The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007 - (Page 30)

ship review dining — only Le Champagne charges an additional fee. For the wine connoisseur, Le Champagne is perhaps a good value. The $150 per person cover charge in the attractive and intimate restaurant gives wine lovers the opportunity to experience some of the world’s finest wines. In cooperation with Relais & Chateaux, Le Champagne features vintages that retail for as much as $1,000 per bottle, and yes, you get a glass of fine wine with each course. At those prices, it doesn’t take many glasses to more than make up for the cover charge. Wines are expertly paired with menu items, and the wining and dining experience in Le Champagne truly sets it apart. Le Champagne does have competition, however, in that the complimentary house wines served throughout Silversea voyages are palate pleasers. When I requested that a bottle of Pinot Noir be delivered to my stateroom, I was surprised to see that it was a fine French vintage. Just because the wine and spirits are free doesn’t mean that Silversea skimps on quality. Silver Whisper’s passenger capacity (382) certainly warrants its inclusion in the ultra-luxury category, and the relatively small number of guests allows for open-seating dining. Moreover, with 295 crew, the passenger-to-crew ratio assures sufficient manpower for attentive service, and indeed on my cruise in February, Silver Whisper’s crew rose to the challenge of presenting an ultra-luxury level of service. Expecting the Silver Whisper to be a small ship, I was surprised to see that it spanned 610 feet and rose 10 decks. Measuring 28,258 gross tons (a measure that indicates cubic space, not weight), Silver Whisper has one of the highest, if not the highest, space ratios of any cruise ship. That number is derived by dividing gross tons by the number of passengers. A high space ratio (73) meant that Silver Whisper seldom felt crowded or congested during my cruise. Indeed, stepping out of my stateroom at 7 a.m. on the first day of my cruise, I walked almost the entire length of the ship before encountering another passenger, even though the sailing was near full. Later that day at lunch in The Restaurant, only nine other passengers were present. The rest presumably were dining at the Terrace Cafe, The Pool Grill or in their staterooms. Staterooms are spacious, and bathrooms, in particular, are well-appointed on Silver Whisper. Not all staterooms feature verandas, and one category features a “shared veranda.” There were a few grumbles over the cost of internet usage, priced at 75 cents a minute, which is standard pricing for the industry but priced at 35 cents a minute on at least one of Silversea’s competitors. 30 Avid Cruiser FALL 2007 Stateroom categories and Brochure Rates: Silver Whisper (and Silver Shadow) feature seven categories of suites and staterooms. The company refers to all categories as suites, but some are more on par with staterooms. For example: While there are no inside staterooms, Vista Suites have no verandas and measure 287 square feet, still large by industry standards but not truly a suite. Likewise, Veranda Suites, the most abundant category on Silver Whisper, measure 345 square feet, and as their eponymous name suggests, this category does feature a veranda, but it’s still only one room — a nicely appointed and spacious room, but one room nonetheless. The categories higher than Veranda Suite have separate rooms, at least separate bedrooms, and thus qualify as being true suites (in addition, these categories also offer free laundry service, a welcome perk). Accommodations throughout the ship are spacious, well appointed and on both Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper, all suites and staterooms feature marbled baths with double sink vanity (granite countertops) and full size tub (some with Jacuzzi). Baths also included a “personalized” amenities package, meaning that you choose your preferred amenities (choices on my cruise included the Italian brands Acqua di Parma and Bvlgari; and Neutrogena). In the 2008 brochure, Vista Suites currently on Deck 5 are renamed Terrace Suites (unlike the Vista Suites one deck below, the Terrace Suites on Deck 5 feature a veranda, though it is a shared veranda). In the short descriptions below, I provide examples of the brochure rates offered on my 10-night Far East sailing in February 2007. Be sure to check with your cruise seller, however, for special offers and savings. On my February sailing, for example, rates were up to 50 percent off. The Owner’s Suite measures 1,254 square feet and features two bathrooms and two bedrooms with twin or queen beds. Also available as a one-bedroom configuration. The category offers butler service. Brochure rate for my cruise: $19,095 The Grand Suite (there are three that range from

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007

The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007 Contents The Poop Deck Cruising, Back to Back At The Piazza SeaDream Yacht Club Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager The ‘New’ Crystal Symphony Bay of FUNdy Long Weekend Getaway Silversea Cruises: Silver Whisper Cruising Southeast Asia ‘Awesome’ Alaska Sacred Moments In South Georgia Two Years With A Princess Of Days Gone By

The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007

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