, quickly arranged for a new activities schedule, a day at sea just meant more time on our private balcony.
For lunch, we decided to go back to our favorite, The Arts Cafe, for more of their delicious sandwiches and other snacks served at lunchtime.
Some of the afternoon was spent packing for the trip home. Silversea has assigned us a 10am disembarkation which should give us plenty of time for a farewell breakfast in Atlantide.
For dinner this evening, we made a return visit to Indochine. A new menu has been introduced (there are two alternating menus) since our last visit, so we wanted to give it a try. Soon after we were seated, we were offered a welcome cocktail: a strawberry, pineapple and vodka concoction that was quite refreshing.
We also received papadum with a spicy pickle and a sweet chutney.
When the wine steward asked us what we would like to drink with dinner, we each ordered a beer. Rickee ordered the Singha from Thailand and I stuck with my favorite, Sopporo from Japan. Singha has a little higher alcohol content, but I find Sopporo to be smoother.
Rickee and I both had the Teriyaki Glazed Chicken Thigh skewer as a starter dish. It was delicious.
For a second course, I chose the Hot and Sour Soup while Rickee went with the milder, but no less flavorful, Egg Drop Noodle Soup.
Hot and Sour Soup
Egg Drop Noodle Soup
Both soups were delicious. My Hot and Sour Soup was a spicy broth with shredded vegetables and tofu chunks. Rickee's Egg Drop Noodle Soup was very flavorful and full of delicious noodles.
For my main course, I asked the waiter what was the hottest, spiciest dish on the menu. He pointed to the Spicy Lamb Rogan Josh and even issued a warning about how spicy it was. I told him to "bring it on," and did he ever! Silversea is one of the very few cruise lines with the courage to serve a truly hot and spicy dish. The lamb was tender and delicious, and the rich, brown gravy could have burned a hole right through the hull of the ship. I was sweating and tearing up. It was wonderful!
Spicy Lamb Rogan Josh
Rickee ordered the less fiery Glazed Chili Pork Ribs. While they still had a little kick to them, they were mild compared to the lamb. The ribs had a good flavor, but were a little overcooked and dry. We also enjoyed two rice side dishes to accompany our main courses. We were so full from our meal that, once again, we were forced to skip the dessert course. I look forward to my next Silversea sailing where I get to order the Lamb Rogan Josh again!
Sadly, tomorrow we will be disembarking Silver Spirit in Port Everglades. Watch CruiseReport.com for our final, full review of our 13-night Silver Spirit cruise.
Day 12 - At Sea
We spend the day soaking up the sun and have dinner at Seishin.
December 9, 2018 - Today, Silver Spirit is sailing toward Key West, Florida.
We start the day with a huge breakfast that Rodolfo kindly delivered to our suite. As you can see, the room service breakfast menu is quite extensive.
After such a huge breakfast, there was no way we were going to be able to have lunch and still be able to make our dinner at Seishin. After spending a short time in the sun on Deck 10, we go back to our suite to try and watch the Cowboys play the Eagles on my laptop. Even though Silver Suite guests benefit from Silversea's "Premium" internet package, it really is not up to the task of streaming video. However, we are able to watch portions of the game, albeit with choppy video.
We had made our 7:00pm reservation at Seishin, found on Deck 4 midship, before we even boarded Silver Spirit. Seishin is Silver Spirit's Japanese restaurant and a charge of $40/pp is assessed in the evenings. We are greeted with a welcome cocktail, a "Sakitini", made with saki, gin, vodka, and Triple Sec served in a unique jellyfish-like glass.
Welcome cocktail
The menu at Seishin offers a Chef's Selection, which includes multiple courses, or diners can choose á la carte items from starters, main courses and desserts.
Rickee chose to start with the Signature "Wagyu" Beef Tataki, very lightly seared slices of fatty and fork-tender beef served cold. Rickee devoured every bite.
I chose two different starters: first, the Wagyu Kushiaki, a marinated Wagyu beef skewer served with a Japanese mustard sauce. It was tender and delicious.
Wagyu Kushiaki
My second starter was Momo Yakitori, a skewer of marinated chicken thigh meat. It was as delicious as the Kushiaki.
Momo Yakitori
Honestly, I think I could have made a meal off of the delicious skewers of beef and chicken alone. But, there was more to be enjoyed. For my main course, I ordered the Maine Lobster Tail & Wagyu Surf and Turf, and RIckee chose the Miso-Glazed Black Cod.
The Wagyu steak was a thick chunk of beef cooked medium-rare and the lobster was served "Newburg-style", cut up into small chunks and put back into the shell with a delicious creamy sauce.
Rickee's Miso-glazed Black Cod (shown below) was served with some mushroom garnish and drizzled with a Miso glaze.
We also ordered three sides to accompany our main courses: plain white rice, beetroot rice and a Miso Cucumber Salad.
Once again, we were so full after dinner that there was just no way for us to enjoy dessert. However, my choice would have been the Green Tea Ice Cream. I have had it before on previous Silversea cruises, and it is delicious.
So, is dinner at Seishin worth the $40/pp price? It is hard to say because there is so much good food throughout Silver Spirit. However, there is a value in having dinner in a very quiet, intimate space. So, yes, I think Seishin is worth the price.
Day 11 - Semana, Dominican Republic
We kayak through mangroves, explore caves and end the day with Flamenco
December 8, 2018 - This morning, Silver Spirit is anchored off the coast of Semana, Dominican Republic.
Today, we have booked an excursion with Silversea Shore Concierge: Caves and Mangroves by Kayak.
