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Silversea’s Millennium Class luxury cruise ships Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper offer you freedom and space to design your day. Silver Shadow retains Silversea’s essence – spacious suites and superior service – paired with a lively cosmopolitan atmosphere and enhanced amenities. Energise body and mind in the upgraded spa and fitness centre. Savour fine wines and French gastronomy in La Dame and enjoy authentic Italian cuisine in La Terrazza, endless ocean views from The Grill and internationally-inspired The Restaurant. From delectable dining to relaxation in ultra-luxury, cruising has never felt so good.
This was our 20th cruise, the other most recent on Seabourne and Windstar. We did extensive research prior to choosing this cruise and with a couple of exceptions most cruise lines had many negative recent reviews. They typically cited service cutbacks, staffing shortages and inexperienced staff, as the cruise lines continue to recover from the impact of Covid. I am pleased to report that our cruise was excellent. The cruise staff could not have been more pleasant or helpful. Our butler was over the top in looking for every possible opportunity to enhance our cruise. We had nothing but smiling faces delivering exceptional service. You could tell that this was a happy ship with all of the staff taking great pride in being a part of the Silver Shadow team. As many have noted, it is an older ship but it is a lovely ship in impeccable condition. We were very pleased with our veranda suite which was tastefully decorated and spacious and had a walk in closet as well as a bath. The entertainment was excellent, especially considering that this is a small ship. The entertainers had been working together for six months and the shows were very well rehearsed. The dancers were exceptional and we also enjoyed the guest entertainers. We found the included excursions good but opted for two paid beach and snorkelling excursions, which should perhaps be added to the included excursions considering we were in the Caribbean. The one area for improvement could be the dining. The breakfasts and lunches were good but we found the dinners a little hit and miss. The wine service was quite good with a reasonable selection. One night we paid for Le Dame and we thought it was well worth the premium. The food was not the same and the service was exceptional. Overall we loved our cruise on the Silver Shadow.
My Silversea voyage from San Pedro, California, to Papeete, Tahiti, was my first experience with a small-ship luxury cruise. While I’ve taken numerous adventure cruises—ranging from 12-passenger sailboats to ships carrying up to 130 passengers—those voyages focused on getting off the ship as often as possible for hiking, kayaking, and visiting remote cultural sites. The entertainment on such trips typically consists of lectures on local geology, flora, and fauna, and the atmosphere is casual, with passengers arriving at dinner in sweatpants and sweaters. So when I signed on for a Silversea journey to French Polynesia, I knew it would be a different experience from any voyage I had taken before. My Venetian Society friends had given me a good idea of what to expect: butler service, comfortable accommodations, enrichment lectures, high-quality entertainment, and excellent food. For dress-up nights, I packed formal and semi-formal attire, while my husband brought a dinner jacket and tie. I had a fantastic time on Silversea and want to offer a comparison to my previous adventure travels. Accommodations The accommodations on the Silver Shadow were exceptional. I initially booked a deluxe veranda suite but later discovered an auction where passengers could bid for upgrades. I placed a strong bid (green on the bid-o-meter) for the next category up and a lower-probability bid (yellow on the bid-o-meter) for an even higher category. Much to my surprise, we won the bid for a one-bedroom suite. Located in the bow of the ship on the deck just below the bridge, it featured a king-size bed, two bathrooms—ideal if we had brought a third person—a living room with a convertible sofa bed, a dining table for four, a large-screen TV, a Nespresso coffee station, and a fully stocked liquor bar. The outdoor veranda was twice the size of the standard suites, though part of it was covered by the ship’s steel structure. For me, this was ideal, as it provided shade and protection from the wind. The bedroom included a walk-in closet larger than a room I once lived in as an undergraduate. It also had