What about another Silversea cruise?
Sure!
We have never been to Australia before, and we are about to check that off our list.
A 50 day cruise with the Silversea Silver Nova, starting in Sydney and ending in Singapore. That is 3 back to back cruises.
We cruised on the Silver Dawn and the Silver Moon in 2022 and loved it.
So what did we think of our third Silversea cruise, and the brand new Silver Nova?
Let’s see!
We paid for our trip on board the Silver Nova and didn’t get or ask anything in return for this review.
Boarding
We flew to Sydney a couple of days in advance.
The day of embarkation we took a Uber ride from our hotel to the White Bay Terminal where the Silver Nova was docked. We got there a little before 2pm. Staff there helped us with our luggage, checked our boarding passes, tagged our luggage with our stateroom number and sent it off.
We went inside the terminal to start the boarding process.
We were asked to fill in a health form to declare that we were not showing any flue or fever symptoms and sat down to wait for the next step in the embarkation process.
Twenty minutes later we were called to proceed to a desk.
The lady behind the desk checked our passports, we linked a credit card to our onboard account and she handed us our stateroom keycards.
Around the corner we went through immigration, passports were checked again.
And then we were all set, so we walked to the ship.
Once on board the Silver Nova we scanned our room keycards to check in. No need to leave our passports with the staff on this cruise.
We were welcomed by a bunch of staff, were handed a warm wet towel to freshen up our hands, received a glass of champagne and a canapé with egg salad and caviar.
By then it was 2:45pm, rooms were not ready just yet, however lunch was still being served for us new arrivals at the La Terrazza buffet restaurant on the Silver Nova.
Once the rooms were ready, we headed down there, unpacked, checked the safety video and visited our muster station to have our keycards scanned.
Cabin
We stayed in stateroom 9004, a classic veranda suite located on deck 9 on the port side of the Silver Nova, one floor above the bridge.
This stateroom is very spacious.
In the hallway is a door on the right leading to the bathroom, another door to the dressing.
Right across from the dressing is a small makeup table with large mirror and chair. After that comes the spacious bedroom and lounge area with couch and desk, and a sliding door to the balcony.
Bedroom and lounge
Third time traveling with Silversea, and again it feels like we never left.
Grey and beige colors, soft yellow lights – it all gives this cabin such a cozy and warm atmosphere.
Our stateroom here on the Silver Nova do remind us of the one we had on the Silver Dawn.
The bed was fantastic, nice and firm mattress and heavenly comfortable and fluffy pillows.
Bed side tables on both sides with a lamp and reading light.
More about what electric sockets to expect in your stateroom later on in this post.
Your butler can get you other more firmer or softer pillows if you like, just ask him.
The sitting area next to the bed is comfortable as well.
It has a couch, foot stool, coffee table and desk with drawers and a chair.
Under the desk is the minibar that is stocked with complimentary soft drinks, water, champagne and beer. If you want other (alcoholic) drinks or ice in your room, ask your butler.
As usual a chilled bottle of Duval-Leroy champagne is waiting for you in an ice bucket on the table on the day of embarkation – a delicious start of our 50-day Silver Nova trip!
Also in the room are 2 refillable bottles of Vero water, sparkling and still. Your butler will refill these twice a daily in the morning and in the afternoon. Also for you to use are 2 metal refillable water bottles to take with you on tours. At the end of your cruise you can take them home with you.
Between the bedroom and sitting area is a curtain, which comes in handy if one of you wants to read or work while the other one is still asleep.
We would sit on our balcony when it was sunny, and to watch our ship arrive in or leave a port.
There is absolutely nothing we didn’t like about this room.
Bathroom
What to say about the bathroom on the Silver Nova?
We thought that it was quite spacious for a cruise ship bathroom.
No bathtub and separate shower like on the Silver Moon and Dawn. Just a spacious walk-in shower but we really don’t miss the tub since we are shower people.
The shower was very spacious indeed, great water pressure and temperature – just perfect.
The Otium bath products were fragrant and plentiful. Gone are the small bottles of shower gel, shampoo and hair conditioner. Large mobile dispensers are used now, and they were refilled regularly.
Also provided: kleenex, hand soap and body lotion in separate dispensers, cotton pads and cotton buds, toilet paper and 2 hand loofahs. A hairdryer can be found in one of the drawers of the desk in the sitting area.
