T+L’s Overview of Silversea’s Silver Ray Cruise Ship



Silver Ray

  • The ship’s general mild and ethereal atmosphere, which places the give attention to what’s taking place open air.
  • High-end suites geared up with wraparound balconies and personal whirlpools.
  • A culinary program that brings native tastes and libations on board, by way of menus, cooking lessons, and themed cocktails.
  • Sustainability options embody the usage of cleaner-burning liquefied pure gasoline, or LNG.

With the Spanish metropolis of Cadiz in full view, I used to be gleefully dancing round an expansive, resort-like pool deck prefer it was the Eighties. A reside British band was taking part in George Michael, the Eurythmics, Tears for Fears, and even David Bowie. I solely wished I had packed greater shoulder pads.

After I took a break, it was for sips of complimentary Champagne as a result of this was no high-end night time membership however quite a luxurious cruise ship—one that gives all its facilities as a part of the bundle.

Need your butler to ship caviar with all of the trimmings? You bought it. In truth, my butler thoughtfully added a bottle of Champagne. Otherwise you may ask for a classy cocktail to sip with limitless views. Or you might ask for the surf and turf, embellished with foie gras—or get some unbelievable vegan delicacies.

No matter your model of extra and decadence is perhaps, odds are good you will discover it on the over-the-top Silver Ray, a 364-cabin ship with a crew of 544.

Like its sibling vessel, Silver Nova, which debuted in 2023, Silver Ray is without doubt one of the largest operated by Silversea, the posh line. Nonetheless, it’s comparatively small by cruise requirements, with a particular design that emphasizes views of the attractive coastlines this ship tends to frequent.

My take? The Ray is sufficiently big to not really feel crowded, with locations to get away and faux you’re by yourself yacht. There’s additionally magnificence at each flip: a surprising pool on one aspect of the ship, open-air eating areas, plush materials that make you mushy with delight.

Whereas on board for a four-day preview cruise in Portugal and Spain, I relished within the niceties and appreciated the less-formal environment on board. Alternatives to indulge apart, this ship is a extra snug strategy to luxurious cruising. Like DeBarge sang within the Eighties: “I Like It.”

Staterooms and Suites

You actually can’t go fallacious: each suite on Silver Ray has a veranda and butler service. Entry-level lodging begin at 301 sq. toes, giant sufficient to really feel like a pleasant resort room, with a desk and chairs on the veranda, a walk-in closet, and a marble rest room with both a big glass bathe with a sitting bench or a glass bathe and separate tub. The minibar is stocked, the Egyptian cotton bedding is from Milan’s Rivolta Carmignani, and the pillow menu has a number of selections, together with hypoallergenic choices. If cash isn’t any object, the very best digs are two aft-facing Otium Suites, which clock in at 1,324 sq. toes, every with a 421-square-foot wraparound veranda with personal whirlpool.

Bars and Eating places

La Terrazza.

Courtesy of Silversea Cruises


Meals is a part of the pampering, and so are free drinks. There are eight eating places on board, and whereas many are free, reservations are advisable. I used to be a fan of the Italian restaurant, La Terrazza, which launched a brand new menu of up to date Italian delicacies whereas I used to be on board. The S.A.L.T. Restaurant, named for Silversea’s culinary program Sea and Land Style, has an ever-changing strategy that tailors menus to the locations the ship is visiting. I used to be impressed by the Cadiz menu on supply once we have been visiting that Spanish metropolis. The Marquee is a pergola-topped, open-air informal venue serving issues like pizza and salads.

For me, one spotlight was the S.A.L.T. Chef’s Desk, a tasting-menu expertise that was restricted to 18 visitors. Mine was 11 programs of beautiful bites reminiscent of a confit of piquillo peppers and salt cod topped with burnt onion, accompanied by the tales of João Sá, who has garnered a Michelin star for his Lisbon restaurant, Sála. Although Chef’s Desk comes at a hefty extra cost, I assumed it was properly price it.

The S.A.L.T. Chef’s Desk.

Courtesy of Silversea Cruises


Additionally at further value are a Japanese restaurant, Kaiseki, and La Dame, which provides each a traditional French menu and a brand new tasting menu by French chef Jean-Luc Rabanel, who is thought for vegetable-forward, Michelin-star gastronomy. (I discovered it odd, then, that the ship-board menu was heavy on meat.)

The S.A.L.T. Bar, with indoor and outside seating, was serving Spanish gin and different native drinks on our crusing and have become my go-to amongst a number of lounge selections. The outside terrace of the Panorama Lounge is one other good choice. For a pick-me-up or fast meal, I actually loved Arts Café, which has completely foamy lattes and vegan tofu breakfast sandwiches, amongst different picks.

The place Silver Ray Sails

Silver Ray is crusing within the Mediterranean for a lot of 2025, with journeys that vary from 6 to 16 nights, lots of them hitting the massive cruise cities of Barcelona, Civitavecchia (close to Rome), Lisbon, and Monte Carlo. The ship heads to Fort Lauderdale in mid-November for the 2026 Caribbean season, earlier than returning to Europe in late March.

Shore Excursions

Fares embody a shore tour in each port, although they are usually simple: a go to to a well-known palace, a guided stroll by way of a metropolis heart. I opted for a few the at-extra-cost choices which can be a part of the S.A.L.T. program. One was a tour of the westernmost winery in Europe, Casal de Santa Maria, the place I discovered myself sipping wine and slurping oysters with Baron Nicholas von Bruemmer, whose Latvian grandfather based the place.

Facilities and Leisure

The Silver Ray pool deck.

Courtesy of Silversea Cruises


The stylish pool deck is a focus for the entire ship, surrounded by two decks of open area with fabulous views. There’s a soft lounge chair for everybody and, as I discussed, room to bop too. Elsewhere, on the ship’s Roman-inspired Otium Spa, I indulged in a soothing and energizing four-technique therapeutic massage. In between remedies and dips within the spa’s small hydrotherapy pool, you may sip champagne. At a cooking class within the S.A.L.T. Lab, I discovered to make Portuguese cream tarts (although not, alas, Lisbon’s well-known pastéis de nata).

Otium Spa.

Courtesy of Silversea Cruises


A energetic group fills the ship’s small on line casino. Jazz followers head to the supper membership for small bites served with a dose of Cole Porter. And people who discover searching for classic Hermes and Chanel luggage a type of leisure will discover that choice onboard, too. Within the spectacular, two-story present lounge, singers and dancers carry out and you can too catch a lecture.

Household-friendly Choices

Silversea says youngsters are welcome so long as they’re older than 6 months, however the vibe on board is fairly grownup: there’s no youngsters’ pool, no youngsters’ membership, no babysitting supplied. That being stated, the ship has an assortment of connecting suites, together with a two-bedroom Grasp Suite that connects for as much as six visitors.

Accessibility

Silver Ray has 4 wheelchair accessible Premium Veranda Suites and two, bigger wheelchair accessible Silver Suites. Public areas of the ship are accessible, and crew can present help on the uncommon events that ports require stairs (quite than ramps) to disembark. I additionally seen braille signage in public rooms, staterooms, and in elevators—which is one thing not all cruise ships have.

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