Passengers: 540
World's Best 2016 Awards Rank: #9 Mid-size Ocean Ship
Best for: High-end cruisers who prefer to enjoy Silversea’s impeccable service on a slightly larger ship
Sails: Africa, the British Isles, the Caribbean, Central America, the Mediterranean, Mexico, the Middle East, New England & Canada, Northern Europe, the Panama Canal, South America
At a Glance: A Travel + Leisure World’s Best 2016 winner, placing ninth in the Mid-size Ocean Ship category. Almost twice as large as Silversea’s smallest non-expedition vessel, Silver Spirit manages to retain the elegant service-driven vibe of the line’s more intimate ships while delivering more restaurants, a bigger spa, and even roomier staterooms.
The Suites Are Extra Roomy
Silver Spirit has the biggest cabins of any Silversea ship, so even the smallest stateroom feels spacious. Standard vista suites measure more than 300 square feet, and like all the suites onboard the ship, it has a full bathtub and shower. Ninety-five percent of the suites have a private teak veranda—the perfect spot to enjoy a room-service breakfast for two. If you really want to go big, book an apartment-size 1,425-square-foot Grand Suite, which has a separate living and dining room and can be connected to a Veranda Suite to make it a two bedroom. No matter where you bunk, you’ll have access to a flat-screen TV, Pratesi linens, a fridge stocked with your favorite beverages, a pillow menu, and, yes, butler service.
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The Service Is On Point
The guest-to-crew ratio onboard is an astonishing 1.4 to 1, giving the Silver Spirit feel of a much smaller ship. But it’s not just their sheer number that sets the crew apart. It’s also their warmth and dedication to keeping every guest onboard happy 24/7. Case in point: the butler service enjoyed by every suite, which runs the gamut from unpacking your bags to drawing you a scented bath after an active excursion.
Everything Is Included
No need to agonize over that pre-dinner cocktail order, since many wines and liquors are wrapped into the cruise rate. Also complimentary: yoga and Pilates classes at the fitness center, an hour of WiFi each day (unlimited in upper-tier suites), and gratuities.
The Restaurants Are An Event
Silver Spirit’s bigger size means it has room for extra restaurants. Like Silversea’s smaller ships, its main dining room is The Restaurant, a white-tablecloth-and-fine-china, multicourse affair. Passengers can also make reservations at La Terrazza, the ship’s Italian eatery; Le Champagne, an extra-fee, Relais & Chateaux restaurant that specializes in decadent six-course wine-paired menus; and The Grill, where passengers cook up their own meal on a hot volcanic rock at their table. But on Silver Spirit, guests can also try additional options like Asian-fusion restaurant Seishin, a for-fee restaurant, and the 1930s-inspired Stars Supper Club, where passengers sample sophisticated small plates while live jazz plays.
There Are Plenty of Places to Relax
During warmer itineraries, the hub of the ship is the pool deck, where passengers grab burgers from the grill in between dips in the pool or stints on the orange-striped lounge chaises. But there’s plenty to do on cloudy days, too. Bibliophiles spend afternoons reading in the ship’s expansive library, while gamblers try their hand at the slots in the casino and cigar lovers puff away in the clubby Connoisseur’s Corner. Grab a pre-dinner snack during afternoon tea in the Panorama Lounge or sign up for the private hammam experience at the 8,300-square-foot spa. Go to bed early; you’ll want to wake up in time for one of the fitness center’s yoga or Pilates classes.
