Classic Luxury At Sea On A Silversea Cruise Of The Aegean
In April I had my first taste of the Silversea experience on a six-day cruise of the Aegean. The Silver Spirit sailed from Athens to Syros, Crete, Rhodes, Ephesus and Mykonos before returning to Athens. While the excursions to the islands and the ancient sites were wonderful, it was that rare cruise where I wished for a couple more sea days to continue enjoying the ship and its exquisite service.
Although much of the noise in the cruise industry is about what is big and brand-new, the Silver Spirit shows that small is beautiful as well.
The Silver Spirit was launched in 2009 and refreshed in 2018. The ship looks great and is immaculately maintained. Each passenger gets a roomy suite, most with a balcony overlooking the ocean.
The Silver Spirit has a maximum capacity of 608 guests, and with 411 crew members has a remarkable crew to passenger level. The limited number of passengers also makes getting on and off the ship fast and easy. The crew takes remarkable care of the passengers onboard. They also take great care of the ship, even doing touch-up painting while passengers enjoy a port call.
The Silver Spirit is a relatively small ship but one with plenty of room for relaxation. The centerpiece is the blue rectangular pool, heating up nicely as spring came to the Aegean. It is surrounded by on-deck Jacuzzis for an intimate relaxing session. Attentive waiters bring drinks and snacks. Or, if you stir yourself, there is an outdoor restaurant and bar. Walk up a flight to Spaccanapoli, and you'll find some of the best Sicilian and Neapolitan pizza on a cruise ship.
The Silversea Silver Spirt cruise ship.
On board, the service was impeccable. It was also friendly, conversational, and uplifting. 'Have a wonderful day in Greece,' was a common greeting from the staff. When we returned from exploring ashore, the crew's 'Welcome home' greeting seemed quite sincere.
As Maya Angelou said, 'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
The Silver Spirit, like all of Silversea's cruise ships, has a team of well-trained butlers to take care of the guests on each deck. The male and female butlers go through a comprehensive 108-point training program.
The butlers are engaging people who deliver personalized service. The idea is to take care of every detail, from laundry to room service to cleaning one's eyeglasses, so guests can focus on enjoying their vacation. In the evening, butlers can easily be distinguished by their black tuxedos.
Narsiso, the butler assigned to our corridor, was personable and helpful. A snack magically appeared in our room at 10:30PM as we returned from a special Silversea event on shore.
His attention to detail was impeccable, from making sure the fruit bowl was filled to unobtrusively organizing the mess we left behind as we raced off for an excursion.
The Owner's Suite on the Silversea Silver Spirit cruise ship.
When we ordered a delicious room service breakfast, he would knock before entering at the time requested. He would set up a proper table with white tablecloth and silverware before wheeling in covered plates of eggs, pancakes or fruit.
He would even have helped us pack our bags on departure. He was friendly and personable, and happy to dispense advice if requested. Asked whether it was necessary to always take our passports ashore, he thought it was best.
The commitment to service was strong throughout the ship, from poolside to the personable blackjack dealer in the casino. I didn't mind dropping a hundred dollars, because I was having a good time.
Even in the ship's exclusive restaurants, the managers would adjust the dining schedule to accommodate guests if an excursion ran long or, as we did, forgot a reservation and showed up 45 minutes late. One night, we had to run out for the special Silversea concert in Ephesus at 7PM. We arrived as they were closing the special early dinner service. They managed to serve us the complete menu, delicious mahi-mahi, stuffed cabbage and a beautiful Caprese salad, fast and with class.
I asked a food and beverage executive if the high-level restaurants would go for industry recognition. He felt it would be hard for a cruise ship restaurant to win a Michelin star because of the difficulty chefs had going to the market each day. Yet the cuisine served on Silver Spirit was delicious and inventive each day. I still wonder how they got those fresh and fragile berries each morning.
Swimming pool and chaise lounge waiting for guests on the Pool Deck of the Silversea Silver Spirit ... More cruise ship.
You can work off some of those calories in the ship's well-equipped gym or go for a Chariots of Fire-style run on the jogging path. While our cruise was packed with daily excursions, we still had time to visit the Spa and state-of-art Fitness Center. Guests can work out, take classes, and relax in the sauna, or steam room. The spa offers a full complement of services from facials to massages to acupuncture, as well as a beauty salon.