This is the first morning excursion we have taken on this cruise, so we were up early and, by 8:30am, boarding the local tender boat.
The boat ride to the national park takes about 40 minutes, most of which was across some pretty choppy seas. As we approach the shore, the waters calm significantly, and the tour guide shows us some of the unique limestone rock formations found here.
We can see brown pelicans and frigate birds nesting on some of the rocks. We approach a cave named Shark's Mouth, and you can see where the name comes from.
After a brief tour of the rocks and a few caves, we arrive at the dock where we will board the kayaks. Our large group was split into two smaller groups with half doing the kayak portion of the tour first, and the other half exploring the cave first. We put on our life vests, board our two-person kayak, and off we go to explore the mangroves.
The water is as smooth as glass once we enter the mangroves, making the kayaking much easier. Our local guide stops frequently to point out the flora and fauna of the mangroves.
The kayaking portion of the tour lasted about an hour and was one of the nicest kayak tours we have taken. After returning to the dock, we disembarked the kayaks, put on our shoes and sandals and were led up some stairs into a cave.
Our local guide for the cave portion of the tour, Edith, gave each of us a flashlight to use while we walk through the cave. She stopped periodically to point out interesting stalactite and stalagmite formations as well as ancient carvings found in the cave.
There were some very interesting formations in the cave and some good photo opportunities.
We spent about 45 minutes exploring the cave before returning to the boat that would take us back to Silver Spirit. Our guides offered us some coconut bread and water or soft drinks to enjoy during the ride back. The guides were also willing to take photos of the guests, a nice touch.
The entire excursion took about four hours and was well worth the $99/pp cost. Once back on board Silver Spirit, we once again visited The Arts Cafe for lunch. This evening, we went to Venetian Lounge for the 6:30pm performance by Adam Westcott, flamenco/classical guitarist.
Adam Westcott
Mr. Westcott is very talented and everyone in attendance enjoyed his performance. It was a great show! After the show, Rickee and I decided to have a drink at Tor's Observation Lounge on Deck 11 forward. This is probably the most under-utilized space on the ship, which is a shame. This is a beautiful, quiet lounge with excellent bar service.
Tomorrow is another day at sea as Silver Spirit sails to Key West, Florida.
Day 10 - Road Town, Tortola
Some souvenir shopping, an excellent show and Hot Rocks
December 7, 2018 - Today, Silver Spirit is docked in Road Town, Tortola, one of the British Virgin Islands.
Having been to Road Town before (even though not at this part of the island), we decided to do a little discovering on our own and shop for some local souvenirs. At the end of the pier, there is an information kiosk where Rickee inquired about shopping opportunities for souvenirs.
Tourist Information Kiosk
As soon as you exit the security gates, you are entering a purpose-built cruise shopping area. Here you will find Diamonds International, et al. It is a very nice, albeit a little sterile, shopping area.
Rickee learned that by exiting the shopping center, turning left and walking down the street, there are some local merchants selling souvenirs. So, off we go, hoping to find what we are looking for. About a mile down the street, we found a sign that looked promising.
Soon, we came upon a series of brightly colored huts with vendors selling all sorts of souvenirs.
Most of the local vendors sell the same things: colorful beach coverups, beach bags, t-shirts, magnets, etc. All of the vendors were very nice. After we purchased a Christmas ornament, we walked back to Silver Spirit, pleased that we got our exercise for the day.
Silver Spirit Docked in Road Town
Back on board, we went to our favorite new spot for lunch or a snack, The Arts Cafe. While most everyone else is dining at La Terrazza, The Pool Grill or Atlantide, we go where the crowd is the smallest. At lunchtime, The Arts Cafe serves a very nice selection of delicious sandwiches (Rickee loves the tomato, cucumber and cheese), little glass pots filled with a variety of salads, and fresh soups. I decided to try the chicken noodle soup, served in a big glass jar. It was really good!
This afternoon, we humiliated ourselves at Team Trivia. Here's a tip: If you play trivia on Silversea, join a team with a Brit, an Australian and a doctor. Avoid Texans if at all possible.
We went to the 6:30 show in the Venetian Lounge, "Cabaret: Glitz & Glamour," featuring Aimée Lake. This was the first time we have seen Ms. Lake perform on Silversea and we were very impressed. She sang tunes from female greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland.
Aimée Lake
After Ms. Lake's excellent performance, we were running a little late for our 7:00pm reservation at The Grill for our Hot Rocks dinner. We have enjoyed the Hot Rocks experience a few times on other Silversea ships, and have always found it to be something you have to do at least once per cruise. The weather outside is absolutely perfect this evening as we arrive at The Grill on the pool deck.
Pool Deck set up for Hot Rocks
As soon as we are seated, a waiter arrives with a platter of tortilla chips with a variety of dipping sauces, and a basket of bread. We were offered a choice of the red or white wine being served this evening. Instead, we requested the Bogle Merlot, which we have become fans of on this cruise, and a bottle was quickly brought to our table.
The Hot Rocks concept is basically one where you get to cook your own protein on a 400+ degree stone (or, rock). The three-course meal starts with a salad of your choosing. I chose the Classic Caesar Salad.
Caesar Salad
After the salad plates are cleared, we are each given an apron to wear. This is to prevent anything from splattering onto our clothes during the cooking process.
Soon, a cart arrives with our "hot rocks", which are placed in front of us along with any side dishes ordered. These rocks are VERY hot, so don't touch!
