There are about 350 guests on the brand-new Silver Ray “shake-down and show-off” sailing between Portugal and Spain in anticipation of the special naming ceremony in Lisbon on 12JUN.
We don’t yet know who the Godmother will be, but I have great insights in the meantime and have enjoyed getting to know the brand’s new young, forthright and focused president, Bert Hernandez.
He gladly answered several questions I posed about the brand, his plans and ideas, and I will elucidate those discussions in my next column.
I sailed the gorgeous Silver Nova last year, and the Ray is a veritable twin sister—the art has changed, but it’s still delightful and beautiful, as are the objets d’art scattered about this very approachable and charming ship.
Some menus have been refreshed, particularly in S.A.L.T. Kitchen and La Terrazza, a perennial favourite of mine. Two-star Michelin Chef Jean-Luc Rabanel (owner of L’Atelier in Arles, France) has created an intriguing plant-forward menu in the petite French restaurant La Dame.
All the wonderful, creative and very appealing public spaces from the Nova are recreated here, and the buzz is that this is yet another sensational ship from Silversea Cruises.
I concur.
If you haven’t been paying enough attention to these Nova Class ships – each carrying 728 guests in ultra-luxury, then you have missed a key factor.
The vessel has been designed with a pioneering asymmetrical, horizontal theme that offers unexpected openness and creates an unfiltered connection to the outdoors and those magnificent sea views. Plus, there’s more airy space, higher ceilings, and greater flexibility in design—and the space is glorious.
The design establishes “two good sides” of the ship, each being different – and works beautifully.
There are four suite decks, 6 to 9, and most public rooms are gathered on Decks 3, 4, and 5. This is a big change from the Muse Class ships such as Silver Dawn and Silver Moon—beautiful in their own right. There is an enormous amount of glass letting in light everywhere, with more than 98% of the ship offering a view—“Guests can gain a new perspective filled with light.” The space-to-guest ratio is truly impressive.
Six glass elevators whisk you to the fantastic Deck 10, which houses the S.A.L.T. Bar – much bigger now but still offering great mixologists and interesting concoctions, and the S.A.L.T. Lab for cooking classes. At night, the venue hosts up to 18 guests for a thoughtfully choreographed Chef’s Kitchen menu of small plates highlighting regional dishes and flavours and also including cocktails and wines specially chosen to complement the menu.
This Deck offers ample space for sunning and relaxing, reading in the shade, finding a quiet corner, and enjoying a beautiful pool overlooking one side of the ship.
Of course, there’s a great pool bar.
Further along is The Marquee, a fabulous lunch and dinner spot that combines the Hot Rocks Grill, traditional pizzas from Spaccanapoli (made with a special pizza oven), and a casual dining menu. It’s hopping all the time.
Heading aft, the Silver Ray’s Dusk Bar is another great venue for drinks and sail-away time with never-ending ocean views. The Marquee and Dusk Bar are new additions to Nova Class and have fast become guest favourites.
Silversea’s traditional offerings are still here, including S.A.L.T. Kitchen, Kaiseki, the Silver Note Supper Club and L’Atlantide for meals, La Dolce Vita and the Panorama Lounge, Observation Lounge and Library and Arts Café now on Deck 4 and expanded to the heart of the ship. New to both Nova and Ray is the Deck 3 Shelter Bar (somewhat underused) but ideal for groups or small gatherings and a glass of bubbly.
There’s much more to write about Silver Ray, including her wide range of suite accommodations, the OTIUM Spa and Fitness Centre, the ever-evolving and fantastic S.A.L.T. program with onboard and ashore offerings, including an extensive array of shore excursions, the many sustainability features on Silver Ray with battery and LNG capacity, cutting-edge technology, fantastic space for the crew, and a novel hull design. And Bert and his team’s plans for the coming months and years.