a television, though neither my husband nor I ever turned on any of the TVs in the suite. Instead, I enjoyed using the Bose stereo system in the living room. Housekeeping was excellent, with a dedicated attendant keeping our suite spotless. We also had a butler, but his service was underwhelming. In past experiences, butlers have been proactive, anticipating preferences and adding thoughtful touches. This one, however, responded only to explicit requests and lacked initiative. For example, when I informed him that the provided snacks contained peanuts, which could cause my husband to go into anaphylactic shock, he simply placed them in a drawer without offering substitutes. Enrichment & Entertainment The enrichment lectures were a highlight. With more than 50 options over the course of the trip, I had to focus on specific themes. Site-specific lectures covered topics such as the geology of French Polynesia and the works of writers like Jack London and Herman Melville, while broader series explored subjects like marketing and artificial intelligence. The lecturers were outstanding. For those with creative inclinations, the art workshop series provided an enjoyable outlet. The boutique also hosted almost daily lectures on gems and pearls—an excellent way to learn about jewelry and how to evaluate quality pieces. As with most cruises, there were bridge tournaments, blackjack games, bingo, trivia, and more. The entertainment was fantastic, featuring solo acts such as an Italian tenor, a world-class magician, a flutist, a comedy guitarist, and a dance duo, alongside performances by the Silver Shadow’s singers and band. The dancers even offered daily dance lessons. Our cruise also had gentleman hosts available to dance with solo women, a thoughtful touch for those who enjoy ballroom dancing. Excursions Silversea provided a variety of excursions catering to all levels of mobility and adventure. Passengers were free to explore ports on their own, provided they returned to the ship before sail time. While I didn’t participate in every excursion, I found the variety and quality impressive and enjoyed each one I selected. Dining The food was my biggest disappointment. While I had plenty to eat—and gained a few pounds—the quality did not match that of the adventure cruises I’ve taken. Silversea offers several dining venues, but aside from La Dame, which requires a surcharge of at least $60 per person, the options were not significantly different from one another. At La Dame, one can order caviar or foie gras as an appetizer and enjoy other French specialties. While I’m not a foie gras fan, I did enjoy the caviar, which was excellent. Silversea excels at beef, with well-prepared steaks, and the lunchtime sushi was also outstanding. However, I found other offerings uninspired. Those who prioritize gourmet dining may find Silversea lacking in culinary adventure. Final Thoughts I enjoyed my Silversea experience so much that I am already planning another trip with them. The staff was excellent, the entertainment offerings impressive, the public spaces inviting, and the cabins supremely comfortable. After 21 days of having my room cleaned, laundry done, and meals prepared, I felt thoroughly spoiled. It’s easy to see why so many Silversea travelers book back-to-back voyages.
Sailing with the Silver Shadow was the most wonderful and amazing experience. With all the newer ships, I was reluctant, the Shadow was one of the original Silversea ships. I reached out to fellow Silversea passengers on our Facebook page. Everyone said it was their favorite ship. Now I know why! The Shadow is classy, beautiful and more intimate than I could have imagined. It was also totally updated. I love love the size of the ship with only 365 passengers on the 12/03/2024 sailing. The guest passengers were as a group, very friendly. It was easy talking to most people. The suites had been renovated. Our Silver Suite was a great choice. Perfect size, plenty of closet space, great closet and bathroom. Our butler was terrific and so was the guy who cleaned our suite twice a day. We had breakfast in our suite all 14 days. The food was excellent. Every evening the main restaurant’s ‘special selections’ menu was new and exciting! La Dame, their Michelin 5 star restaurant is awesome for a special evening. My husband loved La Terraza, the Italian restaurant. The crew on all Silversea ships are always the best crew ever. Loved our ports as well. I can’t find a single thing to complain about, lol. It was that good! We had the best two weeks. Already signed up for future cruises.