After dinner, the lounges are dark and cozy, the drinks are big and strong, and the piano man sings for you. Elton John was a favorite of the pianist, who was later relieved by a talented guitarist. The ship also had a production show with five singers and dancers, who did an energetic Broadway medley. The audience particularly enjoyed a male and female performer paying tribute to the iconic Olivia Newton John and John Travolta characters in Grease.
During our cruise, we sampled most of the dining options, from casual to formal. Restaurants have open seating for breakfast and lunch, which is mostly served ala carte by the attentive wait staff. La Terrazza offers a well-appointed buffet for both breakfast and lunch, where guests can choose from a wide variety of dishes. The desserts and different beverage options such as smoothies and custom coffees are especially wonderful.
On our first night, we dined at The Grill and enjoyed the casual outdoor atmosphere and fresh cooked sea bass. If we had had time for a second visit, we would have ordered the steak and cooked it ourselves on lava rocks, as nearby tables were enjoying.
On subsequent evenings, we dined at more formal restaurants, each with distinct fare and beautiful décor. We especially liked Seishin, a quiet sushi restaurant, where you can watch the chef's amazing knife skills as you enjoy dinner. While I ordered a la carte, my wife ordered the Chef's Omakase, a six-course feast, including Maine lobster tail and wagyu beef.
Seishin, a sushi restaurant, on the Silversea Silver Spirt, where diners can watch the chef's knife ... More skills as they enjoy a gourmet dinner.
On another evening, we dined at Atlantide, relishing perfectly cooked fish and steak entrees in the company of other guests and the ship's food and beverage manager. During our dinner, we learned more about the inner workings of the ship and Silversea's secret sauce for client service. Atlantide is easy to enjoy on multiple evenings as no reservations are required and the menu changes every 3 days.
The dress code on the Silver Spirit might best be described as 'relaxed luxury casual,' not stuffy. Silversea calls it 'Elegant Casual,' although there are also more formal nights.
La Dame is the Silver Spirit's bespoke, intimate French restaurant. Reservations are hard to come by dress is formal and there is an additional $60 per person charge, but the experience, food and wines are superb. Dinner is a la carte five-course menu. We especially enjoyed the classic caviar with blinis and the Grand Marnier souffle for dessert. Each course is paired with specially selected wines which flow freely throughout the dinner, after beginning with a glass of Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top Champagne. The wait staff is attentive and engaging, and the chef visits each table to say hello. For those who like French food, La Dame is a must-try.
One of my favorite shipboard spaces was the Observation Lounge. Equipped with stunning floor to ceiling windows and decorated as a clubby library, its centerpiece is a classic brass telescope. After six, you can enjoy one of the ship's sublime cocktails as you watch sunset and the darkening skies.
Often empty during the day, this was my favorite writer's spot. One can be alone with your thoughts or with a book. I finished my copy of William Styron's Darkness Visible and left it for the next guest.
Silversea puts on incredible special events, like the classical concert we attended in an amphitheater in the ancient city of Ephesus. But it's Silversea's attention to detail, from the unobtrusive but awesome service to the relaxed lounges and sunny pool space, that supports guests as they take their own journey.
La Terrazza, an outdoor deck on the Silversea Silver Spirit cruise line.
