Silver Wind Ship Review

Launched in 1995 as Silversea’s second ship, Silver Wind, along with her year-older sister-ship Silver Cloud, measures16,800 gross tons and carries just 296 guests — about half the size of the newish Silver Spirit. Kept up to date through regular extensive makeovers (the latest, in 2008, added a decor similar to Silver Spirit), the ship still merits the highest superlatives, providing a world-ranging luxury experience for the discerning and deep-pocketed few.

Like all the Silversea ships, Silver Wind was designed with the vast majority of her spacious public rooms located between midships and the stern, while staterooms and suites occupy the ship’s forward half. In the stern on Decks 5 and 6, the two-story show lounge has tiered seating and a profusion of cozy seating clusters.

Just outside the show lounge on Deck 5, The Bar is a social hub where a band or DJ provides music for dancing. Farther forward on this deck is a small casino, an Internet center, and the ship’s elegant boutiques.

There’s a card room located above on Deck 6, while Deck 8 offers the Panorama Lounge, which by day serves up a continental breakfast, afternoon tea, and phenomenal sea views, and by night transforms into an intimate nightspot for dancing and piano music.

Just next door, the Connoisseurs Corner is a dark, cozy spot for cognac and cigars, with buttery leather armchairs. At the top of the ship, the Observation Lounge is similarly low-key during the day, offering views forward over the bow as well as a radar screen, astronomical maps, and binoculars for guests who like to keep track of their course. Behind the Observation Lounge, the Spa at Silversea has five treatment rooms, a small fitness center, and a beauty salon.

Outdoors, the resort-like Pool Deck is dotted with teak lounges surrounding a small pool and a pair of hot tubs.

Dining is one of the ship’s great highlights, with four restaurants from which to choose. The main restaurant, called simply The Restaurant, serves contemporary, international cuisine at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with the latter featuring complementary wines and candlelight to illuminate the classic decor.

For a more intimate (and extra-cost) meal, Silver Wind offers Le Champagne, created in partnership with Relais & Châteaux and serving six-course wine-pairing menus comprised of regionally inspired dishes.

For a casual meal, Le Terrazza serves buffet-style breakfast and lunch with seating both indoors and out. In the evening, it serves an Italian menu created on “slow food” principles — locally grown, sustainable, and fresh.

The Pool Bar & Grill also serves casual lunches and dinners, the latter featuring the fun “Black Rock Grill” experience, in which guests can grill their own meat or seafood at their table on a preheated volcanic rock. Service is doting in all the restaurants, and if you’re not feeling social you can order lunch or dinner served course by course in your cabin, from the day’s menu at the Restaurant.

Staterooms/suites aboard Wind range from the 240-square-foot Vista Suites (all but two of them are located down on Deck 4) to the 587-square-foot Owners Suites and 1,019-square-foot Grand Suite, the latter two of which offer separate living rooms and bedrooms, large teak verandas, marble bathrooms with whirlpool tubs, and the option of booking and opening up an adjoining standard accommodation for even more space.

The vast majority of accommodations aboard are 295-square-foot Veranda Suites, with private teak verandas, marble bathrooms, and walk-in wardrobes.

All accommodations on board come with butler service, a bar setup stocked with your preferences, wifi access, European bath amenities, fine linens and down duvets, a choice of nine types of pillows, and a choice of aromatherapy fragrances created by Italian perfumer Laura Tonatto.

Sensational Shore Excursions On Silver Wind

La Terrazza On Silver Wind

On May 17, 2010, I boarded the Silver Wind for a report on the ship and on Silversea’s new shore programs along this beautiful stretch of coast in the Mediterranean.

The Silver Shore Collection shore excursions cover a range of exciting experiences ashore, including exclusive cooking classes at La Provencale or Pesto-Making at Zeffirino’s in fabulous Portofino.

Click on the destination links in the table below for live reports from each day or the links below the table for additional articles.

Travel with me on of future cruises, virtually, by subscribing to the RSS feed or the Avid Cruiser e-mail newsletter.

Silver Wind, Barcelona to Nice Barcelona to Monte Carlo, May 17-25

Articles About Silver Wind

• Luxury Cruises: What Silversea Cruises Does Differently
• What's Cooking At Silversea? Slow Food: Land Options For A New 'Slow Food Adventure In Tuscany'
• Silversea Opens The Books On 2013 & Offers Savings For 2012 Sailings
• More Than A Luxury Cruise: Silversea's NEW Overland Tours
• Silversea Cruises Announces Holiday Cruises
• Silversea Announces New Partnership With Slow Food Promozione
• What's Cooking At Silversea? New Voyages Featuring The Relais & Châteaux L'École des Chefs Cooking School
• A Year Of Living Lavishly
• Avid Cruiser Featured Video: Market Visit & Cooking Class In Sete, France, On A Silver Wind Cruise
• Snap Happy In Picturesque Portofino: Silver Wind Drops Anchor In Pretty Port
• Oops, I Did It Again: Back To Bvlgari, Succumbing On Silver Wind
• Shaken, Not Stirred, Cocktails & More On Silver Wind
• What's Wrong With This Picture? Silver Wind In Monte Carlo
• Silver Wind Shows Us Sensational St. Tropez
• On Silver Wind: Welcome To The Neighborhood, Small Ships Pull Up Close In Port
• Room Service: Every Day Should Begin With A Breakfast Like This One
• From Marseille, A Trip To Avignon And The Pope's Palace
• On Silver Wind: Ready, Sete, Go - Market Visit & Cooking Class
• On Silver Wind: Sailing Into The Sunny Sete (ha!)
• If I Lived In France, I Would Live Here: Silver Wind Docked In Port Vendres
• On Our Way, Silver Wind Sets Sail From Barcelona