Silversea Cruises has set a new standard in luxury ship design. It's a new and highly innovative vessel in the luxury segment, with public spaces so oriented towards the sea and the destinations it visits, unlike any other ship designed before.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 66 – September 2023
The pool deck, positioned to one side with the bar on the opposite side, is a sight to behold. The overall asymmetrical design is so different that in many ways it doesn't resemble a cruise ship.
For some years now, Silversea has introduced a series of concepts that differentiate the company from other luxury cruise lines, from its innovative SALT, a new approach to gastronomy and tourism, to its superb Otivm spa and wellness program. With the Silver Nova, a 54,700-ton ship with a capacity for 728 passengers, the company takes another step forward, especially in design and spectacle.
Asymmetry.
On most cruise ships, the pool is right in the middle, with sun loungers lined up in rows in front of it and on all sides, facing inwards, not out to sea. On the Silver Nova, this orientation is reversed. The main pool, long and narrow, isn't in the middle, but rather offset to the starboard side and facing outwards, so almost all the sun loungers around the pool also face in the same direction—towards the sea. It's an asymmetrical design that changes everything.
Silver Nova breaks the pre-established rules of cruise ship design with an asymmetrical layout that places the main pool and fireplace off-center.
Part of what makes this new orientation so special is that there's no structure rising from that starboard side, giving you an unobstructed view of the sea. This is very unusual. On almost all cruise ships, elevated walkways line both sides of the pool area, forming a deck above the pool that's typically for strolling.
On smaller ships, which are naturally narrower than larger ones, these walkways can give the impression that the main pool is recessed between the side structures, and you rarely see the sea between them. By leaving one side of the Silver Nova's pool deck free of structures, the ship's designers have created an open space facing the ocean, something that has never been done before.
Those familiar with naval architecture and shipbuilding will know that this new design is a true marvel of engineering. Due to the enormous weight of water compared to other elements of a ship, the placement of swimming pools must be done with great care. This is why ship pools are typically centered on a deck and are relatively small compared to resort pools. To make this asymmetrical pool deck work, with its off-center pool and lack of upper deck structure on one side, the designers had to rethink other elements to ensure the ship was balanced. This included placing the ship's funnel off-center, another of the Silver Nova's striking features. It's offset toward the port side of the ship, partly to compensate for the pool being offset to the starboard side.
The pool deck is also spacious for the size of the ship, with 280 sun loungers spread around it on decks 10 and 11. The pool itself is larger than any other on a Silversea ship.
A surprising new oceanfront restaurant.
The Silver Nova's main pool area isn't the only spot on the upper deck where an asymmetrical design has resulted in a surprisingly open space overlooking the sea. Just steps away, near the aft end of the same deck, is The Marquee, a new open-air dining space facing the ship's port side, offering stunning views of the ocean—or whatever destination the ship visits. This mostly shaded but open space is a casual daytime option, combining the menus of the upscale The Grill restaurant and the Spaccanapoli pizzeria.
It uses Liquefied Natural Gas as fuel and is designed to reduce emissions to zero in port thanks to fuel cells and batteries along with the electrical connection to shore.
At night, it creates a more elevated atmosphere and features Silversea's signature "hot stone" dining concept, where passengers cook their own meats on hot stones. There are also more outdoor tables by the glass railings along the port side of the ship. It's a spectacular viewpoint.
There's no roof over it, just a partially open slatted ceiling. It's sufficient coverage to keep the restaurant shaded and cool during lunchtime.
Behind The Marquee, at the stern of the ship, is The Dusk Bar, an off-center open-air bar offering 270-degree views over the ship's port corner. It's another asymmetrical space designed to bring passengers closer to the sea.
Silver Nova's unusual openness to the sea extends to its interior public spaces, which are filled with lounges, restaurants, and bars featuring expansive windows that offer a connection to the outside. At the heart of these spaces is a three-deck-high atrium-like area, offset to the starboard side of the ship. A gigantic, multi-story window bathes the center of the ship's public decks in natural light.
At the base of this space, on Deck 3, is a champagne bar called The Shelter. One deck up, on Deck 4, passengers will find the Arts Cafe, Silver Nova's European-style café and lounge. Finally, on Deck 5, is Dolce Vita, Silversea's exclusive bar and lounge, which is the central gathering place for passengers to enjoy pre- and post-dinner cocktails.
Among other places along these public decks is the Panorama Lounge, another favorite gathering spot for passengers at the rear of Deck 5, clad in glass and offering views from the sides and rear of the ship.
The openness to the sea of these public decks and the suite decks of the Silver Nova is enhanced by the bold placement of the ship's elevators in glass towers along the sides of the vessel rather than in the center. These towers, one on the port side towards the front and the other on the starboard side towards the rear, flood the ship's interior with even more natural light. These exterior elevators may seem insignificant, but their effect is extraordinary thanks to their glass back walls.
