Review: Silver Spirit cruise ship

Editors rating:
5.0
/5.0
Outstanding

Silver Spirit cruise ship facts

  • 608 guests
  • 411 crew
  • 2009 launched
  • 2018 refurbished

Silver Spirit is a small luxury cruise ship that never feels crowded. This Silver Spirit review details the great dining options and renovated suites.

Review: Silver Spirit cruise ship

Editors rating:
5.0
/5.0
Outstanding
By Published On: 27 Feb 2020

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Overview

Silver Spirit is the largest ship in the Silversea Cruises fleet. This Silver Spirit review explains what makes her unique. I tell you about the restaurants and bars, as well as the nightlife. There are also video tours of a Veranda Suite and Silver Suite. In addition I share insiders tips to help you make the most of your time on board. Click on the tabs above to go to each part of this Silver Spirit review.

Pros

  • Renovated suites.
  • Great range of dining options.
  • All beverages included.
  • Free caviar.

Cons

  • It’s all good.

Our review ratings

StaffRating
Service efficiency
(5.0)
Enthusiasm
(5.0)
Problem solving
(5.0)
Language skills
(5.0)
AmenitiesRating
Rooms
(5.0)
Dining
(4.5)
Nightlife
(4.5)
Wellness
(4.0)

Silver Spirit deck plan

The Silver Spirit deck plan is easy to get around. There are a total of 8 passenger decks, the highest of which is deck 11.

  • Reception: Deck 5
  • Accommodation: Decks 4 to 11
  • Main dining room: Deck 4
  • Theatre: Deck 5
  • Observation lounge: Deck 11

About Silver Spirit

Silver Spirit was built in Italy and launched in 2009. She is unique – the only ship of her type. That said, Silver Spirit is about the same size as the newer Silver Muse. She is 210 m. / 689 ft. long with room for 608 guests. That is almost double the number of guests on Silver Whisper, but about the same as Silver Muse.

Silver Spirit had a major refurbishment in 2018. In fact, the ship spent 59-days in dry dock. During that time they cut the ship in half and lengthened it by wedging a new 49 ft. long section into the middle. It made room for 68 more guests.

The Panorama Lounge terrace on Silver Spirit.
Silver Spirit looks better than ever.

After that they redesigned all the interiors. New restaurants were added, public areas were made bigger and every suite was entirely redecorated. The teak decks were even rejuvenated.

Silver Spirit has an unmistakeable Italian style. The atmosphere is sophisticated, yet relaxed. Indeed, Silversea like to call it ‘whispered luxury’. As you will see from this review, I think it strikes just the right balance.

We rated the Veranda Suite during our Silver Spirit review.
The spacious Veranda Suite is a popular choice.

Silver Spirit has nine different room types, all of them are suites. There are Vista and Panorama Suites which have big picture windows, but no veranda. The most popular rooms are Veranda Suites. There are Classic, Superior and Deluxe Veranda Suites, but it’s worth noting that they are the same size, only their position on the ship varies.

The biggest Suite types include Silver, Royal and Grand. There is also the top of the range Owner’s Suite which is like an apartment at sea.

My Silver Spirit review has video tours of the Veranda Suite and the Silver Suite so you can see what they are really like.

Food on Silver Spirit

Silver Spirit is a foodies destination in its own right. There is cuisine from all four corners of the globe. In fact, dining is a highlight of any voyage.

Atlantide restaurant on SIlver Spirit.
Atlantide serves fine European cuisine.

As this Silver Spirit review explains, there are eight different restaurants to choose from. Two of these are specialty venues. I think the Japanese restaurant known as Seishin is the best of these. It serves mouthwatering dishes like Miso Glazed Black Cod and “Calvisius” Tuna Tartar with Garlic, Scallions, Wasabi and Oscietra Caviar.

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There is also fine French dining at La Dame, Indochine has a menu that samples the best of Asia, while Atlantide serves outstanding European cuisine. La Terrazza continues to produce the best pasta at sea and there is a jazz supper club at Silver Note. Al fresco dining can be enjoyed at Hot Rocks and Spaccanapoli.

Light snacks as well as tea and coffee and stronger libations are available at the ever popular Arts Cafe. 

In-room dining is also available 24-hours a day.

Silver Spirit nightlife

The nightlife on Silver Spirit has something for everyone. There is the lively atmosphere of the Panorama Lounge – especially at sunset, as well as Tor’s Observation lounge which is a great place to enjoy a pre-dinner drink.

The Voices of SIlversea entertainers.
The Voices of Silversea perform in the Venetian Lounge.

There is jazz at Silver Note and the Silver Spirit trio play in Dolce Vita every night. Also, there are shows in the Venetian Lounge. 

Fitness on board

Looking good and feeling healthy is easy on Silver Spirit. There is a deluxe spa with a range of relaxing beauty treatments and therapies. There are also pilates and yoga classes, as well as a gym, a swimming pool and a jogging track.

Activities at sea

Silver Spirit has lots of on board activities. There are cocktail parties with the Captain and cooking demonstrations with the Executive Chef, as well as popular galley tours.

