Service and style on Silver Whisper

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  Silver Whisper

  © Silversea Cruises

Peering through portholes at your new destination is a thing of the past on Silversea ships, as all the ships have “suites”, not cabins, and the majority of the suites have their own teak verandas on which to stand each evening, glass of champagne in hand, as you watch each port slowly disappearing into the distance.

Back inside, our suite on Silver Whisper also had a desk, lounge area, a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite bathroom with double vanity unit, shower and separate bathtub, with shower and bathroom amenities by exclusive Acqua di Parma. A bottle of chilled champagne greeted our first entrance into the suite and, thereafter, the minibar was filled with beverages of your choosing – a welcome personalisation for those who want nothing but Merlot or Diet Coke.

Another Silversea characteristic is that the cost of your voyage (not inconsiderable, admittedly) includes your food and drink, so that caviar can be on your menu every day if you wish at no extra charge. What is extra is the Viking Cooking School operating aboard Silversea ships, with state-of-the-art Viking Cooking Theatres, but great if you want to learn some new culinary skills.

As well at the large main restaurant, which operates free and flexible seating, Silver Whisper also has La Terrazza, an intimate ltalian eaterie, serving an interesting menu that changes every couple of nights. When, on our first night on board, we remarked how much we liked the white and red wines that had been recommended by the sommelier, we returned to our suite to find a bottle of each with his compliments – a nice touch.

During our Mediterranean voyage, from the South of France down the west coast of Italy, taking in Sicily and ending in Malta, we greatly enjoyed the personal service, which was discreet enough not to be overwhelming. We were thankful for their expert advice on how best to spend our shore days and interesting organised tours are readily available, but we preferred to go off on our own exploring places like Villefranche, Sorrento and Catania.

While many traditional cruising elements are present on Silver Whisper, such as nightly shows, a casino and many daily activities, you don’t feel compelled to participate if all you want is to dine a deux and have a quiet nightcap in the bar.

The excellent Mandara Spa – voted the world’s best at sea - offers a further degree of luxurious relaxation and treatment list by Elemis. Less healthy luxuries include a Humidor by Davidoff.

Silver Whisper is one of Silverseas larger ships, but at maximum capacity, there will still only ever be another 382 fellow passengers on board. And the staff still manage to remember your name. The next arrival for Silversea is Silver Spirit - with 540 guests, it might be more difficult to keep this up. But standards will be no doubt as high. Debuting in December, the new flagship will have six dining venues, an 8,300-square-foot spa, a resort-style pool, four whirlpools, and the largest suites in the fleet — 95% with private verandas.

By Nick Perry