Next, our meat selections are placed on the stones and begin to sizzle immediately. It is not difficult to get a nice sear on both sides of a steak, like Rickee's Filet Mignon.
My lamb chops were about half as thick as Rickee's steak, so they cooked to Medium Rare in about four minutes. Rickee's steak took about eight minutes to reach Medium Rare.
Both the steak and the lamb were delicious. A choice of tempting desserts is offered at the end of the main course, but we were too full to try any of them. The Hot Rocks experience is one every Silversea guest should try at least once per cruise.
Tomorrow, Silver Spirit will be in Semana, Dominican Republic.
Day 09 - Gustavia, St. Bart's (Silver Suite)
We stay on board today and enjoy our beautiful Silver Suite
December 6, 2018 - Silver Spirit is anchored off the coast of St. Bart's today and tenders are shuttling guests back and forth to Gustavia, the capital port city.
Since we have been to St. Bart's many times in the past, we decided that today would be a great day to take advantage of our amazing Silver Suite. Earlier this year, Silver Spirit grew in length by 49 feet when the ship was literally cut in half and a 49-foot section added.
As a result of this renovation, six new Silver Suites were added (2 on Deck 10, 2 on Deck 11 and 2 on Deck 8). The Silver Suite has always been one of our all-time favorite cruise ship accommodations, so we were thrilled when we learned that we would have an opportunity to enjoy one of the newly-added Silver Suites (#1015).
At 746 sq. ft., the one-bedroom Silver Suite offers every creature comfort even the most demanding cruise enthusiast could ask for. The large living room features a full-size sofa (that can convert to a bed), two leather chairs, a marble coffee table, and two lamp tables.
Full-size sofa bed, leather chairs, marble coffee table and two lamp tables
At the other end of the living room is a dining table with four chairs and a marble-top mini bar.
In the photo above, you can see one of the two large-screen HD televisions (the other is in the bedroom). There are two sliding doors leading out to a massive veranda outfitted with a luxury sun lounger, two chairs w/foot rests, and a large dining table with two chairs.
The balcony table can comfortably be used to enjoy al fresco dining, as we did at breakfast.
There is a powder room (WC) off the entry hallway which is shared with the Master Bath. If you are entertaining, this allows your guests to have access to the bathroom without going through your bedroom. A very intelligent design.
There is a double sliding door that can be used to close off the bedroom from the living room for additional privacy.
Sliding door to bedroom open
Sliding door to bedroom closed
You can tell that this suite is one of the six new Silver Suites because of the light wood tones used throughout. It is very elegant and tasteful. Existing Silver Suites have darker wood, but have also been upgraded with new touches and new electronics. And, speaking of technology, Silversea has done an excellent job with outlets, both AC and USB, throughout the suite.
One of our very few critiques of the Silver Suite prior to the recent ship refurb was the lack of USB ports and AC outlets. Silversea has addressed this, to the max! At the desk, there are two USB ports, two 220 V AC outlets (1 Euro and 1 US). The digital clock also has a cellphone recharging pad on top. Very cool.
One one end of the desk is a Bose wireless sound system that can connect to your cell phone, iPad, iPod or other wireless music source.
Above the mini-bar, there are two Euro-style 220V outlets (I am using US plug adapters).
On the nightstands in the bedroom, there are two USB ports on one nightstand (for Rickee's iPad).
In addition, there are two US-style and one Euro-style AC outlets on the other nightstand.
In case that is not enough, there are outlets on the dressing table also!
Every surface is topped with a rich marble that gives the entire suite an elegant look and feel. The luxury bed is unquestionably the most comfortable bed we have found on a Silversea ship.
The crown jewel of the Silver Suite is the Master Bathroom.
The dual sink vanity is nothing short of opulent, surrounded by rich marble and adorned with only the very finest Bvlgari amenities.
The full-sized Jacuzzi whirlpool tub is large enough for two.
The walk-in shower is so nice that I am trying to figure out how to rip it out of the suite and take it home with me! It is the nicest shower we have ever seen on a cruise ship. There is a rain-shower head and a spray wand and plenty of room to relax and luxuriate.
When it comes to closet space, the Silver Suite has loads of it. There's plenty of room for a world cruise's amount of clothing here. Lots of hanging space and a huge eight-drawer dresser give maximum storage.
Lots of hanging space and floor storage
A large eight-drawer dresser offers tons of storage
Of course, it's what cannot be captured in photos that really makes the Silver Suite, and Silversea, special. The butler service is as good as, or better than, we have experienced anywhere. When I have my coffee in the morning, before Rickee wakes up, I close the door between the living room and bedroom. Rodolfo, our butler, brings me a pot of coffee to enjoy while I am working on the daily blog. He knows Rickee is still sleeping, so he does not ring the doorbell. Instead, he gently opens the door and whispers that he is there with my coffee.
Our Suite Attendant, Grace, keeps the suite spotlessly clean, no matter how late we leave in the morning.
During the lengthening of Silver Spirit, the ship underwent many changes and improvements. And, none are more apparent than those they have made to the Silver Suites. In our opinion, they are among the most comfortable accommodations in the entire cruise industry.
Day 08 - St. John's, Antigua
A Segway tour in St. John's and a night of chocolate and dancing
December 5, 2018 - Silver Spirit is docked in St. John's, Antigua, today. Guests have a short walk right into the heart of St. John's which is packed with locals and tourists from the four ships that are docked here today.
Today, we have booked a Silversea excursion, "Segway Fort Conquerors," which is scheduled for a 1:30pm departure.