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For Travel + Leisure's column Traveling As, we're talking to travelers about what it's like to explore the world through their unique perspectives. Burnt out from corporate America, Kelly Benthall got her finances in order and gave up her Texas lifestyle to retire at 53 and live around the world in Airbnbs with her husband, Nigel. Here's her story… I was living in Texas and working in oil and gas. As time went on, and the kids left, my job became extraordinarily stressful—to the point that I had to be wheeled out on a gurney through the lobby, hooked up to an EKG. After all those years of feeling like I needed to overachieve, my doctor said my job was trying to kill me. Once I realized that, my husband, Nigel, and I got a financial advisor who gave us some sound projections and advice. I always thought I would retire at 65 and play golf. Nigel didn't have a retirement plan. He was going to work forever, and it took me a couple of years to get him to turn the corner. But at 53 years old, I decided to retire. Once the job went away, all my stress dissipated and my levels returned to normal. I wasn't raised traveling. Our family would take our modified van from Texas to Ohio every year to see my grandmother—that was our big trip. I didn't even have a passport until I got married the first time in my 20s, and we just went to Mexico. Eventually, at work, I said yes to every single trip that came up because I was interested in seeing the world. I love foreign languages and talking to people from different countries. One time, one of my contractors was pregnant and couldn't go to Kalimantan, Indonesia. I knew nothing about what she was doing, but I went anyway. I find travel quieter and calmer [than being at home]. I'm attuned to every little thing because it's new and different, so I relax and take it in. I am not a playground tourist—I don't go to all the major tour sites. I might walk by and walk in, but I like just hanging out at a cafe and chatting with people. While I have lots of friends and family in Houston, it's not ultimately where I wanted to be, sof when Nigel and I both retired, we got the idea to travel the world, living for a month at a time in Airbnbs. Kelly and her husband while in Provence, France. We started with a trial run in 2023, spending a month in Mexico to make sure we could actually live with just each other. At the time, we had been married for about seven years. We stayed in the middle of the jungle in Tulum in a very intimate space—the door between the bedroom and kitchen was glass, so there was no privacy at all. But we did Pilates on the roof together every morning and cooked dinners. We bought a Christmas tree and decorated it. And we did a great job—I was very proud of us. So we came back and started planning our global travels. I watched all the YouTube videos I could find and listened to people's advice. Initially, I went to some local real estate agencies, but I like places that have local flair. What I found is that Airbnb, more than other platforms, is good with that because we can connect with local hosts. Plus, we can search easily for things that are important to us, like outdoor space. We've had some nice places with rooftop pools that weren't expensive. Being able to see all the ratings and not having to sign a lease makes it easy. It's also been affordable. We're now staying in this place in Aix-en-Provence, where we've been for eight weeks, and got a 70 percent discount for a long stay. So we could stay for a week somewhere, or we could stay for six weeks for the same price. I thought, how did no one ever tell me about this? That really is the thing that's made this all possible, and I'm grateful for it. Kelly and her husband while lounging in the pool at their Airbnb. We started in Dubrovnik, and took Nigel's 87-year-old mom with us. It was interesting because the language is so different. We did a walking tour with someone who spoke English so we could get the lay of the land. The city was amazing, like a movie set. We learned to walk up and down its hills. We stayed in a neighborhood that had these local bodega-type shops. The older guys would play buće (bocce) in the evenings, and we would go out and sit with them. We asked our Airbnb host what we could do for the community even though we don't speak the language, and ended up helping harvest grapes at this small winery. They can't hire too many people because of tax issues, so they rely on volunteers. It was hot and difficult work, but a fun way to learn about the culture. Since then, we've also picked up trash on beaches in Mauritius. When you're a tourist, you might not think about it, but when you're visiting for longer, it's different. That's one of the things that helps us connect with the locals. They know we're not just using and leaving. 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They lived across the street and invited us over to use their property. We spent New Year's Eve with them. It was just lovely. We stayed in Lecce for a month and would drive to the different coasts. We spent a few days south of there, and I met a woman who took my photograph from behind while I was watching a sunset and drinking a glass of wine. She invited us to a dinner party the next night, so we extended our stay. No one spoke English, except for one kid. We sat in the middle of the table with the hosts, and everyone sat as far away as possible because they knew we didn't speak the same language. But by the end, we were able to communicate using Google Translate and through the child. That was memorable, and I still keep in touch with them. I find comfort in spreadsheets, so we use one to plan our travels. It's color-coded following the sun by region. Then, I have the cost of living compared to the U.S. We also don't want to spend a ton of money on flights, so we pick a general area. Right now, we're doing Europe, and we do a bit of the Schengen shuffle if we need to because we can't stay too long. Nigel's family is in England, so it's been our jumping-off point. We have six kids, and