BY JANET STEINBERG
La
vie est belle. Life is beautiful…on the high seas.
Many
years ago, an ocean liner’s slogan was “Getting there is half the fun”.
As a dyed-in-the-wool cruiseaholic, I am compelled to bring that slogan up to
date for the 21st century. My version has to be: “How you get
there is more than half the fun”. My recent cruise aboard Silversea’s Silver
Shadow was living proof of that.
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GETTING
THERE ON SILVER SHADOW IS MORE THAN HALF THE FUN
|
For
the first time ever, I took an ocean-going cruise that sailed me to from the
United States to four ports…you guessed it…in the United States. Starting
in Fort Lauderdale, Silver Shadow’s Atlantic Coastal Cruise sailed 330 passengers
and me from 7 countries northward to Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South
Carolina; and Norfolk, Virginia. As a bonus, she also threw in the
islands of Bermuda and the Bahamas…just to make sure my passport didn’t feel
slighted.
This
was an unbelievable experience for me. Sure, I could have flown to all
the US port cities…I could have even driven to them from my home…but it would
not have been the same. Not even close!
From
the minute I boarded “The Shadow”, and was handed Silversea’s customary glass
of bubbly, I didn’t really care where I was sailing. All I cared about
was the fact that I was back on a luxurious Silversea cruise for 13 days of
relaxing and being pampered by an attentive, but unobtrusive staff who would
cater to my every need and desire…a staff that was doing this because they
cared, and not because they wanted a big tip at the end of the cruise.
(Gratuities are always included on all Silversea cruises.)
 | |
| A SILVER SHADOW WELCOMING TRIO |
Whoever
coined the phrase ‘less is more’ must never have sailed on a Silversea
cruise. Be it on the all-suite Silver Shadow, or any of the ships in
Silversea’s 8-ship fleet, let me tell you that ‘more is more’ with
Silversea. For the next 13-days, I knew I was in for more of everything I
could hope for on a luxurious cruise ship.
Let’s
start with my 345-square-foot, private verandah suite…a serene sanctuary where
I could truly unwind. My sweet suite indulgences went far beyond the
Pierre Marcolini chocolates and Pommery champagne that greeted me. Add to
that a complimentary fully-stocked bar, Pratesi sheets, a down duvet covering a
plush mattress, spa robe/slippers, flat screen TV, i-Pod docking station,
personalized stationery and an Italian marble bathroom with my choice of
Bulgari or Ferragamo bath amenities.
Oh
yes, lest we forget the piece de resistance, the butler service.
My butler Noli Larroza was there to make my voyage
unforgettable…to pour me a glass of champagne as we cruised the Atlantic
coastline or sailed to Bermuda and the Bahamas…to serve my dinner if I chose to
dine in my suite…to shine my shoes, and to discreetly attend to the countless
little details that made my voyage memorable.
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| MY BUTLER NOLI |
But
nothing could top what Noli did for me one afternoon while I was touring
ashore. When I returned to my suite, I entered my dark bathroom where a
strange light was flickering. There, much to my surprise, I found a (LED)
candle perched on the edge of a rose-petaled bubble-filled bathtub. A red
heart, made from the suite’s drapery tieback cord, adorned a rose-petaled bath
mat. A note from Noli read: “Please do enjoy your bubble bath.” And I
certainly did!
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| BUBBLE BATH BY NOLI…PHOTO BY MY HUSBAND |
And
then there was the food…both haute and cold. In The Restaurant,
amid sparkling crystal, fine porcelain, and sweeping ocean views, we dined on
specialties created exclusively for Silversea by Relais & Chateaux.
La
Terrazza offered open-seating buffets for breakfast and lunch. In the
evening it became an authentic Italian restaurant, the first and only Slow Food
restaurant at sea. (Slow Food is an eco-gastronomic
concept that began at a grass roots level in reaction to “Fast Food” and is
dedicated to proper land stewardship while preserving cultural food
traditions.)
Le Champagne, the one restaurant on the ship where there
is a reservation fee, is the only Wine Restaurant by Relais & Chateaux at
sea. It offers an extraordinary tasting experience in an intimate,
elegant setting. My gourmet dinner started with four hors d’oeuvres that
began with a small glass containing Porcini (mushroom) Cappuccino and ended
with a miniature cone filled with Foie Gras.
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| A QUARTET OF HORS D’OEUVRES IN LE CHAMPAGNE RESTAURANT |
Add
to that Red Tuna Carpaccio, Pan-fried Foie Gras, Dover Sole, and a Grand
Marnier Soufflé, and I had just tasted one of the best meals ever!
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| RED TUNA CARPACCIO AS PRETTY AS A PICTURE |
Last,
but not least, were the port stops. Once you have traveled the world many
times over, it is exciting to explore those places you have not been in, and
around, your own country. I will give a brief rundown of our port stops but
will go into detail in future articles
SAVANNAH,
GEORGIA was Silver Shadows first port stop. Spanish moss dripping from
live oaks…stately mansions exuding the charm of the 1800’s…historic Revolutionary
and Civil war sites. Classic yet cool, historic yet hip, this “Hostess
City of the South” magically melds the old with the new.
CHARLESTON,
SOUTH CAROLINA may well be America's most
beautifully preserved architectural and historical treasure. The readers
of Condé Nast Traveler have voted Charleston the #1 city in the U.S. for the
fourth year. The city also ranked #2 in the World by Condé Nast Traveler
2014 Readers’ Choice Awards.
NORFOLK,
VIRGINIA is a nifty and new 320-plus year old city. The lifeblood of Norfolk is
the water surrounding it. Located in the heart of the mid-Atlantic, at
the crossroads of Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Norfolk is a bustling
international seaport fronting one of the largest, naturally deep, ice-free harbors
in the world.
BERMUDA
is a string of idyllic islands framed by a shimmering turquoise ocean.
Homes painted in pastel colors, and topped with white lime-washed roofs, line
the flawless spun-sugar beaches of these breathtakingly beautiful islands. The
delicate water-colored islands of Bermuda are among the most beloved islands in
the world.
NASSAU,
although most people call it an island, Nassau is not an island. It is a
city on one of the many Bahamian islands called New Providence. Yet no
one calls the island New Providence. They mistakenly call the island
Nassau, which is the island’s capital city. Confusing? You bet!
On adjacent Paradise Island, The One and Only Club is truly
Paradise.
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| THE ONE AND ONLY OCEAN CLUB ON PARADISE ISLAND IS TRULY PARADISE |
Although
we sailed only the Atlantic, and not 3-seas on this cruise, Silver Shadow did
manage to provide me with other 3-c’s. She indulged me with the comfort
of my luxurious suite, gave me the camaraderie of like-minded
passengers, and assuaged my curiosity about places in my own country
that I had never seen.
On
the down side of my hedonistic voyage…cruising on Silversea’s Silver Shadow
made it very difficult for me to come home without a butler to wait on me and a
chef to cook for me; she also made it very difficult to go to bed without
turndown service and to awaken without hearing the sound of waves lapping on
the side of a ship.
On
the upside…irreplaceable memories and anticipation of another Silversea cruise!
Ah yes, la vie est belle…life is beautiful on the high
seas.
AH
YES, LA VIE EST BELLE ON SILVERSEA!
JANET
STEINBERG is an International Travel Consultant, Travel Writer, and the winner
of 40 National Travel Writer Awards.
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