We decided to visit Seishin for lunch prior to our excursion. Seishin is Silver Spirit's Japanese restaurant and is open for sushi lunch each day. Seishin offers an elaborate evening meal at $40 per person, but sushi at lunch is complimentary.
I had the Spicy Tuna Roll and a Japanese Sapporo beer.
When we disembarked Silver Spirit, we were greeted by Nellie with Segway Antigua who led us down the pier and to the van waiting to take eight of us to the Segway offices. After a brief safety video, signing of the obligatory waiver, donning knee and elbow pads (a first for us) and the mandatory training for those who have never ridden a Segway, we departed on our two-wheeled, self-balancing machines for a tour of Antigua.
Our first rest stop was at the ruins of one of the many sugar mills on the island.
After a ride to a beach for another rest stop, we ended up at Fort James. Fort James was built by the British to protect St. James Harbor.
After visiting Fort James, we ride our Segways back to the starting point and enjoy a cup of fruit punch and some time at a nearby beach before heading back to the ship. The traffic is heavy on the drive back to the port, but once we arrive, we have time to do a little shopping at some souvenir stands near the entrance to the pier.
Once back on board Silver Spirit, we get cleaned up and head to Panorama Lounge for a cocktail. In the evenings, some very nice canapés are served. Rickee has her current favorite cocktail, a Lemon Drop Martini.
This evening, everyone is invited to the pool deck (9) for “Death By Chocolate, An Evening Under The Stars.” The galley team has put together an incredible chocolate buffet with every treat imaginable.
As guests attack the buffet, the Silversea Singers begin to entertain with nostalgic famous duet hits.
After the singers complete their set, DJ Bart turns the pool deck into a floating dance floor.
Rickee and I walked around Deck 10 and decided to engage in a cruise tradition, a game of shuffleboard!
It was another amazing day aboard Silversea Silver Spirit. Tomorrow, Silver Spirit will be in St. Barts.
Day 07 - Roseau, Dominica
Some souvenir shopping and a return to La Terrazza
December 4, 2018 - This morning, Silver Spirit is docked in Roseau, Dominica, one of the smallest capitals in the Caribbean. And, Dominica is the southernmost island we will visit on this itinerary.
Silversea offers a few excursions here, including Whale and Dolphin Sightings, River Tubing, a Chocolate Experience and more. We decided to walk into town on our own and do a little souvenir shopping and exploring. That is, of course, after we enjoy a leisurely lunch at La Terrazza. We found a table for two on the outdoor terrace.
The weather today is perfect for outdoor dining, and we have a clear view of Roseau as we enjoy the La Terrazza buffet. The buffet offers a nice selection of sushi and sashimi.
And, if you love shrimp cocktail (as Rickee does), you are going to love the endless supply of boiled shrimp and spicy cocktail sauce.
There's a lot more here than just shrimp and sushi. There's a variety of hot meat and vegetable dishes, a carving station (today was pork leg), a stir-fry station and pasta made-to-order. I had the Sweet and Sour Pork and it was amazing. La Terrazza was completely renovated during the lengthening project this year and it now looks nearly identical to La Terrazza on Silver Muse. The restaurant is new, fresh and beautiful.
After lunch, we disembark Silver Spirit and walk down the long pier, right into Roseau.
After walking through the security gates, we can see the Dominica Museum just across the street. Next door is a Tourist Info office where we decide to visit to get information on the best place to buy souvenirs. As soon as we walk in, we can see some local souvenir stands set up on a patio just behind the Tourist Info office, so we go out to do some shopping.
Rickee finds a few items of interest, even though the prices seem a little high. While Rickee is shopping, I walk around the corner and come upon a young man who is a local musician selling his CDs. We talk for a bit and he says if I buy his CD I can use his music as a background track for my videos. I buy his CD and promise to send him a link to my YouTube video when it is complete.
After making a few purchases, we walk down the waterfront to get some exercise. A few locals approach us with offers for tours. Everyone is polite and not aggressively pushing their services. As we walk down the main street, we see a few tents with more vendors. When we stop to do some shopping, we find the same souvenirs we purchased earlier for half the price! So, here is a tip: If you are in Roseau and shopping for souvenirs, walk an extra block and look for Mary Ann and Glenda as they have the best prices.
You will find Mary Ann and Glenda here
You will also be able to get a good photo of your ship from this location.
After our brief visit to Roseau, we returned to the comfort of our Silver Suite and the huge balcony where we enjoyed a day of relaxation. This evening, we returned to La Terrazza for dinner.
It was another wonderful, relaxing day aboard Silver Spirit. Tomorrow, Silver Spirit will be in St. John's, Antigua, where we have booked another Segway tour.
Day 06 - St. Kitts
We do some shopping in Basseterre and have a very innovative dinner
December 3, 2018 - This morning, Silver Spirit is docked at Basseterre, St. Kitts.
Even though there is a cruise ship pier that leads right into the heart of Basseterre's shopping area, the docking location for Silver Spirit is a couple of miles farther away at a commercial cargo pier.
We started the morning with a beautiful breakfast on the balcony of our Silver Suite. As you can see from the photo below, room service breakfast on Silversea can be as elaborate as you like. You can literally order anything for breakfast that you would find in the dining room delivered to your suite. Our butler, Rodolfo, delivered our breakfast right on time and everything was hot and delicious.
We have been to St. Kitts a few times over the years, so we did not book an excursion here on this cruise. We decided to disembark Silver Spirit and go into town on our own to do a little shopping.