This was our 20th cruise, the other most recent on Seabourne and Windstar. We did extensive research prior to choosing this cruise and with a couple of exceptions most cruise lines had many negative recent reviews. They typically cited service cutbacks, staffing shortages and inexperienced staff, as the cruise lines continue to recover from the impact of Covid. I am pleased to report that our cruise was excellent. The cruise staff could not have been more pleasant or helpful. Our butler was over the top in looking for every possible opportunity to enhance our cruise. We had nothing but smiling faces delivering exceptional service. You could tell that this was a happy ship with all of the staff taking great pride in being a part of the Silver Shadow team. As many have noted, it is an older ship but it is a lovely ship in impeccable condition. We were very pleased with our veranda suite which was tastefully decorated and spacious and had a walk in closet as well as a bath. The entertainment was excellent, especially considering that this is a small ship. The entertainers had been working together for six months and the shows were very well rehearsed. The dancers were exceptional and we also enjoyed the guest entertainers. We found the included excursions good but opted for two paid beach and snorkelling excursions, which should perhaps be added to the included excursions considering we were in the Caribbean. The one area for improvement could be the dining. The breakfasts and lunches were good but we found the dinners a little hit and miss. The wine service was quite good with a reasonable selection. One night we paid for Le Dame and we thought it was well worth the premium. The food was not the same and the service was exceptional. Overall we loved our cruise on the Silver Shadow.
My Silversea voyage from San Pedro, California, to Papeete, Tahiti, was my first experience with a small-ship luxury cruise. While I’ve taken numerous adventure cruises—ranging from 12-passenger sailboats to ships carrying up to 130 passengers—those voyages focused on getting off the ship as often as possible for hiking, kayaking, and visiting remote cultural sites. The entertainment on such trips typically consists of lectures on local geology, flora, and fauna, and the atmosphere is casual, with passengers arriving at dinner in sweatpants and sweaters. So when I signed on for a Silversea journey to French Polynesia, I knew it would be a different experience from any voyage I had taken before. My Venetian Society friends had given me a good idea of what to expect: butler service, comfortable accommodations, enrichment lectures, high-quality entertainment, and excellent food. For dress-up nights, I packed formal and semi-formal attire, while my husband brought a dinner jacket and tie. I had a fantastic time on Silversea and want to offer a comparison to my previous adventure travels. Accommodations The accommodations on the Silver Shadow were exceptional. I initially booked a deluxe veranda suite but later discovered an auction where passengers could bid for upgrades. I placed a strong bid (green on the bid-o-meter) for the next category up and a lower-probability bid (yellow on the bid-o-meter) for an even higher category. Much to my surprise, we won the bid for a one-bedroom suite. Located in the bow of the ship on the deck just below the bridge, it featured a king-size bed, two bathrooms—ideal if we had brought a third person—a living room with a convertible sofa bed, a dining table for four, a large-screen TV, a Nespresso coffee station, and a fully stocked liquor bar. The outdoor veranda was twice the size of the standard suites, though part of it was covered by the ship’s steel structure. For me, this was ideal, as it provided shade and protection from the wind. The bedroom included a walk-in closet larger than a room I once lived in as an undergraduate. It also had a television, though neither my husband nor I ever turned on any of the TVs in the suite. Instead, I enjoyed using the Bose stereo system in the living room. Housekeeping was excellent, with a dedicated attendant keeping our suite spotless. We also had a butler, but his service was underwhelming. In past experiences, butlers have been proactive, anticipating preferences and adding thoughtful touches. This one, however, responded only to explicit requests and lacked initiative. For example, when I informed him that the provided snacks contained peanuts, which could cause my husband to go into anaphylactic shock, he simply placed them in a drawer without offering substitutes. Enrichment & Entertainment The enrichment lectures were a highlight. With more than 50 options over the course of the trip, I had to focus on specific themes. Site-specific lectures covered topics such as the geology of French Polynesia and the works of writers like Jack London and Herman Melville, while broader series explored subjects like marketing and artificial intelligence. The lecturers were outstanding. For those with creative inclinations, the art workshop series provided an enjoyable outlet. The boutique also hosted almost daily lectures on gems and pearls—an excellent way to learn about jewelry and how to evaluate quality pieces. As with most cruises, there were bridge tournaments, blackjack games, bingo, trivia, and more. The entertainment was fantastic, featuring