Silversea’s New Silver Nova: A Heightened Benchmark for Ultra-Luxury Cruising

Earlier this month Silversea Cruises launched the 12th ship of its ultra-luxury all-suite fleet with a pre-debut architectural voyage on the Silver Nova. Attending this four-night event departing from Trieste, Italy, it quickly became clear that this was no ordinary ship. The 728-passenger Silver Nova’s arrival – the largest of Silversea’s fleet – marks the cruise line’s milestone towards ‘Net Zero’ and is one of the most environmentally conscious, ultra-luxury ships ever built. At 801-feet long and 97-feet wide, its novel, sensational beauty is a sight to behold.

The engineering and construction feats make Silver Nova “dramatically more efficient” as Jason Liberty, President and CEO of parent company Royal Caribbean Group noted. Indeed, it marks a new environmental benchmark for which all other cruise lines will no doubt be green with envy. However, it’s the ship’s mind-boggling asymmetrical design, use of glass, and high ceilings that make the Silver Nova breathtaking, as the ocean, her vistas, and destination ports become the focal point from almost every onboard location.

Bringing in the Outdoors

There is nearly a constant sensation onboard of suspended animation at every turn as even the elevators and staircases are ocean facing, bringing in the outdoors. In fact, as Silversea President Barbara Muckermann noted, “95-percent of ship’s public areas have outdoor views and 100-percent of suites have balconies.”

The revolutionary asymmetrical ship design also resulted in an utterly stunning pool deck. Additionally, as Muckermann said, “Nova’s horizontal layout allows for the highest ceiling heights giving a greater sense of spaciousness.” She also noted that, “Silversea used over 43,000 square feet of glass in constructing the ship, nearly sending our engineers into therapy.”

If any engineer ultimately did require therapy, by all measures, the end result was well worth any therapeutic intervention.

The Suite Life is Sweet Indeed

The Silver Nova is an all-suite ship and they are all spacious, starting at 357-square feet, up to 1,055 square feet. There are also seven new suite categories on the Nova providing as Muckermann said, “More suites, more options, and more luxury.” I stayed in a Deck 7 Deluxe Veranda Suite mid-ship where the design portrayed Silversea’s trademark ‘whispered luxury.’

The suite’s neutral, calming color palette had dark turquoise pops of color in the pillows, in the rich brocade black-out curtains, and in the carpeting. The king-sized bed with linens from Rivolta Carmignani made sleep dreamy and was flanked by nightstands boasting multiple US and EU outlets along with both USB and fast charging ports. The 60-inch swivel flatscreen TV was wall-embedded in the separate seating area with a full-sized sofa, ottoman, marble-topped coffee table. The combination granite desk and bar area stocked with my beverage choices faced an exceptionally large balcony. Seriously impressive was the large walk-in closet with plenty of hanging and storage space. The intuitive, waist-level in-room safe was a design gift. A separate granite-topped vanity area with magnifying mirror, boasted additional storage, and a streamlined laundry drawer.

One of the main suite design changes are the Silver Nova bathrooms which resemble those of the finest 6-star hotels. Otivm spa amenities in environmentally sound, multi-use dispensers grace both the enormous, walk-in Carrera marble-tiled shower, and the large, gray-and-white granite countertops. The dual-fauceted sink with sleek Nobili fixtures also had abundant space.

Of course, all Silver Nova’s accommodations come with its signature Butlers that provide unparalleled service to meet even the most discerning guests’ needs anytime of day or night. With a crew of 544 providing a crew-to-guest ratio of 1 to 1.3, waiting wasn’t on the menu.

Art Lovers will be Astounded

Throughout the ship, including the ocean-facing stair landings, there are 1,800 pieces of art, made by 60 artists from 25 countries. While I always take the stairs anytime I’m onboard in an attempt to eradicate a few calories, on the Silver Nova it was challenging as admiring the collection often made me hopelessly late to my destination. However, this time I also had to take the ocean-facing elevators as well as they were their own form of entertainment providing awe-inspiring oceanic vistas.

British artist Esther Miles and Ukrainian artist Irina Yermolova’s pieces were vibrantly whimsical, while Iranian Batool Showghi had a thought provoking, multiple tin-box piece. Even at guests’ perennial favorite, Arts Café – caffeinating and sweetening the good life – the ceramics and tea tins were perfectly selected to add color and panache. As Muckermann noted, “All of this colorful, quirky, interesting, and sometimes weird art complements Silversea’s concept of ‘whispered luxury.’”

Food Matters and Wellness

The Silver Nova has nine dining options and 10 bars and lounges, so food boredom is not possible. New to its already impressive line-up is the new al fresco Marquee on Deck 10 with forever views and magnolia trees accenting the expansive space. The Marquee encompasses The Grill for its ‘hot rocks’ culinary concept – think tender steaks and the freshest seafood – while Spaccanapoli has great Italian pizzas.

There’s also Kaiseki for Japanese fare, Silver Note, the New York-style supper club reminiscent of the 1920’s with live jazz music, Atlantide for continental cuisine, La Terazza for delectable northern Italian cuisine, including the finest tiramisu ever eaten, and La Dame for French cuisine in an elegant, formal setting with handmade Lalique crystal panels, and a Hirondelle crystal chandelier.

The S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) Kitchen which debuted on the Silver Moon was the first large scale regional restaurant at sea. On Silver Nova it was expanded and has two nightly menus: a ‘Terrain’ menu inspired by the seasonal specialties at port – the night I dined, the menu was based on Zadar, Croatia – and a ‘Voyage’ menu for eastern Mediterranean cuisine. I selected a starter from one and a main from the other to deliciously leave no Mediterranean culinary stone unturned.

Arguably the best dining experience at sea is at Silver Nova’s S.A.L.T. Chef’s Table located in the gorgeously eye-popping S.A.L.T. Lab. By day, guests can partake in culinary instruction; by night the S.A.L.T. Lab metamorphoses into an 18-seat, symphonically wine-paired, multi-course, small plate menu extravaganza, focused on local ingredients. This provides an authentic, unforgettable, and intimate experience under the direction of the supremely talented and amiable Chef German Sanchez.

There’s also 24-hour room service with caviar and accoutrements anytime. While as Muckermann said just slightly tongue-in-cheek that, “Nobody has ever lost weight on our ships,” weight gain is not mandatory as the Nova has a large, state-of-the-art fitness center with Technogym equipment and free weights as well as an outdoor walking/jogging path. The Otivm Spa has a full menu for men and woman, including medi-spa treatments, acupuncture, and an indoor pool and sauna. The salon is one of the largest I’ve seen at sea and likewise offers a full array of high-caliber services for both men and women.

The Silver Nova is not only beautiful, but is also a technological brain child. As Captain Cosimo Pontillo, who has been with Silversea since 1996, so eloquently stated, “From a navigational, safety, and handling standpoint, this ship is also totally self-sufficient which is important given that Silversea voyages in remote locations. The technology is so superb, piloting this vessel feels like a vacation.”

Piloting the Silver Nova may feel like a vacation to Captain Pontillo, but this remarkable vessel will, without doubt, provide guests with an overall ultra-luxury cruise experience they will never forget.

Happy sailing!