Rickee disembarks Silver Spirit in Basseterre
Silversea provides complimentary shuttle service for its guests in most ports. This is a huge benefit for those who enjoy independently discovering the places they visit. We hop onto one of the waiting shuttles for the ride into town.
Complimentary shuttle service
The shuttle van drops us off at the entrance to the main shopping area of Basseterre. You can easily walk into the town center from this shopping area. The shopping area is filled with local souvenir shops and the ubiquitous Diamonds International and other Caribbean jewelry merchants.
We found an outdoor food court with a variety of vendors and decided to share an order of hummus (w/pita bread) from a Middle Eastern vendor. At $12 for hummus, it was certainly no bargain, but it was quite good. We washed it down with bottles of cold Carib beer (2 for $5). After doing some Christmas shopping, we boarded the shuttle back to Silver Spirit.
This afternoon, we decided to join other guests for Team Trivia. Lots of teams have already formed, so Rickee and I formed our own two-person team, "Team Texas". Unfortunately, we tied for last place today. But, we were up against teams with six to eight people.
For dinner this evening, we have reservations at Silver Note, probably the most unusual dining concept you will find on any cruise ship. Silver Note is basically a supper club with live entertainment. What's unique and creative is the menu.
The dishes served at Silver Note are like nothing we have seen in any other restaurant. Even the plating is beyond compare.
The "Beehive", one of the raw starter dishes served at Silver Note
Silver Note offers a choice of raw and cooked starters, and a variety of main courses. All are unique, and they tend to be on the spicy side.
We dined at Silver Note on Silver Muse in 2017, so we were somewhat familiar with the concept which was brought to Silver Spirit when the ship was lengthened earlier this year. The concept appears to work well because the restaurant was nearly full tonight. As always, the service was excellent.
Tomorrow, Silver Spirit will be in Roseau, Dominica.
Day 05 - San Juan, PR
We enjoy a culinary walking tour in San Juan
December 2, 2018 - Last night, Silver Spirit remained overnight in San Juan, PR and, today we have booked the San Juan Culinary Walking Tour through Silversea's Shore Concierge.
We met with the rest of the folks on the tour, about 15 total, outside the cruise terminal building. We were greeted by Pablo Garcia, our local tour guide for the day.
Pablo Garcia, Spoon Food Tours
As soon as everyone from the group arrives, we head off through the streets of San Juan. Along the way, Pablo was eager to point out the history of San Juan and the significance of the buildings we passed on the way to our first stop. Even though it is late morning, a stop for a locally-sourced cup of coffee sounds like a good idea.
Milletras, which translates to "thousand letters," is a locally-owned and operated coffee shop that specializes in artisan, hand-picked, single-bean-variety coffee and homemade pastries. We were each served a cup of latte and a pastry with a guava filling. The coffee was very mild and delicious.
Rickee is not a coffee drinker. In fact, before our visit to Milletras, she had never tasted coffee. What a great time to try something new!
Rickee tastes coffee for the first time
We depart Milletras and walk a few blocks to our next restaurant, Hecho en Casa, for a traditional Puerto Rican dish: Mofongo.
Mofongo is made from green plantains, a cousin to the banana. Plantains are larger and typically less sweet than bananas and are a staple in Caribbean cuisine. To make Mofongo, green plantains are cut into pieces, deep fried, then smashed using a wooden mortar and pestle. Hecho en Casa is known to have the best Mofongo in San Juan. Each guest is served a bowl of Mofongo with chicken and a garlic cream sauce.
I have never tried Mofongo, and I loved it. The texture sort of reminded me of cornbread dressing. The next time we cruise into or out of San Juan, this is a place to which I would gladly return, and it is not a long walk from the port to this delightful restaurant. After our Mofongo, we walked less than a block to the next stop on our tour: Chocobar.
At Chocobar, our group got to sample delicious milk chocolate squares atop, of all things, cheddar cheese!
It sounds strange, but the flavors actually complement each other. The chocolate was so good that Rickee bought some to take home. Next, we each enjoyed a chocolate rum Martini which, too, was delicious and refreshing.
As we enjoyed our chocolate rum martinis, we had an opportunity to visit the art gallery located upstairs from Chocobar in which the works of local artists are displayed. After departing Chocobar, Pablo warned us that we may be walking a few blocks and offered cups of ice water to keep us hydrated.
The walk to Plaza de Armas, the main square, was not too far and when we arrived, Pablo shared with us the history of the square and the surrounding buildings.
I should also point out that it is a beautiful day with temperatures in the 80s. It is a great day for photos like the one of City Hall above. Our tour continues down to the waterfront where we learn even more about the history of San Juan. Then, it is time to cool off with a refreshing ice cream bar from Señor Peleta, a local ice cream shop. With ice cream bars in hand, we walk back along the waterfront to our final stop on the tour: Princesa Gastrobar.
At Princesa, our group gathered in a private room where Pablo educated us on Caribbean Sofrito, a blend of vegetables and spices used as a base in many Caribbean dishes. We were each treated to a refreshing Mojito made with rum, mint, sugar and club soda and enjoyed a bowl of stew made with chickpeas, grouper, rice and, of course, Sofrito. Another delicious treat!
After our meal, some guests decided to do some walking on their own in town while Pablo guided a few of us back to Silver Spirit, even though you really cannot get lost in San Juan. Once back at the cruise terminal, we said goodbye to Pablo, vowing to meet up with him again on a return visit to San Juan.
