Sailing on Silver Ray

Our first cruise with Silversea was in 2017 and it is still a holiday we talk about often. So embarking on our second Silversea cruise in 2024 on the line’s newest ship, Silver Ray, Mr B and I were like kids on Christmas morning, giddy with utter joy and excitement.

Our embarkation was as smooth as you would expect. Our taxi arrived at Piraeus port, our cases were collected, we filled in a quick health declaration and were taken to the check-in desks where we were handed our cruise cards, and before we knew it we were onboard the beautiful Silver Ray.

Of course, we headed straight to the pool bar to enjoy our first glass of champagne!

We were soon heading to our cabin. We were staying in one of the superior veranda suites. There are many more luxurious suites onboard, but we adored our suite, it had everything we needed and more for our 11-night voyage.

Our queen-size bed gave us a very good night’s sleep each night. On arrival our fantastic butler (more on him later) offered us the pillow menu. We chose to keep the pillows that were on the bed, but he again checked with us the next day to ensure we had a good night’s sleep and were happy with our choice.

There was a vanity table and chair which I found wonderful for doing my make-up and hair. There was also a magnifying mirror on the vanity unit.

The walk-in wardrobe had plenty of space for our (many) clothes with lots of hangers provided along with a safe, robes and slippers, and for the colder weather sailings a large umbrella and cosy blanket.

The spacious bathroom had a large sink with double faucets. We loved all the drawer space with plenty of compartments which meant we could leave the top free of clutter and easily see all our toiletries in the drawers. The large walk-in rainforest shower was very spacious, double the size of ours at home!

The toiletries provided are by Silversea’s Otium brand, however, on arrival our butler did offer us an alternative of Bulgari or another non-scented brand. We really liked the Otium offering and I especially liked that the toiletries were full-sized. We were provided with shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, cotton wool pads, cotton buds, make-up remover wipes, shower cap and exfoliating loofah, all of which were constantly replenished.

The room had a living area which had a comfy sofa and table where we enjoyed our room service breakfast and many delicious treats!

Opposite the sofa was more storage space with plenty of drawers. This was also home to our mini-bar which our butler kept topped up with our requests of ginger ale, diet coke, champagne (of course) and chardonnay.

The large flat screen TV, as well as having a large selection of TV channels, films, and radio stations to enjoy, was interactive. We could check the restaurant menus, our booked excursions, our on-board account, messages and view the daily chronicle. This worked really well for us and we enjoyed having this all available on the TV. Additionally, we had a tablet in the room which we could use to access all the same features as the TV, as well as controlling our in-suite lighting and temperature.

All guests are provided with insulated water bottles as a way for Silversea to cut down on their plastic usage – we loved this step. Refillable water stations are dotted around the ship and when leaving the ship to visit a port there was always a smiling member of staff waiting at the water station on deck two to fill up the bottles for you!

The veranda is always a favourite space in our cabin for Mr B and I. Our spacious veranda had a table and two chairs, however, on our day of departure these were all being collected from the ship and replaced with larger chairs with individual foot stools.

Sometimes you know you are having a scenic docking or sailing on a sea day and other times, just by chance you step out on your balcony to spectacular views.

Now the absolute stand-out of our suite were two very special people, our room attendant Berto who kept our room absolutely spotless, and I mean it. Every day when we stepped back into our suite it was like the first day we got onboard. It was immaculate and it was always a pleasure bumping into his smiling face when we passed in the corridor. 

Our butler Dhanraj, well there are not enough adjectives to express how special he made our holiday. If there is anything you fancy simply ask your butler. Every day at 6pm Dhanraj brought caviar to our room and always set it up so wonderfully. Is there anything more ‘Silversea’ than having champagne and caviar served to you in your suite by your butler? It was always such a special part of the day for us.

But not just that, one day we asked if we could have some nuts to enjoy with a drink and from then on every day in our room we had an option of two (the truffle cashews are very moorish!).

He discovered my love of the daily turndown chocolates so left us double. He surprised us with an Otium shower experience where after a day exploring we came back to candles in our bathroom (battery powered of course), aromatherapy shower steamers, macarons and champagne on ice. It was utterly wonderful and we told him how much of a treat it was, and he spoiled us with it several more times during our voyage.

During his working hours he would bring all our room service orders, from a relaxing breakfast to some afternoon snacks. We also took advantage of the laundry whilst on board and he always took care of that for us. Berto and Dhanraj are simply a credit to Silversea and wanted to make our holiday as special as possible, and they most definitely did.

If not off exploring during the day we could be found by the pool. What a wonderful pool area! The asymmetric design of Silver Ray meant the pool was not in the centre of the ship like other cruise ship pools.

As well as loving the design, the sunbeds were a delight to lie on with the efficient pool team laying our towels for us and offering us a drink before we even had a chance to lie down – the service was wonderful.

Lying in the Mediterranean sun and sipping on a Kir Royale, Mr B and I were truly relaxed and were feeling very spoiled!

Head to the top of Silver Ray and you will see lots of seating areas for guests to relax, as well as a selection of games to partake in.

And additionally on the top deck you will find the whirlpool, which gave wonderful views as it was located at the side of the ship.

One deck down on the pool deck you can also find the jogging track. Head to the front of the ship and you will find the observation lounge which has a selection of games and is perfect for those uninterrupted views. It also has a tea and coffee station.

There is a door in the observation lounge which leads to the ship’s library which is most definitely the most beautiful library I have seen at sea. The beautiful twinkling ceiling is very captivating.

Deck 10 is also home to the S.A.L.T. Lab. This unique venue hosts complementary cooking classes. Mr B and I signed up for two and had great fun (and cooked up some pretty impressive dishes!). A tip for these classes is definitely to sign up when you first get on board.

Every night you will find a variety of entertainment at The Venetian Lounge. We were very impressed by the theatre space. The range of seating was comfy and spacious and we always found a seat in the evening when venturing to watch a show.

In the daytime The Venetian Lounge is also home to the lectures and some other day time events which are always advertised in your daily chronicle.

And if you are looking for some activities during the day you can find bingo (try filling in a bingo card to look like a martini glass when you are on your second cocktail of the afternoon!). There are dance glasses, cooking demonstrations, table tennis tournaments, daily trivia and much more.  

Additional facilities onboard available for guests to enjoy, but of which we did not personally make use of, were the fitness centre, casino, spa and the onboard boutiques.

Mr B and I can only reflect positively on our time onboard. Nothing was too much trouble and the service in all areas of the ship was simply fantastic.

Silver Ray is a stunning ship, it was an absolute pleasure sailing on her. It was a holiday of a lifetime which left us feeling utterly spoiled and with so many special memories.

Read my next blog post, about our Mediterranean sailing on Silver Ray and the ports we visited . . .

Sailing the Mediterranean with SilverSea – The Travels of Mrs B

Read about all the wonderful bars on Silver Ray and some of my favourite cocktails which I enjoyed onboard . . .

Bars On Silver Ray – The Travels of Mrs B

Read about the food on Silver Ray and all the included restaurants . . .

Food on a Silversea Cruise – The Travels of Mrs B

https://www.silversea.com/ships/silver-ray.html