There are also solo traveller get togethers, lectures from on board experts and even foreign language classes. 

In addition, there are free wine and martini tastings, as well as cocktail making classes. Other activities include trivia, table tennis, bridge and a daily quiz.

These are all advertised in the Daily Chronicles newsletter.

What’s included

Your cruise fare on Silver Spirit is all-inclusive, which means once you get on board almost everything is covered. 

Meals in six of the eight restaurants are all included. Also included are alcoholic beverages – even champagne and top-shelf spirits. Drinks like sodas, juice, bottled water, tea and coffee are also included. 

Saku Tuna as served at Indochine on Silver Spirit.
Saku Tuna as served at Indochine on Silver Spirit.

Insiders tip: The Connoisseurs Wine List has vintage wines and spirits for sale, but on my Silver Spirit review voyage the house offerings were excellent.

Your cruise fare also includes butler service. In addition, gratuities are included too which means you don’t need to tip.

Also included are port transfers from the ship into town. Free bottled water is also available to take ashore, but we encourage you to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles.

Also included in the cruise fare are luxury bath products from Bvlgari and Ortigia Sicilia.

In addition, there are self-service laundries onboard, although guests staying in the top Suites and certain Venetian Society members get free laundry.

Fellow guests

Silver Spirit is one of the most popular Silversea cruise ships. Most guests are well mannered and discerning. They generally range in age from 35 to 70-years-old.

Sometimes there may be families with children on board. However, Silver Spirit is not child-friendly. Indeed, fellow guests tend not to like rowdy children.

On my Silver Spirit review voyage most guests were from the U.S.A, U.K, Europe and Australia.

It’s also worth noting that Silver Spirit is gay-friendly.

Silver Spirit dress code

The dress code on Silver Spirit ranges from casual to formal depending on the time of day.

During the day it is smart resort-wear, but after dark it changes. The dress code will be either casual, informal or formal:

  • Casual: For men casual-wear means open-neck shirts and slacks, while for ladies it’s pants, blouses, skirts and casual dresses.
  • Informal: Informal wear includes jackets for men (tie optional) and dresses or pantsuits for ladies.
  • Formal: On formal nights men should wear a Tuxedo or dark suit and ladies should wear an evening gown.

The Daily Chronicles newsletter will advertise the evening dress code.

The Daily Chronicles newsletter.
Stay up to date with the Daily Chronicles.

The number of formal nights will depend on the length of your voyage. Cruises of less than 10 days have one formal night, cruises between 10 and 13 days have two, while longer cruises have three formal evenings.

Insider’s tip: On my Silver Spirit review sailing most guests enjoyed dressing up on formal nights, but if that’s not your scene you can choose informal-wear for dining in La Terrazza, Seishin or Silver Note. Hot Rocks and Spaccanapoli always permit casual wear.

Review conclusion

I think Silver Spirit is one of the best ultra-luxury cruise ships. It has great dining options, spacious suites and the ship never feels crowded.

On the other hand, it does lack the intimacy of Silversea’s smaller ships like Silver Whisper and Silver Shadow. That said, there is a lot to enjoy. So click through to the next section of this review to learn more.

The author sailed as a guest of Silversea Cruises.

About the Author: Jason Kerr

Jason is the founder and Managing Editor of The Luxury Cruise Review. He has a passion for travel, a weakness for espresso coffee and a love of Greek cuisine.

7 Comments

  1. Hans Peter Wanneck 26 Sep 2022 at 13:12 - Reply

    Really looking forward to our next Silversea cruise on the Spirit over Christmas from Mumbai to Singapore. Our first in the Grand Suite.

  2. Nickolas K. Touloumzis 3 Feb 2023 at 20:04 - Reply

    Glad to know Spirit is gay friendly.
    We are in suite 739 for our 22 day Athens to Venice. Should we be concerned that we’re next to the laundry room?
    TIA
    Nick T.

    • Jason Kerr 6 Feb 2023 at 08:20 - Reply

      Dear Nickolas

      Thank you for your question. The laundrettes on Silver Spirit are small and located on each passenger deck. In my experience they created little (if any) noise disturbance, so I think you should be fine.

      I hope this helps

      Kind regards
      Jason Kerr
      Managing Editor

  3. Maureen Doyle 10 Jun 2023 at 04:53 - Reply

    how big is the closets in the cabins

    • Jason Kerr 10 Jun 2023 at 19:24 - Reply

      Dear Maureen

      Thanks for your question. Please see click through to our review of the Veranda Suite to see the closet. It is a walk-in closet big enough for three large cases full of luggage.

      I hope this helps in your cruise planning.

      Kind regards
      Jason Kerr
      Managing Editor

  4. michele steinman 13 Sep 2023 at 06:49 - Reply

    We just finished a cruise with another cruise line. We had problems with inconsistent hot water. Are there any reports of inconsistent hot water.

  5. Robert H 2 Oct 2023 at 09:35 - Reply

    Thanks for the in depth information. Hopefully most of the details will still apply for 2024 when we are traveling. We have two days at sea and I’m wondering about activities other than poolside or spa services? Thanks for any advice

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