Silver Moon officially became the newest ship to join the Silversea Cruises fleet. The ship was christened in an onboard ceremony while docked in Piraeus.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 58 – September 2021
The official ceremony was attended by distinguished guests, including Richard D. Fain, Chairman of the Royal Caribbean Group; Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO of Silversea Cruises; and Harry Theoharis, Minister of Tourism of Greece, among others. The Silver Moon thus began its inaugural season from Athens.
Still smelling of gunpowder from the fireworks at the inauguration ceremony, the newest ship in Silversea's luxury fleet set sail from Piraeus to embark on a 10-night voyage through the Greek islands and Cyprus.
The Silver Moon was originally scheduled to make its debut in 2020, so the christening was a unique ceremony with much to celebrate.
With a capacity of only 596 passengers, the Silver Moon offers elegant and comfortable spaces, a wide variety of incredible culinary options, and the full implementation of the SALT (Sea And Land Taste) program. The SALT concept provides guests with an immersive culinary and cultural experience that goes beyond simply enjoying excellent food. The program adds stories of the people who grow the ingredients and those who create incredible local dishes.
This ship, a sister ship to the Silver Muse where we had the opportunity to attend the pilot presentation of the program in Asia, hosts the SALT program with custom-designed spaces, such as SALT Kitchen, a restaurant that offers dishes from the region where the ship sails, the SALT Lab, a tasting kitchen where passengers have the opportunity to create traditional dishes, and the SALT Bar, the ship's special cocktail bar, with a size designed to be intimate and whose cocktails are out of this world.
The SALT concept is the personal project of Barbara Muckerman, Chief Commercial Officer of Silversea, and its development is being led by culinary expert and journalist Adam Sachs, former editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine. SALT is not intended to be elegant or glamorous, but rather authentic and simple, allowing guests to see, learn, taste, create, and savor the local cuisine and beverages of the specific destinations the ship visits.
Guest reaction has been very positive, so Silversea will continue to invest in the concept and the next ship in the fleet, the Silver Dawn, will also incorporate SALT.
The
Silver Moon is the ninth ship in a fleet of 10, following its sister ship Silver Muse and preceding the Silver Dawn, whose launch, originally scheduled for November, has been postponed. All three vessels were built by the leading Italian shipbuilders Fincantieri. Subtle improvements to the Silver Muse's design include repositioning the Dolce Vita bar to the center of the salon, making it more inviting and, arguably, more functional and cosmopolitan.
The Silver Moon has 298 suites, 96% of which have balconies. Silversea guests are guaranteed one of the highest space-per-person ratios at sea, and it shows. With seven suite categories ranging from 30 square meters for the Panorama and Vista suites to 98 square meters for the Owner's suites.
You can't resist having the butler pack and unpack your luggage or prepare a proper breakfast or dinner in your cabin.
Everything is decorated in neutral beige tones, and all suites offer pillow menus, walk-in closets, and marble bathrooms with separate bathtubs and showers. The amenities are by Bulgari, and butlers are available 24 hours a day. You won't be able to resist having your luggage packed and unpacked or a bubble bath prepared for you. But they'll also book excursions and spa appointments, stock the minibar according to your preferences, and provide in-room meals with tablecloth service—no trays here.
With only 596 passengers and 411 crew members, service is key throughout the ship.
Food
lovers will be in for a treat on this ship. From room service, which offers an impressive selection of casual and fine dining options from the ship's numerous outlets, to the 15 restaurants and bars in total, including SALT Lab, SALT Kitchen, and SALT Bar.
From the 220-seat Atlantide, where caviar is served with all the trimmings, to its excellent steak that rivals that of The Grill on the outdoor pool terrace, to the intimate Silver Note, which serves its steaks with live jazz and elegant cocktails, another interesting option is the more intimate Silver Note.
Furthermore, you're never more than a few steps away from a well-crafted aperitif and tempting menus at the Panorama Lounge, Dolce Vita, Arts Café, the Connoisseur's Corner smoking bar, and the Observation Lounge. The latter houses an impressive library, ideal for those seeking solitude with a good book.
The SALT program offers immersive gastronomic experiences both on land and on board.
For casual moments of coffee, pastries, or gourmet sandwiches, there's Arts Café, or traditional pizzas from Spaccanapoli's oven. Luxury isn't always sophisticated, even when caviar is on the menu. La Dame and the small Kaiseki, a minimalist haven inspired by Japanese restaurants, are delightful. There's only one buffet restaurant, La Terrazza, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Protocols:
Although everyone on board is fully vaccinated, the use of face masks is mandatory in all indoor public spaces on the ship. Before boarding, you must show proof of vaccination, and you will be given a rapid antigen test at the port. Typically, you will be given another antigen test mid-trip as a precaution. Stewards conduct daily temperature checks on each passenger, and hand sanitizer is readily available throughout the ship.
Destinations and SALT
Silversea's SALT concept continues on land, where passengers can visit a farm or restaurant and meet the owners and hear how they started their businesses and what food means to them and their families.
In Heraklion, SALT offers the excursion “Heart and Soul of Greek Cuisine: A Cretan Culinary Adventure at an Exceptional Organic Farm.” In a remote hillside setting overlooking the mountains, the private organic farm Peskesi welcomes Silver Moon guests to experience the delights of Cretan cuisine on a full-day SALT experience.
Guests walk with the owners around the farm, learn about sustainable farming practices, pick and taste some of the heirloom varieties of produce grown in the local fields, sample the local olive oil and wine, and gather around a wood-burning hearth to learn how to cook staples of the Cretan diet. Lamb antikristo (cooked for many hours in front of the flames) and stuffed zucchini blossoms and vine leaves are just some of the delicacies prepared in this kitchen.
This is just one of the many experiences that Silversea SALT offers and will continue to develop in the future to offer a different product within the ultra-luxury segment in which the cruise line is situated, and as we will read below, this is not the only project that Silversea presented in this very different summer of 2021.