Comfortable bathrobes are hanging on the bathrooms door knobs. If the size isn’t a good fit for you, your housekeeper will replace them for you.
We liked this spacious and well lit bathroom a lot.
Its greyish and white color tones, the shiny chrome and mirrors gave it a luxurious feel.
The light has 2 settings: well lit and bright, and then a more cosier and softer for the eyes kind of light. Perfect if you don’t want a deer in the headlights kind of feeling if you use the bathroom during the night while half asleep.
Excellent!
Dressing
Next to the bathroom is the dressing.
This room isn’t very large but still more than enough to store our clothes and shoes and whatnot during this 50 day cruise.
Clothes hangers are plentiful, the wardrobe also had enough drawers to put all our stuff in.
The upper drawer is where you can find a large safe.
Other things you can find in this dressing room: shoe shine sponge, an umbrella, a clothes brush, small sewing kit and right next to the wardrobe a foldable table top for in room meals.
Electric sockets
The staterooms on the Silver Nova ship are equipped with a variety of electric sockets to accommodate different types of plugs.
You can find 1 type B US plug, 1 type F European plug socket and 2 USB sockets above both bedside tables, near the make-up table and above the desk area.
The bathroom is equipped with 1 standard European plug socket and 1 shaver socket.
Housekeeping
During our Silver Nova cruise our Balinese housekeeper Wisnu would stop by twice a day.
In the morning from 8am until 2pm, and a turndown service after 6pm.
Used towels would be changed twice a day as well, whether you put them on the floor or not.
Bed sheets were changed every other day.
Our butler would stop by twice a day to refill our still and sparking water bottles, and restock our the fridge if you had emptied any soft drinks, beer, or bottle of champagne or wine.
Both our housekeeper and butler were very friendly and professional.
Butler service
Our Philippine butler Mark came to introduce himself the moment we arrived in our cabin.
He is your personal contact person you can call and ask anything and he will take care of it. If you request in-room breakfast, he is the one that will bring it to you in the morning.
Mark gave us some brief information about the room, what he can do for you, the TV.
Room service, a bottle of wine, extra towels, extra housekeeping, better pillows, canapés or caviar in your room when you get back from your excursion. You name it – he will help you out.
You can reach him by pressing the butler button on your cabin phone. He works from 8am until 1pm, and from 4pm until 9:30pm. In between those hours you can still call room service, or the reception if you need anything.
Reception
The reception area on the Silver Nova is located on deck 4.
On the left is the shore concierge reception for if you have any questions about your excursions.
And on the right hand side is the general reception that handles anything else.
The staff here is very helpful, extremely friendly, efficient and always helping you with a smile.
Arts Café
In the very same place is the Arts Café where you can sit down and get a drink and a bite to eat from 6:30am until 8pm. Breakfast pastries, cookies, sandwiches, baguettes, bagels, scones, chocolate madeleines, cheese platters, fruit plates, brownies, patisserie, pies and tarts…
Depending on the time of the day (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner) the selection changes but there is always something that you will like.
The Arts Café was very popular during our cruise, and since it is in the heart of the Silver Nova near the gangway and atrium, and people queueing for the reception or shore excursion desks, this place would be very busy and crowded at times.
It is the perfect spot to hang out with friends or family and enjoy a cup of coffee, cappuccino or tea and a pastry or delicious slice of cake.
So it is not the quietest area to sit and relax or read a book. We would often walk by after an excursion and grab a selection of sandwiches to take to our room, or eat on the spot depending how busy it is.
The exotic pie with pineapple and almond custard is absolutely to die for!
Restaurants
The Silversea Silver Nova has numerous restaurants to choose from.
For some you need a dinner reservation and/or pay extra.
The dining fee for French restaurant La Dame is 60 euros per person, at the Japanese restaurant Kaiseki the dining fee is 40 euros per person.
Breakfast
For breakfast there is a choice between the à la carte breakfast at the Atlantide restaurant (open at 8am, last seating 9:30am), the buffet breakfast at the La Terrazza restaurant (open at 7am, last seating 10am) and The Marquee from 8 until 11am.
Or grab a cup of coffee and a sandwich or croissant at the Arts Café which is open all day long from 6:30am until 8pm.