We have been fortunate to do quite a few culinary tours, and, this was one of the best, largely due to Pablo. His extensive knowledge of San Juan and Caribbean history, along with his enthusiastic delivery style, made it fun to learn. You can tell he truly enjoys what he does and is proud to introduce visitors to venues that are locally owned and serving locally-sourced food. We highly recommend this tour.
This afternoon, we enjoyed our balcony with a wonderful view of El Morro as we sailed away from San Juan.
Tomorrow, Silver Spirit will be in Basseterre, St. Kitts.
Day 04 - San Juan, PR
An afternoon arrival in San Juan gives us time to enjoy our suite and dinner at La Terrazza
December 1, 2018 - As Silver Spirit sails towards San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Captain informs us that they will be performing a series of sea trials required prior to entering a USA port. So, if the ship slows down, or makes a few turns, not to be concerned.
After attending another excellent lecture by Dr. William Crowley on St. Kitts, Dominca and Antigua (three of the islands we will be visiting on this itinerary), we decided to enjoy an al fresco lunch at The Grill. Since The Grill does not open until noon, we had time to stop by The Arts Cafe and noticed they had a variety of light snacks available. In fact, after Rickee tried one of the tomato, cucumber and cheese finger sandwiches, she decided to make that her lunch and had two more!
There are small jars filled with a variety of salads (see above) so, I tried a Chicken with Curry Mango and it was really good. Everything we have tried at The Arts Cafe has been delicious. But, for me, this was just an appetizer. My lunch awaits poolside at The Grill. Before placing my order, I noticed Executive Chef Chilcott overseeing a stirfry station at The Grill.
The daily special stirfry looked very tempting, but I decided to try the cheeseburger, which is served with french fries and onion rings. My cheeseburger was cooked to my liking, medium, and the fries were hot and crispy. The bun is also a very important component of a good burger, and this one is one of the best you will find. Silversea has really improved their burgers.
Back "in the day", a Pool Grill would typically offer a burger, fries and maybe a chicken sandwich, but Silversea's Pool Grill menu is quite extensive. In fact, it is two pages long!
After lunch, we spent much of the afternoon enjoying the peace and quiet of our expansive private balcony. The Silver Suite has a comfortable lounger, two chairs with footrests and a large table with two additional chairs.
We enjoyed our balcony as Silver Spirit was sailing into San Juan, Puerto Rico, this afternoon.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tonight, we have dinner reservations for La Terrazza, Silversea's Italian Bistro restaurant. We stop at Panorama Lounge for a pre-dinner drink and instantly notice the beautiful changes made to the lounge during last summer's lengthening of Silver Spirit.
All of the furnishings, carpet and other surfaces have been modernized with top-quality marble, fabrics and leather. Silversea's bar service remains the best in the industry, with generous pours. My Crown Royal would have been considered a "double" on most cruise lines, and the same for Rickee's scotch on the rocks.
A line was already forming at La Terrazza when we arrived at 7:00pm for our reservation. We were escorted to a table for two. In the evening, La Terrazza is transformed from a buffet restaurant into a romantic Italian bistro with an extensive menu. After a welcome glass of Spumanti sparkling wine, we were offered a choice of white or red Italian wines. I requested the Bogle Merlot that we had enjoyed at Atlantide and the Sommelier promptly brought a bottle to our table and poured a glass. A large platter of antipasti was brought to the table along with a basket of breads.
My Insalata Caprese (above) was a delicious chunk of fresh Mozzarella atop three fresh slices of tomato and drizzled with a pesto sauce. It was excellent. Rickee's Carpaccio di Manzo was paper-thin sliced beef tenderloin topped with Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes, Celery and aged Parmesan cheese. For my pasta course, I tried the Bigoli al Cacio 'Podolico' e Pepe which is a homemade Bigoli pasta in a rustic buttery black pepper sauce.
The Bigoli was cooked perfectly al dente and it was one of the best pasta dishes I think I have ever had. I will be ordering this again, maybe as a main course! Rickee had the Pappa al Pomodoro as her second course, a rich bowl of chunky tomato soup that she devoured. She decided to have her pasta as her main course. She chose the Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, Peperoncino, which I also got to try. It was very garlicky and quite spicy, which I love. For my main course, I had the Costoletta di Vitello farcita al Taleggio (Veal Shank), which was way too large, but I somehow managed.
Costoletta di Vitello farcita al Taleggio
Needless to say, we were so full after the first three or four courses (I lost count), that dessert was not even an option. I finished my glass of Merlot while Rickee had a glass of chilled Limoncello (an Italian lemon-flavored liqueur). Our dinner at La Terrazza was memorable and I think we should visit here at least one more time on this journey.
We overnight here and tomorrow, we will explore San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Day 03 - Grand Turk
A Segway tour of Grand Turk and dinner at Indochine
November 30, 2018 - This morning, an announcement from the bridge informed us that, due to high winds, Silver Spirit would not be able to dock in Grand Turk. Instead, tenders would be used to shuttle guests back and forth to shore.
Since our excursion is not until 2:00pm, we have an opportunity to enjoy a nice lunch at Spaccanapoli, Silver Spirit's outdoor pizza restaurant. Rickee ordered the Margherita pizza and I had the Funghi e Salsiccia (mushroom and sausage). The pizza was as good as we remembered from our trip on Muse last year. This is one of the best pizzas you will find on any cruise ship.
Tender operations were carried out on Deck 3 starboard today and two tenders were used to take guests ashore and return them to Silver Spirit. The seas were a little choppy making embarking the tenders a challenge, but Silversea crew members were on hand to make sure everyone boarded safely.
As the tender heads for shore, I have an opportunity to catch a photo of Silver Spirit resting off the coast of Grand Turk.
