The moment Silver Ray was christened (Video: Dave Monk)
Silversea’s newest ship, Silver Ray, was christened today in Lisbon with the line’s favourite Duval-Leroy champagne.
Guests watching a giant screen in the ship’s theatre, the two-deck Venetian Lounge, cheered as they saw live footage of the bottle smashing against the hull. Godmother for the event was ocean scientist Maria Josefina Olascoaga.
Though brand new, Silver Ray – Silversea’s 12th ship – follows very closely in the wake of older sister Silver Nova, with the main pool lying along one edge of the main deck, rather than in the centre, meaning loungers on both sides face outwards to the sea.
This layout also allows for a light and airy Marquee area on the pool deck, where my wife Mandy and I enjoyed freshly made pizza one lunchtime and steak cooked on hot stones at our table another evening.
You never lose touch of the sea when inside the ship, either, with acres of glass – including the outside-facing lifts – offering panoramic views of the surrounding ocean or port.
We joined Silver Ray for a five-night ‘shakedown’ and christening cruise from Lisbon to Cadiz and back before she took on paying passengers for a maiden voyage.
With only 280 guests on board, instead of the normal 728, we were outnumbered by the 544 crew.
Like other Silversea ships, every cabin is a suite with a butler and at times there seemed to be a surplus of smartly dressed valets around the corridors and lifts.
We used a ‘butler button’ on our phone to call the charming Ramesh, who brought room service with a smile, setting up a table in our suite and arranging the food and cutlery.
Our deluxe balcony room – one of the lower in the 13 categories of suites – had a separate bath and shower, a walk-in wardrobe, and two desks with segregated drawers to help organise make-up or gadgets.
To cut down on paper, daily programmes are posted on the TV and refillable water bottles replace single-use plastic ones.
Silver Ray is the latest ship to offer Silversea’s S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Taste) programme, which includes cookery lessons, a chef’s table, dedicated restaurant and special shore excursions.
One day we took a lesson in preparing Portuguese desserts while another evening we ate through an 11-course tasting menu including a starter of diced raw prawn and a dessert of pumpkin ice cream, with a bonus dish of bird sausage. Paired with wines and other drinks, it was quite the evening!
Five nights was nowhere near enough time to sample all the restaurants and bars on board but we were delighted to have one dinner in the 54-seat Silver Note jazz club, eating tapas-style food (such as a chocolate swan dessert) while being entertained by a pianist and singer. In the intimate, circular room, we could have been in an expensive New York or London nightspot.
Sadly, we didn’t get the chance to try La Dame for French food, Kaiseki for Japanese or La Terrazza for Italian. Nor did we tick off all of the ten bars – though, interestingly, the observation lounge doesn’t have one. Instead, it is an area of calm and quiet, with one door leading into an enclosed library with sparkling star-effect ceiling.
Silver Ray is arranged like a sandwich with suites on decks 6 to 9 acting as the filling between the public areas on decks 3 to 5, and on 10 and 11.
On deck 3 is The Shelter bar where we tasted different bottles of Duval-Leroy, Silversea’s new champagne of choice. The Atlantide restaurant nearby hosted the celebratory gala dinner after the naming.
Deck 4 has the lower tier of the Venetian Lounge, as well as the Arts Café, reception and shore excursions desk.
Moving up to deck 5 you find the Otium Spa, fitness centre, beauty salon and small casino.
At the very top of the ship, on deck 11, are The Cliff whirlpool and sun deck, while deck 10 hosts the S.A.L.T. lab cookery school, chef’s table and bar, though you can also drink at the pool bar and, at the stern, the Dusk Bar.
Silver Ray – launched in Silversea’s 30th year – was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, which meant she started sailing after being conveyed by tugs stern-first along the Ems river.
The newcomer is laid back, calming and stylish but her beauty isn’t only skin-deep. The engines can run on liquefied natural gas, the cleanest marine fuel, and there is battery back-up to cover surge demand, such as pulling away from port.
The hull design is more energy efficient and the ship can plug into shore power, where available, eliminating emissions in port.
The crew don’t miss out, either – they have a sauna, as well a gym that’s better than many provided on other ships for passengers.
How do you define luxury? Silversea’s new president, Bert Hernandez, puts it down to prime destinations, culinary innovation and quality and personalised service. Or, as he summed it up: ‘We will provide the best vacation experiences in the world.’
No small claim. But if this preview cruise is anything to go by, passengers will enjoy being pampered as they sail on an elegant small ship serving fine food and drink.
And with the pool deck offering a ten-storey view of any port, you’re also bound to have the best rooftop bar in town.