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Luxury & refinement abound aboard Silversea’s Silver Wind.
Since the earliest days of sailing, there has been something mystical about traveling by sea. Fourteen years ago, Italy’s Lefebvre family launched a small cruise ship. Today, the Silversea fleet of four -Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Whisper and Silver Shadow - sail seven continents, in 80 countries, to over 300 destinations. A fifth ship, Silver Spirit, is set to launch in 2009.
Of the prestigious segment of the small ships industry, travel agents say Silversea represents the “height of ultra luxury (96 percent guest satisfaction), a perennial favorite of travel publications.” Other accolades include: Condé Nast: “World’s Best,” Robb Report: “No other ship offers such caring personnel,” Travel + Leisure: “Top Small Ship Cruise Line,” Luxury Brand Status Index: “Number-One Luxury Cruise Line.”
No wonder. The intimate ships sail to exotic destinations and offer lavish comforts, award-winning world cuisine, wine and spirits, open-dining, cooking classes, and all-suite, ocean-view accommodations, most with verandas. Some offer butlers, 24-hour room service, culture and history seminars by distinguished lecturers; as well as a wealth of entertainment options, wellness programs, exclusive excursions, and what Silver Wind Master Marco Sangiacomo, prefers to call “an unregiment-ed atmosphere for a truly carefree experience.”
From the moment seafarers board Silver Wind at Copenhagen’s Langelinie Pier, one senses the ship’s spaciousness and the staffs graciousness. The crew of 210, from 24 countries, provides uncompromising commitment to service as personal as it is efficient, ensuring an air of gracious hospitality.
Settling into a suite brings bliss. The casually elegant sea retreat, laden with Pommery Champagne chilling in a silver bucket, offers a stocked refrigerator, fresh fruit and flowers upon arrival. Pop the cork, and then explore.
The Panorama Lounge offers continental breakfast, afternoon tea and midnight buffets. Adjacent to The Champagne Bar for caviar, smokers find The Humidor. The ship also features a fitness center, jogging track, swanky spa, a Parisian Show Lounge, a casino, boutiques, a library and, of course, myriad fabulous dining experiences.
As the ship floats during the sail-away party, waiters serve champagne and canapés and passengers linger to view Denmark’s fading silhouette.
Guests dine on delectable dishes – such as Chateaubriand, Norwegian salmon, French foie gras, Maine lobster, Italian pesto pasta, in three incredible and varied dining rooms – and also enjoy lavish robes and slippers, silken Frette linens, favorite style pillows, monogrammed stationery, an Italian marble bath with Bulgari toiletries, and Godiva chocolates with a copy of The Chronicles highlighting the next day’s events.
While sailing the Baltic Sea to the first port of call, Helsinki, Finland, early risers roam decks, sight gulls, and rarely see other guests. Harper’s Hideaway Report, said Silversea’s “space ratio (arrived at by dividing the number of passengers into the tonnage) offers a sense of space responsible for an atmosphere of luxury and refinement.”
In St. Petersburg, passengers enjoy three VIP days in a city with 500 bridges and 500 palaces. “There is something moving,” Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote about St. Petersburg.
Peter the Great summoned this hauntingly beautiful city from the swamp three centuries ago. Baroque, royal residences line the banks of the Neva River. In summer, when the sun barely sets, reflections of pastel palaces and golden-domed Orthodox churches shimmer on the canals. So magnificent. So mysterious.
St. Petersburg excursions include: Peterhof Palace, Evening Ballet, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg’s Cathedrals, and Imperial Residences: Catherine’s Palace; Pavlovsk Palace.
In Tallinn, Estonia, passengers visit medieval Old Town. After five dazzling days, guests relish the graceful transit through the Kiel Canal connecting the Baltic and North Seas. At 2 a.m. on day 10, Silver Wind docks at London’s Tower Bridge.
“Clients love Silversea,” said Kimberly Wilson Wetty, co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel of Hilton Head Island.
Bring your tux and taffetas. Silversea passengers dress-up for formal nights. Silversea’s all-inclusive rates cover: airfare, transfers, port charges, pre-cruise hotel, gratuities, and beverages including alcohol.
For more details, contact Ms. Gina Finocchiaro at (954) 522-4477, or visit Silversea.com.
