At first they looked like white birds skimming across the ocean surface before diving into the restless water. But we were in mid-Atlantic, far from shore, sailing on an ultra-luxury cruise ship from Barbados to Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa.
The ship was Silver Spirit, the largest and newest in the six-ship Silversea fleet. The sea creatures turned out to be flying fish, which surface in abundance in this area of the South Atlantic.
The schools of flying fish (we were tempted to call them flocks of flying fish for their uncanny aerial ability) were just one of the many delights of this repositioning cruise, a twice-a-year ritual for many cruise ships as they move from their winter itineraries in the Caribbean and South America to summer destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean.
Surprisingly, the Silver Spirit had only 240 passengers, about half the normal total, served by 370 well-trained and gracious staff. Service is always excellent on Silversea, but this was amazing! Warren Brown, a guest from Bermuda who has crossed the Atlantic 16 times, thought that the average North American just doesn’t like to go on an ocean passage. They seem to prefer the ‘bus tour’ type cruise with stops every day.
This was our fourth trans-Atlantic cruise and, like the other lucky passengers, we love the extended time at sea, the gentle daily blend of ship and ocean and the huge selection of activities available. In particular, ocean crossings offer an array of talented guest speakers who entertain and inform in a series of lectures. On this cruise the daily talks in the spacious main theatre were by a biologist/oceanographer, a retired British ambassador and a forensic pathologist. Also, Morton Dean, the former CBS and ABC television reporter told us of his adventures in the world’s hot spots and showed video clips of his work. Every evening the main theatre was open for a performance by the six resident singers (the ABBA night was particularly memorable) or a variety of excellent vaudeville acts. The bars and lounges also had live entertainment.
This cruise also had a culinary theme and most mornings at sea featured food demonstrations and tastings ranging from Normandy style Dover sole to moist chocolate cake with raspberry coulis. In the afternoons an elegant Tea was offered with 12 kinds of Ronnefeldt loose organic tea served with finger sandwiches, scones and pastries accompanied by live music.
The crossing was exceptionally smooth and many guests spent their days on comfortable deck chairs around the pool or in the large library where the fine selection of books was augmented by daily satellite editions of major newspapers from Canada, the US, Britain and Australia. Excellent coffee, tea or complimentary cocktails were always available from the attentive staff.
Most guests chose this kind of cruise for its total relaxation and change of pace from normal life. Ken Dunlop and Nathalie Roy of Val D’Or, Quebec, were typical. “We’ve cruised with our kids before,” Ken Dunlop told us. “But I work in an intense business and this is our chance to get away from it all. We love days at sea and we each read a book a day. We’re already confirmed for this cruise next year!”
The large, well-equipped staterooms, each with a well-trained butler to meet every need, are key reasons why, according to Hotel Director Paolo Percivale, more than 50% of Silversea passengers are repeat guests. All suites have comfortable beds (queen or twin), plenty of storage space, a well-stocked complimentary bar, lots of mirrors and marble bathrooms with tubs, showers and high-end toiletries. The flat screen TV has a choice of many channels and hundreds of on-demand movies. Almost all suites have a spacious balcony. Silver Spirit also offers 26 double-size Silver Suites, with separate powder and living rooms, a huge walk-in closet and a Bang & Olufsen audio system.
Leisurely dining is one of the great pleasures of cruising and Silversea consistently showed us that small ships can be especially creative at mealtime. Its formal partnership with the prestigious Grand Chefs Relais and Chateaux brings a level of sophisticated cuisine that ranks among the best we’ve ever enjoyed. The main, single level, dining room offers open seating and contemporary international fare with an excellent selection of complimentary wines. Unlike most other lines, Silversea purchases fresh fish and produce in the various ports it visits and we benefited with delectable fresh seafood from Barbados, St. Lucia, Cape Verde, the Canary Islands and Morocco.
Remarkably, Silver Spirit also offered five other restaurants at mealtime and we got a chance to sample them all. La Terrazza, at the stern of deck seven, is the spot for breakfast and lunch buffets. We usually hate the jostling and disorganization of cruise ship buffets but this ship seems to have perfected the self-serve concept. A separate room for dining (including the spacious back deck) and a well-planned food area meant no crowding and lots of time to choose among the huge variety of salads, main courses and desserts. In the evening La Terrazza becomes a fine Italian restaurant that follows the principles of Slow Food.
The upper level of the Pool Grill (casual fare and pizza at lunchtime) turns into the Black Rock Grill in the evening when waiters bring a pre-heated volcanic flat rock (450 degrees F.) to your table and let you cook your steak or seafood exactly as you like it. A unique and very tasty open-air experience. The extra-cost Seishin restaurant is an intimate dining area featuring Asian fusion cuisine and Kobe beef while the formal Le Champagne (also extra cost) is the only Wine Restaurant by Relais and Chateaux at sea. Here, an exquisite six-course menu is featured with perfect wine pairings.
Our favourite dining experience on Silver Spirit was the Stars Supper Club. The Art Deco inspired design and cozy furniture is perfect for the chef’s fixed menu of fifteen small but creative dishes served three at a time over five delicious courses. Among the offerings (the menu changes every three days) were lamb noisette with pancetta and Thai prawn with birds eye chili. Culinary heaven! To add to the atmosphere of a 1930s style supper club, a talented singer of light jazz, accompanied by piano, serenades diners and dancers throughout the evening.
After five days of tranquil sea time, it was exciting to land at Porto Novo, Cape Verde, the westernmost municipality in all of Africa (even though the continent’s mainland is 570 kilometres to the east). Porto Novo (population: 20,000) is the major town on Santa Antao, one of 10 islands that make up the country of Cape Verde. Our bus tour of the island covered tropical rain forests near sea level and desolate, chilly volcanic mountaintops. The little towns combining Portuguese and African heritage and the amazing seascapes from roads carved into the sides of volcanic cliffs provided one of our best-ever cruise ship tour experiences.
Three more sea days brought the Silver Spirit to the Canary Islands and then to Morocco where we chose a long, 13-hour tour to the ancient imperial city of Marrakesh. With the largest public square in Africa (filled with snake charmers, monkey handlers, acrobats and story tellers) and the biggest traditional market (called the souk) in Morocco, this exotic city of close to a million inhabitants was well worth the visit. We purchased a 45 Spice mix and a leather bag, enjoying the bargaining process (expect to pay about half the original asking price).
As we approached our final destination in Portugal we asked a few fellow travellers about their cruise experience. Moncton native Brenda Atwood and her husband Cliff of Thunder Bay, Ontario, were especially happy with the spaciousness of the ship and the service they received. “They cater to every possible wish,” she said. “You’re never fighting for a deck chair. They know you by name almost immediately and they have your favourite drink in front of you before you sit down!”
Guest speaker Morton Dean told us he enjoyed every minute of the crossing. “I’ve flown over the Atlantic many times but this trip has given me a whole new appreciation of the ocean. I’ve seen it now as I’ve never seen it before.”
Photo Credits
All Photos © John and Sandra Nowlan – All Rights Reserved
If you go:
Details about Silversea cruises can be seen at www.silversea.com
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Great article! I didn’t know they even had Trans-Atlantic cruise ships anymore. Funny how the crew outnumbered the passengers. Certainly a great experience!
Well, I know that envy is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but having just read your excellent article, I am presently seething with it.