Silver Shadow

Silver Shadow dazzles cruise-savvy guests

Ship Review by Michael Coleman, October 2008

Few travel experiences – land-based or otherwise – compare to the ultra-luxurious pampering one consistently enjoys aboard the Silver Shadow.

Cruise News Weekly’s Silversea Silver Shadow photoset

One of just five ships in the Silversea Cruises fleet, the 382-guest vessel has been wowing the well-traveled, cruise-savvy set since 2000.

The onboard experience, for most, is simply an affordable extension of everyday life where impeccable surroundings, friendly banter, fine clothes, even finer jewelry and excellent culinary choices are the norm. For others, a trip aboard Silver Shadow represents the pinnacle of travel if not the voyage of a lifetime.

Luxury Defined

The ship revels in its guests as much as they revel in her numerous pleasures.

Upon embarkation, look for a welcoming bottle of champagne and fresh fruit and flowers in each stateroom. At night, evening turndown service features Godiva chocolates. Exclusive shore excursions and two Silversea staples: a pool deck barbecue – meats, poultry and fish grilled to order plus fine wines, cheeses and desserts served under the stars – and one of the best brunches at sea are hosted later in ones voyage.

Guests enjoy spacious, ocean-view accommodations (most with private veranda), gourmet cuisine, personalized service, gracious hospitality and a generous selection of all-inclusive shipboard amenities including complimentary drinks, wines and spirits served throughout the ship, 24-hour room service and in-suite beverage cabinets are stocked daily with guest preferences. Butler service is provided in the Royal, Grand and Owners suites.

Additional suite amenities include Italian marble bathrooms featuring full-size bath, double vanity and large separate shower, choice of Acqua di Parma, Bulgari, or Neutrogena bath amenities, fine bed linens, choice of pillow and plush mattresses, spa robe and slippers, spacious walk-in wardrobe closet, a full-length mirror, writing desk with personalized stationery, vanity table with hair dryer, flat screen TV, complimentary movie channels, DVD player and an onboard DVD library.

Gourmet Cuisine

The ship also features a host of onboard dining venues and a variety of culinary options and wine pairings. There’s a main dining room, The Restaurant, Terrace Cafe (breakfast and lunch), pool-side grille and the reservations-only La Terrazza (dinner). An upscale dining room – Le Champagne – is the ship’s most intimate venue. Guest names, complete with date and port, are actually printed on the evenings menu as a keepsake. Reservations are required.

¨Shore excursions are often hosted with equal aplomb and run the gamut from the extraordinary to the sublime. For instance, guests on a recent South American voyage had the opportunity to visit one of the seven wonders of the modern world Machu Picchu in Peru – followed later in the voyage with a visit to a remote desert ghost town Humberstone in Iquique, Chile. Off the coast, famed Easter Island was also on the agenda.

The ship will soon host a 92-day Grand Pacific voyage from Los Angeles March 7-June 7, 2009. Voyages in Alaska and the Caribbean round out her 2009 schedule . . . pampering included.

Click Here to read a review of the Silver Shadow from January 2008.