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Forbes
17-05-2025
- Forbes
Classic Luxury At Sea On A Silversea Cruise Of The Aegean
A brass telescope is available for guests to use in the Observatory Lounge on the 11th deck of the ... More Silversea Silver Sprit. The lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows, a bar and leather reading chairs. 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.
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Forbes
Finding Authenticity And Identity On A Silversea Cruise To Rhodes
Cruise ship Silver Spirit (Silversea Cruises) at Gibraltar Cruise Terminal. On an all-too-brief Aegean cruise on the Silversea Silver Spirit, our ship stopped at the Isle of Rhodes. I expected to spend the day on an excursion on the island. Perhaps we would also do some sightseeing, shopping, learn some history and soak up a bit of the local flavor like olive oil on our bread. I did not expect a pair of profound experiences in authenticity and identity, one at the Rhodian Pottery Workshop excursion, the other at the last surviving synagogue in Rhodes. I knew little about the island save references to the legendary Colossus of Rhodes, the 105 foot copper statue. But Rhodes was once a powerful maritime power in the Eastern Mediterranean, during the Hellenistic Period from 400 to 200 BC. The 'jewel of the Aegean' has since been ruled by Romans, Ottomans, Türkiye, Italians, and others, including the Nazis from 1943 to 1945. It was returned to Greece in 1947. For the Pottery Workshop, we debarked from the Silver Spirit and got on a waiting van with intrepid driver and guide. Our English-speaking twelve included young, middle-aged, and seniors, and a family with a boy and girl under 12. We departed the port of Rhodes and headed to the north side of the island. We enjoyed the panoramic views of the Rhodian countryside and the sea on the drive to the ceramics studio. East Greek (Rhodian) oinochoe, Wild Goat style, 630-600 BC. East Greek pottery oinochoe (wine-jug); ... More shoulder: griffin between two goats; belly: four goats with a water-bird beneath the handle; the neck has a cable pattern, and around the bottom is a pattern of lotus buds and flowers; Middle Wild Goat style. Dimensions: height: 33 cmdiameter: 20 cm (Photo by Ashmolean Museum/) Our tour guide to Rhodes was voluble, but knowledgeable, with thirty years of guiding experience. He told us to call him 'Lefty' as his name seemed unpronounceable to generations of tourists. On our way to our destination, he told us about the history of the island. The famed bronze Colossus of Rhodes, considered one of the wonders of the ancient worlds, lasted just 66 years before it was destroyed by an earthquake. Although it captured the imagination of poets .and artists, no trace of the statue has yet been found. Lefty's lecture was interesting and entertaining if a bit heavy on marriage jokes. But he was quite serious about the steep decline in the number of local families focused on pottery. Much of the culture of the island has been documented in its pottery and ceramics, which goes back to pre-historic times, including a cultural peak in the 20th century. However, Lefty despairingly put it, 'Everything is plastic today.' The number of families focused on pottery has declined from dozens to five today. Nonetheless, when we arrived the pottery studio seemed an impressive operation, with hundreds of items on display or for sale. The family owners taught us about the techniques of pottery making, demonstrating on the pottery wheel, and about Rhodes' long tradition of producing ceramics. Potter sculpting a decorative plate at a pottery workshop in the village of Akotiri on Santorini ... More Island, Greece. (Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images) We drank shots of ouzo while waiting our turns at the wheel, downing Greek olives and bread as well. Looking at the pottery for sales with Greek themes (the gods, rams and bulls, ancient ships, etc.), I felt transported back in time. Then it was our turn at the wheel. We had signed up to make cups, bowls and, for the most daring, a curvy vase. While the master potter did much of the work, it was exhilarating to put hands on (or thumbs down into) the spinning lump of clay, which within minutes we transformed into pottery. We paid an extra twenty euro for our cup and bowl to be fired and glazed with colors. I felt connected to the past, making my own version of an ancient design. For the adults but especially for the children in our group, getting hands-on to make an everyday item like the Greeks had done for thousands of years was memorable indeed. We returned to the town, full of shopkeepers and restaurateurs trying to pull us into their establishments. Lefty had told us about the town's only surviving synagogue, which we found up a narrow alley. There were once six synagogues and prayer halls in the Jewish Quarter, known as 'La Juderia.' Now Kahal Shalom is the sole remaining synagogue on Rhodes used for services. The synagogue was built in 1577, making it the oldest surviving synagogue in Greece, although the first Jews arrived as early as the 12th century. Kahal Shalom Synagogue in Rhodes, Greece.(Photo by Hoberman Collection/Universal Images Group via ... More Getty Images) Rhodes was part of the great tragedy of the Jews of Greece. Kahal Shalom is today both a synagogue and museum. While at one time as many as 6,000 Jews lived on Rhodes, 1900 lived there in 1943. Less than 200 survived the Holocaust. Over 67,000 Greek Jews, 87% of the Jewish population of Greece, were murdered in the Holocaust. (Some 500,000 non-Jewish Greeks also died in World War II.) Few survived from Rhodes, and according to the woman taking tickets, just fifteen Jews are members of the synagogue today. Getting a minyan of ten men to pray together is difficult and happens rarely. Rhodes was for hundreds of years home to a thriving Jewish community, of first Romaniote and then Sephardic Jews after the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal. I went through the museum, staring at photos of their faces and their beautiful clothing. As I glumly contemplated whether Europe was entirely a graveyard today, a short 30-ish man with short hair and wrap-around sunglasses ran in. 'Any Jewish men here?' he shouted excitedly in an Israeli accent. 'You want to do a minyan?' I said. 'Let's do it.' Bimah and interior of the Kahal Shalom Synagogue build in sephardic style from 1577 and the oldest ... More in Greece, Rhodes Town,Rhodes, Greece I was the tenth man, joining nine others, mostly young but a couple not so much, to pray together in the empty synagogue. A young man stood on the pulpit, in the center of the synagogue and read the prayers aloud from his cellphone. Cruise ships are often portrayed as the ultimate in material and sybaritic pleasures. Indeed, there is something glorious about exquisite meals, fine wines, convivial gambling as I found on the Silversea Silver Spirit, a visit to the spa, perhaps a cigar. Yet cruise ships often offer a nod towards the spiritual, whether it be traditional religious services on board, meditation, yoga, or simply the contemplation of a majestic glacier or ocean sunset. On one day in Rhodes, our group of cruisers filled buildings with renewed life and delight. Our Silversea cruise quite literally took us to places we never thought we'd go. A hand-colored engraving of the Colossus of Rhodes, on of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
