Silversea has launched this summer the second ship of the asymmetrical Nova class and as announced, the Silver Ray is identical to the Silver Nova.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 70 – September 2024
Last year, the company set a new standard in luxury ship design with the Silver Nova. The Nova class is highly innovative, with public spaces oriented towards the sea and the destinations it visits, unlike any other ship previously designed. The pool deck, with its layout that places the pool on one side and the bar on the opposite side, is truly remarkable. The overall new asymmetrical design is so different that in many ways it doesn't resemble a cruise ship at all.
Silver Ray embodies Silversea Cruises' commitment to fine dining, service, and a butler in every suite (all cabins are suites). The Silver Ray's design aesthetic is understated luxury. In most public areas and suites, the decor is elegant and sumptuous without striving for striking avant-garde style, with a few exceptions.
The asymmetrical design is so different, that in many ways it doesn't look like a cruise ship.
As we highlighted in the Silver Nova launch, the company opted for a radical change, abandoning its classic pool deck and symmetrical architecture in favor of a design that embraces light-filled spaces by placing certain elements and the panoramic elevators along the sides of the ship instead of in the center, including the pool deck, which is situated right next to the sea. A revolutionary design.
The Silver Ray, with a capacity for 728 passengers and a gross tonnage of 54,700, is small by today's ship standards but large for a luxury cruise ship. It features 10 restaurants and eight bars and lounges, a demonstration kitchen and cooking classes, a spa and gym, and two levels of pool deck.
This luxury cruise ship has an exceptionally high space-to-passenger ratio. Silver Ray is approximately 34% larger than Silversea's previous class of ships (Silver Muse, Silver Moon, and Silver Dawn), but it only accommodates 22% more passengers.
Even the smallest suites are large, with huge bathrooms, walk-in closets, full living rooms, and plenty of space.
With 544 crew members, the ship also boasts a crew-to-passenger ratio of 1:1.3, resulting in a high level of onboard service. Crew members make an effort to learn our names and preferences, and each suite is attended to by a formal butler, complete with morning coat.
But what truly sets this ship, and its sister ship Silver Nova, apart from other luxury vessels is what the company has termed its asymmetrical design. This means that many key elements of the ship are offset from the center. For example, instead of placing standard elevators in the middle of the ship with walkways to the left and right, Silver Ray has two sets of all-glass elevators facing the exterior of the ship. The pool isn't in the middle of the deck but located on the starboard side; the infinity-style hot tub, one deck up, is on the port side. The ship's funnel is also off-center, as it would be on most other ships. All the sun loungers face the sides of the ship rather than a central pool.
Combining these elements with the extensive use of large glass windows results in a multitude of spaces with sea views. When you're by the pool, you're looking out at the sea or the harbor where you're docked. When you're in the elevator, you're looking out at the world beyond your ship.
These design changes stem from Silversea's commitment to providing an immersive destination experience for its passengers. Silver Ray encourages its guests to explore the world beyond the ship. The aim is to achieve this through food as well, via the Sea And Land Taste SALT program, which includes hands-on cooking classes at SALT Lab, locally inspired meals and handcrafted cocktails at SALT Kitchen and SALT Bar, and shore excursions that introduce participants not only to local flavors but also to the people who produce them.
The ship was also built to be more energy efficient, with a hull designed to reduce fuel consumption by 15%. It's a hybrid vessel that uses liquefied natural gas but also has integrated batteries. Most single-use plastics have been eliminated on board, so there are no disposable water bottles, but you will find reusable ones in your suite, as well as bottle refill stations throughout the ship.
Silversea executives hope that the Silver Ray's modern style will attract younger guests without forgetting the company's classic clientele.
suites
and, as is customary, feature elegant, impeccably finished yet understated furnishings. Egyptian cotton sheets, marble, soft lighting, and neutral colors create a clean, elegant, and modern look. The bathrooms are spacious and clad in marble.
Of course, all suites include butler service and all the amenities Silversea is famous for. What's notably new with the Nova class 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 starboard aft corners of decks 6 and 7, the Otium Suites also boast expansive wraparound outdoor decks with private Jacuzzis.
The largest suites are located at the rear of the ship, as are the six Master Suites, a new category situated in the corners of the aft section of decks 6, 7, 8, and 9, thus offering views similar to those found in the Otium Suites. Rounding out the ship's largest suites are two Owner Suites, ideally located in the middle of 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 Ray measure at least 33 square meters, which is unusually large.
Restaurants
With the debut of the Silver Ray, Silversea has updated the menus of its most iconic restaurants, La Dame (French) and La Terrazza (Italian), to include more modern dishes, although they maintain some of their traditional hits.
The Silver Ray's two complimentary main dining rooms are located side-by-side on Deck 3. Atlantide is the more traditional restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, while SALT Kitchen offers regionally inspired menus for dinner only. These are the places you'll want to go for that classic three-course meal on a cruise.
At the stern, on deck 4, is La Terrazza, probably the most popular restaurant. It serves as the ship's buffet for breakfast and lunch, with both indoor and outdoor seating. In the evening, La Terrazza transforms into an Italian restaurant with an interesting menu.