one daughter, two grandkids, and Nigel's mom are all there. Our other kids are in California, Utah, and Texas, so we do a U.S. round for about three months. We stay in each place for at least a month to get the discount. We wanted to spend some more time in Provence because neither of us had been, so we've been in the region for three months now. Next, we're going to go back to England since I've never seen my husband's home country. Then, we're going on a road trip and will spend a month in Ireland. Airbnbs there are about $65 a night, pretty cheap. You can't even get some hostels for that amount. We could stay in bed-and-breakfasts on this road trip, but I don't want to be put together and mingle all the time. I need my own space and a kitchen. We cook all the time with ingredients from the local markets. It saves us money, and it gives us a lot of privacy, which we don't get in hotels. In Mauritius, we did go to a hotel for a nice meal on Christmas Eve, and I was like, 'Oh, I forgot how nice hotels are because everyone is serving you rather than serving yourself.' But I don't think I could live in a hotel. After that, we'll go back to the spreadsheet and feel it out. I know we want to go to Asia, then New Zealand. We also want to go to Bali and South America. We've got all of these big-picture plans. Panoramic jungle views from an Airbnb rooftop. There are definitely challenges. I miss our friends and family, and being able to drop in on people. We always book a place with an extra room so we can have people visit. 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My background is in behavioral psychology, so I like that I get to walk in the shoes of other people and understand their perspectives. It's been eye-opening. In Texas, we say hello to everyone. In places like France, people are super-friendly, but they'll say bonjour and that's it. They don't automatically become friends with you. It depends on where we are in the world. Once we spend a month in a place, it feels like home. We always feel like we should spend more time there because just when we're getting to the point where we know where everything is, it's time to go. We have our local wine bar and fishmonger, and it's time to leave again. We can't stay during the high season because it's expensive and I don't like crowds. I've found observing and absorbing cultures to be very unifying. The world is giant, but also so small, and traveling really teaches us respect. I have so many friends and family members who just don't understand what we're doing. But if everyone would just go and explore, it would break down these perceived barriers we all have. You realize people have stereotypes about you that may not be true. I can't force my interests on other people, but I do feel strongly about it and think it's something everyone should do.
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Embracing the island's natural assets and culture, and located right across from downtown, I was able to walk to local markets and coffee shops in under five minutes. Throughout my five-day stay, Dominica never stopped enticing and entertaining me with its endless activities showcasing its natural beauty. I was floored by the side-by-side twin cascades of Trafalgar Falls (read more about my visit to them here) and couldn't get enough time in the natural sulfur hot springs of the family-run Ti Kwen Glo Cho, Creole for 'little corner of water." Despite most of the terrain being endless shades of green, I was stunned to find the Calibishie Red Rocks on a barrier reef, an area filled with nooks of sea caves and crannies where waves crash high into the sky. We also sailed down the serene Indian River in a rowboat with Cobra Tours. The way the tropical foliage reflected on the glassy water made it feel like a real-life version of Disneyland's Jungle Cruise. Just as I had that thought, our skipper pointed out that the little shed to the left was the exact location used as the witch's house in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. It's no surprise Hollywood discovered this picture-perfect setting. Trafalgar Falls in Dominica. Rachel Chang/Travel + Leisure But what pulled at my heartstrings more than the nature were the people who have made Dominica home. With so many buildings still visibly impacted by Hurricane Maria in 2017, there's a quiet strength in the community's welcoming spirit, ranging from the locals and Indigenous people to a passionate expat community drawn to Dominica's natural beauty. Among them was Simon Walsh, owner of Nature Island Dive, who opened his shop more than three decades ago and is now pioneering new ways of rehabilitating coral infected by waterborne diseases. 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Douglas has a story—and boundless passion—for every item and every leaf, recounting how he transformed his vision into a nearly 60-acre slice of, well, paradise. That same kind of love for the island was shared by everyone I met. From the members of the Indigenous Kalingo community, who showcased their culture with a recreation of a traditional village at Kalinago Barana Auté, to a Brooklyn couple who moved their young family to Dominica and now run a homestay while crafting small-batch gin with local botanicals through Sea Cliff Botanical Gin. The island's energy culminated with a stay at Secret Bay—a longtime T+L favorite that has graced the magazine's cover multiple times. The treetop villas offer such sprawling views of Dominica's oceans and cliffs that it feels like you've got your own private corner of the island. Add to that a botanic garden dining experience with the chef cooking al fresco right in front of us, pulling herbs and ingredients just steps away. With a quirky obsession for funiculars, I was instantly taken by the self-operated one on site, mesmerized by the shifting views as it glided uphill toward my villa. As Dominica-born Gregor Nassief, who owns Secret Bay, summed up best over dinner: 'In Dominica, it's the depth, authenticity, and the people element of the experiences that make it so unique in the Caribbean.'