We have been to Grand Turk several times, but we have never arrived at the tender pier, which is not far from the pier used to dock large cruise ships. There is a beautiful white sand beach just steps from the tender.
Whether arriving at the main pier, or the tender pier, cruise ship guests are not far from a variety of souvenir shops, clothing stores, duty free and, of course, jewelry stores. The cruise terminal area is modern, clean and most likely the only part of Grand Turk most cruisers will ever see. We, however, will be seeing more of Grand Turk today since we have booked a Segway Tour through Silversea.
We were met at the tender pier by our driver who guided us through the cruise terminal shopping mall to a desk where we completed a waiver form, then boarded an open-air bus for a drive to the Segway tour office. When we arrived, we were each given helmets and an orange safety vest to wear. Several of the guests had never ridden a Segway before, so before heading out as a group, our tour guides gave a brief lesson on how to ride a Segway.
The training session takes about 30 minutes and, soon, we are on our way riding down a narrow road along the shoreline.
Our tour guides had us stop a couple of times to take a break and photos. The guides offered to take our photos using our cameras, which was a nice gesture.
At one point in the tour, one of our guides, Alvin, stopped the group to show us the salt pools where the Dutch used to harvest salt from the sea water to export all over the world.
We have done Segway tours all over the world and have always found them to be a great way to see a city, an island, or even a rain forest. The Segway Tour in Grand Turk does not have a lot to offer in the way of sightseeing. Hurricanes have left many of the buildings and infrastructure damaged. That said, we had a good time and felt like the tour was well worth the $79/pp cost. If you have never ridden a Segway before, Grand Turk is a good place to start because it is not a very challenging place to ride.
At the end of our tour, we said goodbye to our guides and boarded the open-air bus for the drive back to the tender pier. We had a little time to do some souvenir shopping before boarding the tender back to the ship.
Once back on board Silver Spirit, we have a chance to relax before our dinner this evening at Indochine.
When a 50-foot section was added to Silver Spirit's hull earlier this year, several new restaurants were added to the ship. Indochine was one of them. We enjoyed Indochine last year on Silver Muse and were excited to try this new restaurant on Spirit. The Asian-inspired menu offers specialties from Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, China, and India, just to name a few. From the Raw Menu, I ordered the Saku Tuna, which was very nice.
After a bowl of spicy, flavorful Tom Yum Goong, my main course arrived, a Lemongrass Beef dish with enough red Thai chili pepper to bring tears to my eyes and have me dabbing my forehead. I told the waitress I wanted extra spicy, and the chef delivered! Of course, they will adjust the spice level to each guest's preference, but for my tastes, the hotter, the better.
The side order of Saffron Basmati Rice was a wonderful accompaniment to the dish and afterwards, the Coconut Rice Pudding helped to cool things off a bit. Indochine changes their menu about half way through the cruise, so I look forward to a return visit later in the trip.
Tomorrow afternoon, Silver Spirit will arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Day 02 - Day at Sea
A relaxing day at sea with lectures, a cooking demonstration, and a new favorite hangout
November 29, 2018 - Today, Silver Spirit is sailing to Grand Turk, giving us a whole day at sea to relax and enjoy this recently stretched ship. A morning lecture with Dr. William Crowley on "The Caribbean Islands: British?, French?, Dutch?, Spanish? or What???" was a very interesting look at the history of how the Caribbean islands have been ruled over the last few hundred years.
Dr. William Crowley
As soon as Dr. Crowley's lecture was finished, the Venetian Lounge stage was set up for a cooking demonstration by Executive Chef, Grant Chilcott.
Chef Chilcott
Chef Chilcott showed us how to make Thai Fish Cakes and a Vietnamese Beef Tartare. After the demonstration, guests were invited up on stage to taste the dishes. Both were delicious.
Thai Fish Cakes (left) and Vietnamese Beef Tartare (right)
After the cooking demonstration, it was time for lunch. Today, we decided to visit La Terrazza, Silver Spirit's buffet lunch restaurant on Deck 7 aft. La Terrazza is one of the nicest buffet restaurants you will find on any ship. The layout of the food serving stations prevents long lines from forming. Unique hand-washing stations are located just before you enter the serving line.
Unique hand-washing stations
La Terrazza always offers a wide variety of dishes and there is a daily pasta-made-to-order station as well as a stir-fry station. We will go into more detail on La Terrazza in our final review. After a delicious lunch, it was time to relax and enjoy our Superior Verandah Suite and the large balcony.
This evening, we decided to enjoy a cocktail in our favorite new spot on Silver Spirit, The Arts Cafe. The Arts Cafe was added to Deck 8 aft as part of the recent ship lengthening project. This is a space we really enjoyed on Silver Muse last year, and I think Arts Cafe on Spirit is even nicer.
Arts Cafe
In the evenings, Arts Cafe offers a selection of creative canapés to enjoy with your favorite cocktail. Yes, there is a full-service bar here. It is quiet here tonight, so this is a beautiful place to enjoy a drink. There is an outdoor terrace where you can enjoy The Arts Cafe and the ocean at the same time, too.
Tomorrow, Silver Spirit will be in Grand Turk.
Day 01 - Embarkation in Port Everglades
High winds in Key West led to a delayed embarkation.
November 28, 2018 - We are used to flights being delayed, but, when we arrived at Fort Lauderdale airport, we were surprised to learn that Silver Spirit's arrival at Port Everglades had been delayed! We were greeted at baggage claim by Murray, a Silversea representative, who informed us that the ship was late departing from Key West the day before due to high wind conditions. Early arriving guests were taken to a local hotel for lunch but our 3:00pm arrival allowed us to transfer directly to the cruise terminal.