The Silver Nova's asymmetrical design isn't the only reason the ship feels more open than many other luxury vessels. This openness is also a result of the shift to a "horizontal" deck layout, something Silversea had never done before on its ships. By horizontal layout, we mean decks entirely dedicated to public areas or cabins, a common feature on larger ships, but not on smaller luxury vessels.
Barbara Muckermann, its president, has a very clear idea of the path she wants to take with her brand, and with this spectacular Silver Nova, she has made a decisive move.
Many luxury cruise ships have a vertical design, with cabins located at the front of each deck and public areas at the rear. This is the case for almost all Silversea ships except the Silver Origin, as well as all luxury cruise ships from other companies.
The vertical layout of ship cabins is a design style that structurally makes it difficult to offer spaces with high ceilings. By adopting a horizontal design, Silversea has incorporated more such spaces on the public interior decks, such as the atrium amidships and the Venetian Lounge.
The Venetian Lounges on other Silversea ships are usually only one deck high, but this lounge, built for theater and music shows, movies, conferences and seminars, is two stories high and has a great sense of spaciousness and natural light thanks to large windows along one side.
Another spectacular interior space on the Silver Nova is the SALT Lab, a kitchen and show cooking area on the top of the ship used for cooking classes and an elaborate “Chef's Table” experience as a new addition.
With a double-height ceiling and a glass wall overlooking the sea, the SALT Lab may well be one of the most spectacular kitchen spaces ever seen on a ship. It features a magnificent horseshoe-shaped counter with a marble countertop that wraps around a large cooking station where Silver Nova's chefs teach classes during the day. At night, it transforms into the venue for the new SALT Chef's Table experience, a nearly four-hour, 11-course culinary marathon where the chefs prepare the food right in front of the guests. SALT is Silversea's "Sea and Land Taste" program, launched in partnership with Adam Sachs, and Silver Nova is the third ship in the fleet to incorporate it, joining Silver Moon and Silver Dawn.
cabins
on the Silver Nova are suites, as is customary, with elegant, impeccably finished, yet understated furnishings. Egyptian cotton sheets, marble, soft lighting, and neutral colors create a clean, elegant, and modern feel. The bathrooms are spacious and clad in marble. Naturally, all suites include butler service and all the amenities for which Silversea is renowned.
What's notably new with Silver Nova is that the ship has more suite categories and a wider distribution throughout the vessel. Thanks to this horizontal design concept, they're no longer all clustered at the front.
The Otium Suites, inspired by the company's renowned wellness program, are located aft. These two suites, each over 120 square meters, feature living areas, separate bedrooms, spacious dressing rooms, and a spectacular bathroom with a whirlpool tub and floor-to-ceiling windows. Situated on the aft starboard corners of decks 6 and 7, the Otium Suites also boast expansive wraparound outdoor terraces with private Jacuzzis.
The Silver Nova features, for the first time in the company's history, a horizontal design, with entire decks dedicated to public lounges or suites.
The largest suites are located at the rear of the ship, including the six Master Suites, a new category situated in the corners of the aft section of decks 6, 7, 8, and 9, offering views similar to those found in the Otium Suites. Rounding out the ship's largest suites are two Owner Suites, ideally located midway through the ship, where any movement is less noticeable.
There are also suites at the front, the two large “Grand suites” which measure about 85 square meters and offer spectacular views to the front.
Even the smallest suites on the Silver Nova measure at least 33 square meters, which is unusually large.
The ship will sail along the European coasts until November, when it will make the "crossing" to New York to begin the season in North and South America.
The Silver Nova, despite incorporating so many new features, has Silversea's DNA, and you can perceive all the brand's distinctive characteristics, but with a very specific focus on detail. Silversea has demonstrated its ability to innovate and its willingness to invest in its ships.
Barbara Muckermann, its president, has a very clear idea of the path she wants to take with her brand, and with this spectacular Silver Nova, she has made a decisive move.
Sustainability and Zero Emissions in Port:
With its hybrid power sources, Silver Nova is expected to achieve zero-emission local operations in port—a first in the cruise industry—through the use of fuel cells and batteries. Silver Nova uses Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as its primary fuel. This new hybrid technology not only benefits port operations but will also allow Silver Nova to achieve an overall 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per suite compared to the previous class of ships.
The sustainability features of the Silver Nova and all future Nova-class ships include an automated micro-gasification system, which reduces the volume of waste on board, resulting in lower incineration emissions.
With a double-height ceiling and a glass wall overlooking the sea, the SALT Lab may be one of the most spectacular kitchen spaces ever seen on a ship.
The Silver Nova was designed to achieve an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) approximately 25% better than applicable International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements. The Electrical Shore Power (OPS) system will allow the ship to shut down its main generators in selected ports and connect to shore power, thereby reducing emissions to zero. Overall, the ship's innovative hydrodynamic design and cutting-edge optimization technology help to minimize its environmental impact.
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