solo acts such as an Italian tenor, a world-class magician, a flutist, a comedy guitarist, and a dance duo, alongside performances by the Silver Shadow’s singers and band. The dancers even offered daily dance lessons. Our cruise also had gentleman hosts available to dance with solo women, a thoughtful touch for those who enjoy ballroom dancing. Excursions Silversea provided a variety of excursions catering to all levels of mobility and adventure. Passengers were free to explore ports on their own, provided they returned to the ship before sail time. While I didn’t participate in every excursion, I found the variety and quality impressive and enjoyed each one I selected. Dining The food was my biggest disappointment. While I had plenty to eat—and gained a few pounds—the quality did not match that of the adventure cruises I’ve taken. Silversea offers several dining venues, but aside from La Dame, which requires a surcharge of at least $60 per person, the options were not significantly different from one another. At La Dame, one can order caviar or foie gras as an appetizer and enjoy other French specialties. While I’m not a foie gras fan, I did enjoy the caviar, which was excellent. Silversea excels at beef, with well-prepared steaks, and the lunchtime sushi was also outstanding. However, I found other offerings uninspired. Those who prioritize gourmet dining may find Silversea lacking in culinary adventure. Final Thoughts I enjoyed my Silversea experience so much that I am already planning another trip with them. The staff was excellent, the entertainment offerings impressive, the public spaces inviting, and the cabins supremely comfortable. After 21 days of having my room cleaned, laundry done, and meals prepared, I felt thoroughly spoiled. It’s easy to see why so many Silversea travelers book back-to-back voyages.
Silversea’s suites offer one of the highest space-per-guest ratios of any luxury cruise accommodations. All Silversea suites have ocean views, and most include a private teak veranda so that you can breathe in the fresh sea air simply by stepping outside your door. And regardless of the ship or suite category, all guests will be pampered with the personalised services of an attentive butler.
For a truly personal experience, customise your suite with an abundance of thoughtful options and luxurious amenities from Bulgari toiletries and personalised stationery to a bar with your favourite wines and spirits. Settle in with a complimentary movie or choose instead to simply watch the ocean swim by. You can even have dinner in-suite served course by course by your butler. Then, when it’s time to retire, curl up beneath Egyptian cotton linens and a fluffy duvet, with your choice of nine different pillow types. The ultimate in luxury cruise accommodations, Silversea’s suites are your home away from home.
With the importance of food in Italian culture, you would expect dining to be a high priority at Silversea. And it most assuredly is. No matter where you dine, you will find the great diversity and presentation of culinary selections on board your all inclusive cruise.
The main dining room aboard every Silversea luxury cruise ship, The Restaurant, is always open seating so you can arrive at your leisure and dine with the friends you invite to join your table. And with the worldly crowd of international guests who sail on Silversea ships, socialising is yet another great advantage of the Silversea experience.
Select voyages go the extra mile with enrichment programmes that will invigorate mind, body and soul, so from the tips of your taste buds to the depths of your soul, be prepared for a sensory rollercoaster of discovery while not only aboard but also ashore. Silversea's travel experience is a second to none and after 23 years in the business, travelling from pole to pole, Silversea has carefully sourced some of the world’s most renowned artists, experts and guest speakers who will travel on select voyages in order to offer culturally immersive experiences from a unique perspective. These carefully curated parties and performances have been designed to engage, enlighten and enrich your voyage, so that whatever your passion, you can indulge it on board.
The ocean views and soothing sound of the surf can be quite intoxicating at sea, so it’s not surprising that daydreaming on deck is one of the most popular pastimes. However, every Silversea all inclusive cruise also includes a considerable number of more active pursuits — some for the body, some for the mind … and some just for fun.
While on your luxury cruise, embark on a personal journey of wellness to complement your global adventures. Work out in the well-equipped Fitness Centre, take a class in circuit training or Pilates in the aerobics room, and let the sauna and steam rooms work their magic to soothe every muscle.
Silversea offers seminars ranging from aromatherapy and nutrition to how to burn fat. A holistic approach to wellness fully integrates exercise, fitness and spa therapies with health lectures and nutritious dining to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, even while away from home.
Please note: Although Silversea accepts guests over the age of six months, there are no special programmes for children on board, and Silversea does not provide for the care, entertainment and supervision of children.