Opposite La Terrazza is Kaiseki, the Silver Ray's Japanese restaurant. At lunchtime, you can enjoy sushi and sashimi, as well as beef bao buns and two types of ramen. In the evening, they offer a six-course Omakase menu or an à la carte dinner.
Silversea's classic French restaurant, La Dame, updated its menu in time for Silver Ray's debut. Highlights include traditional French dishes prepared with special and delicate ingredients such as foie gras terrine, truffles, caviar, lobster, and more.
Silver Note on Deck 5 continues to be delightfully surprising. The intimate dining club is one of the few restaurants on board that features a bar, as it's half dining, half entertainment. A pianist and a jazz singer provide the soundtrack to a dinner of Mediterranean dishes. The dishes are presented with innovative style and presentation, appealing to even the most adventurous palates.
The Silver Ray, of course, features the Marquee restaurant, also found at the Nova. It's the perfect spot when the weather is warm and sunny. The open-air restaurant is located on the pool terrace, Deck 10, and is beautiful, with flowering trees sprouting from the seating areas and a semi-covered trellis roof. Ocean views abound.
Marquee changes the personality of its menu depending on the time of day. In the morning, it serves lighter breakfast dishes; at lunchtime, you can choose between two menus: Spaccanapoli, which serves Neapolitan-style pizza; or the Grill menu. In the evening, Marquee transforms again to serve its "hot stones.".
Another new feature on Silver Ray is an extension of SALT, a gastronomic experience with Chef's Table, which takes place in the SALT Lab on deck 10. The cooking stations are transformed into 18 place settings for an 11-course tasting menu, with cocktail and wine pairings, again celebrating the cruise region in which it sails.
A chef presents the dishes and explains the featured ingredients and their relevance to the culinary culture of the cruise region. Chef's Table is an excellent option for meeting other food enthusiasts.
Bares
Arts Cafe is the centrally located cafe on the ship, situated along a main walkway next to the reception and excursion desks. It's an excellent spot for a quick bite. You'll find not only coffee and tea drinks, but also herbal infusions, smoothies, parfaits, and healthy pastries for breakfast, as well as small sandwiches, scones, and desserts in the afternoon. A small shopping area is also located in this section.
Located directly above the Arts Cafe on Deck 5, Dolce Vita is a popular spot for pre- or after-dinner drinks and features a classic cocktail menu.
On deck 5 is the Panorama Lounge, with indoor and outdoor seating. It's open from afternoon until late at night and there's always something going on, whether it's bingo at midday, music during cocktail hour, or a DJ in the evening.
The Connoisseur's Corner cigar lounge is next door, with an outdoor cigar smoking area.
The Silver Note restaurant, also on Deck 5, has a small bar where guests not dining there can enjoy a drink and live music. The cocktail menu here leans towards a 1920s Prohibition-era vibe.
This luxury cruise ship has an especially high space-to-passenger ratio.
Drinks flow freely on Deck 10, which boasts four bars. The poolside bar offers all the refreshing beverages for sunny days, such as piña coladas, but the Dusk Bar is a lovely spot to enjoy a sunset or a snack while taking in beautiful sunrise views.
The Observation Lounge loses some of its grandeur on a ship with such a vast ocean view, but it serves a dual purpose with a collection of games and a self-service coffee and tea bar. It's a lovely place to spend afternoons at sea when the weather is cool or rainy.
SALT Bar specializes in handcrafted cocktails inspired by the ports of call on your itinerary, meaning the drinks menu here may change several times during the cruise. It's a stylish bar and larger than those found on Muse-class ships.
Other spaces:
The Otium Spa on forward Deck 5 maintains the ship's ocean views with floor-to-ceiling windows in the two-room gym, lounge, and thermal areas. The Otium experiences are pure indulgence. Both the men's and women's changing rooms feature steam rooms and saunas, and there is also a small pool. Both the pool and sauna also have windows.
The gym is impressive for a small ship, with plenty of treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bikes. There's also a collection of free weights and resistance machines, and a fitness room with both in-person and digital options on a large-screen TV.
The theater is still called the Venetian Lounge and offers shows every night. It's easy to miss a small casino across from the shops on Deck 5 with slot machines.
The beautiful library on deck 10, hidden in the Observation lounge, is a wood-paneled room with comfortable seating and an illuminated ceiling that resembles a starry sky.
On Deck 4, outside Kaiseki, there is an art photography gallery by renowned photographer Steve McCurry, associated with Silversea.
Silversea has not announced any further construction at this time. We eagerly anticipate the evolution of Royal Caribbean Group's luxury brand.
After the autumn/winter season in South America, it will return to the Mediterranean in 2025.
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and the Mediterranean until the end of November, when it will move to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There, it will spend the fall cruising to Cartagena, Colombia, and Lima (Callao, Peru). In winter, it will circumnavigate South America on a 71-night voyage that begins on January 20 and ends on April 1, but is also available for booking in segments.
As soon as that trip is over, he will head to Europe to spend the spring and summer taking cruises in the Mediterranean.
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