Following the successful launch of the Silver Nova, I was eager to experience the new Silver Ray for myself. As it was the end of the peak summer season and the hot weather in Europe cooling down, I booked an eleven-night voyage from Athens to Athens taking in the Greek Islands, coast of Turkey and down to Cyprus. I carefully selected a veranda suite but was hopeful of an upgrade option near the sailing date (more on that later).
We flew out to Athens the day before the cruise to spend a night in Athens, which was very fortunate as my luggage didn’t get loaded onto the flight! It did arrive the next but I did have nightmares of getting on the cruise ship without any luggage! The check-in at the Port of Athens was very smooth and stress-free (unlike my previous experiences at the new cruise terminal in Venice).
As we board the ship the first thing that you notice is the wide corridors and the massive expanse of space for guests to relax in, there is no shortage of seating and sunbathing areas for the 700 guests (at maximum capacity).
The accommodation is an all-suite ship, with a variety of suites from the lead-in veranda, which comes with a bedroom, full bathroom, walk-in wardrobe, seating area and a large veranda. The only difference between the deluxe and superior veranda suites is the location on the ship.
Upgrading to the Medallion suites gives you a separate lounge and upgrading again to the Junior Silver suite gives you an additional dining area. At the most luxurious end, the Otium Suite is the ultimate in luxury giving a 360-degree view from the wrap-around balcony, separate bedroom, bathroom with jacuzzi bath, lounge, dining room and a separate guest cloakroom.
However the service is exemplary at all levels, each suite comes with a butler who tends to your every need (I’m taking my butler home with me, he’s just what I need to sort out my hectic lifestyle!). Daily laundry is included so you go home with a full case of clean clothes which is a major plus!
The dining options on board are different, the traditional large formal dining room with a couple of speciality options has been replaced with six inclusive restaurants. These are all pre-bookable and included in the price and offer a range from Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean, a la carte, and buffet, so something to suit every taste.
My only comment would be that the formal black evenings tend to be less relevant and I would suggest not taking the ‘evening dresses’ with you.
Excursions are now included in the price and I would highly recommend them. They offer a range of options taking it all the historical and cultural highlights of the destination you are visiting.
They are all clearly graded with the activity level which means that people with mobility issues are able to participate in the major of the tours on offer. The guides are all local and extremely knowledgeable.
In addition to the tours, there is a huge variety of activities on board the ship, not just sunbathing and swimming but card and board games, quizzes, destination lectures, a gymnasium, yoga, pilates, spa, sauna, and in the evening the equivalent of West End style shows with guest appearances who board the ship at selected ports.
So what makes the Silver Ray (and her sister ship the Nova) so special? It’s not just the pioneering, asymmetrical design and extraordinary use of glass in public areas and in-suite for uninterrupted views wherever you are on the ship. Silver Ray is one of the most spacious ships ever built, offering an exceptionally high space-to-guest ratio yet remaining nimble enough to provide purity in movement, as her name suggests.
She is truly a Ray of Light in the future of luxury cruising.