Murray takes our luggage to the waiting van
Silver Spirit was already docked when we arrived at the cruise terminal, but we could see some guests from the previous cruise still boarding coaches bound for the airport or hotel. Even though we never see it as a guest, you can only imagine the logistics involved in re-booking hundreds of guests on later flights, or arranging for hotel rooms. A hotel has to be secured to feed guests arriving for the next cruise, and so on. Altering a cruise ship's schedule, even by just a few hours, can be a very costly for a cruise line. However, if the Captain feels it is unsafe to sail in high winds, he made the right decision.
Guests gather at the Port Everglades cruise terminal #2
As it turned out, embarkation was only delayed by about two hours. Guests were asked to line up inside the cruise terminal for a passport check and to obtain our stateroom keys, then we were directed to board Silver Spirit.
Checking in at Port Everglades
Once on board, we were greeted with Silversea's traditional glass of champagne and asked to check in at Reception where we surrendered our passports and had our photos taken for security reasons. We were escorted to our Superior Veranda Suite (808) where we met our butler, Aditya (or, Adi for short). Due to the ship's late arrival, the mandatory muster drill was moved from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. Silversea adheres to the policy of asking guests to bring life vests from their suites to the muster drill, a practice which some cruise lines have abandoned. After a safety talk and life vest demonstration, guests file outside to their assigned lifeboat area.
When we returned to our suite to put away our life vests, our luggage was waiting in the hallway. We decided we would unpack after dinner and chose to visit Atlantide, one of Silver Spirit's many restaurant venues. Atlantide is the closest thing you will find to a "traditional" cruise ship dining room on Silver Spirit. They are open each morning for breakfast, each afternoon for lunch, and each evening for dinner, with only the lunch menus changing daily. Reservations are not required to dine at Atlantide.
Rickee and I enjoying dinner at Atlantide
Rickee was delighted to receive a very large portion of caviar, with all the accouterments, as her starter. I opted for the Proscuitto platter. Both starters were very good.
Caviar starter
My soup course was the Lobster Bisque while Rickee chose the Leek and Potato soup.
Lobster Bisque being served
For our main course, I chose the NY Strip steak while Rickee decided on the Argentinian Estancia steak topped with chimicurri. Both steaks were cooked perfectly and were tender.
New York Strip
Rickee is the dessert eater so she ordered the lemon meringue pie, which turned out to be more like a lemon tart topped with, and surrounded by, dollops of toasted meringue. It was truly delicious and Rickee claims it to be one of the best desserts she has ever had.
Lemon Meringue Pie
After dinner, it was time to unpack and get ready for bed. Tomorrow is a day at sea as Silver Spirit sails to Grand Turk.
MySilversea Website - Online Luxury!
Silversea's cruise planning website allows guests to pre-book excursions, dining and more.
Silversea is an ultra-luxury cruise line. Once you step on board a Silversea ship, you don't want to spend time deciding which shore excursion to take, and trying to hurry to make sure you get the one you want. You would rather relax, sip champagne and let the vacation unfold as planned. And, much of that planning can be done in advance through the MySilversea website.
As you can see from the home page, MySilversea allows you to complete all of your guest information forms online, reserve shore excursions, spa treatments and dining reservations.
Guest information forms are very complete and easy to follow. Most of the information will be retained for future cruises, making the process fast and easy for the next Silversea cruise. And, odds are pretty good, you are going to want to sail with Silversea again and again.
The Activities page allows you to view and edit your spa, excursion and dining reservations for each day of the cruise. This is probably the best system we have seen in use by any cruise line. It shows you the exact times the ship is scheduled to arrive and depart each port. Not only do your reservations show up for each day, but they occupy the appropriate time on the chart. This makes it very easy to plan your dining reservations at times that work with your shore excursions, or, perhaps you want to take a morning excursion as well as one in the afternoon? Well done, Silversea!
Booking an excursion (or dining reservation) is as simple as clicking the button (at the right) for the day desired. A list of available shore excursions appears for the selected port.
Departure times, length of excursion and cost are displayed along with the summary of your booked activities for the selected day. In the example above, I can see that we have a dinner reservation at Silver Note at 8pm, so in this case, I would not be too concerned about getting back to the ship at 4pm. We would still have plenty of time to get ready for dinner. Clicking on the red Details button drills down to give even more detailed information about the excursion.
From this screen, you can see the activity level required for the excursion (2 out of 4 dots under photo). The hourglass indicates that there is limited availability for this excursion. The little cloche icon indicates that there is food on this excursion. Placing your mouse pointer over the icons will display text to describe the meaning of the icons (took me a while to figure that out). Scrolling down the page reveals even more details about what the excursion entails.
Making dining reservations works in a similar fashion. Click the Dining button next to the evening for which you wish to make a reservation, and a list of Silver Spirit's (in our case) restaurants is displayed.
As with booking shore excursions, MySilversea lets you see what you already have booked on the selected day.
When you click the RESERVE button, a drop-down menu offers a choice of available time slots for the selected restaurant. It literally could not be more intuitive. Also, if there is a charge for dining in the selected restaurant, that information will be displayed as well (Seishin and La Dame).
All things considered, the MySilversea website is the best pre-cruise planning website we have seen to date (and we have seen quite a few). It makes planning the cruise a simple task of point and click. Now, where's that glass of champagne?