The (busier) La Terrazza buffet has it all: pastries, fruits, yogurt, cold cuts, smoked fish, breads, juices, smoothies, eggs made to order, pancakes, waffles, crispy bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, hash browns, sausages… you name it. There is always congee rice soup with a choice of toppings, and often stir fried noodles as well if you crave Asian flavors for breakfast (which we love).
Excellent quality and very fast and attentive service.
The staff will bring you water, coffee or tea, and juices. Your waiter will ask if you want to order eggs any style, pancakes or waffles that will be brought to your table. There is no egg or omelet station on the buffet, eggs are prepared a la carte in the kitchen.
On warm days it is fantastic to sit outside in the morning sun, splendid!
We would mainly go to the Atlantide for breakfast. Their a la carte menu is delicious, and if you want to enjoy your breakfast in a more quieter area then this is where you want to go.
Here as well staff will bring you hot and cold beverages while you browse through the breakfast menu.
Eggs any style, with extras such as mushrooms, hash browns, superb crispy bacon, tomatoes, beans, sausages, etc. Pancakes, waffles, smoothies, granola, yogurt, porridge, pastries, bread basket, fruit platter…
The eggs we ordered were always perfect.
We especially loved the eggs Benedict, yum.
Another breakfast spot on board the Silver Nova is The Marquee on deck 10, the al fresco restaurant that turns into The Grill and the Spaccanapoli for lunch, and The Grill for dinner. This restaurant is only open if the weather is good enough (from 8 until 11am).
The a la carte breakfast menu is small but appetizing.
Choose items such as yogurt, oatmeal, açai fruit bowl, quinoa bowl with spinach and poached egg, pumpkin pancakes, breakfast quesadilla, avocado toast, brioche bread with toppings (honey, prosciutto, peanut butter, Nutella, berries).
Lunch
There are again a few options for lunch.
The Arts Café, the lunch buffet at the La Terrazza restaurant, and 4 a la carte places: Atlantide (meat, fish, salad, soups), Kaiseki (Japanese), The Grill and Spaccanapoli (pizza).
Kaiseki is open for lunch from 12pm until 2:30pm.
Lunch is complimentary and you don’t need a reservation. Dinner is reservation only and a dinner fee applies. We never had dinner here since we were already satisfied with their complimentary lunch menu.
Kaiseki is located on deck 4, next to the La Terrazza.
On the menu: ramen soup, bao bun, sashimi and sushi.
We loved the tonkotsu ramen bowl with shio tare, egg noodles, succulent pork shoulder, soft boiled egg, box choy and creamy umami pork broth. Not a large portion but nevertheless very tasty, so you surely have some room left to order something else on the menu – or the other vegetarian miso ramen soup with shiitake, soba noodles and soft boiled egg. We tried and again loved the pulled beef with teriyaki, a generous and rich bao for sure.
The sashimi is cut and fresh sushi is made on the spot with fresh ingredients. The sushi and sashimi that you can find on the buffet at La Terrazza next door is made here as well.
On a sea day for lunch we ordered a selection of fresh sushi and sashimi in Kaiseki and it was great. Super fresh raw fish, very flavorful and enjoyable.
We would usually go for lunch at La Terrazza restaurant.
Not only for the food but also to enjoy lunch outside on the balcony when the weather is nice.
Lunch at La Terrazza is a buffet.
On the buffet: a large salad bar, cheeses, charcuterie, sushi and sashimi, breads, a carving station, vegetable and potato side dishes, a pasta station serving one daily special, and a large choice of sweet desserts, fruits, pies, tarts and ice cream.
We loved the daily changing meat or fish offer at the carving station. Treats such as honey roast pork, leg of lamb, beef brisket, prime rib, salmon and duck just to name a few.
The daily pasta special was also great.
Pasta alla norma, spaghetti meatballs, aglio olio, Alfredo.
Delicious.
La Terrazza is open for lunch from 12pm until 2:30pm.
The a la carte lunch at Atlantide is often similar to the buffet specials at La Terrazza.
The daily lunch menu changes daily and usually consists of a choice of 4 starters, 4 mains and dessert.
To give you an idea, on today’s lunch menu the choices are: (starters) tuna tataki, artichoke timbale, rainbow trout, Greek salad, (mains) tagliatelle with tomato and basil sauce, fish and chips, chicken marsala, chicken tandoori, asparagus frittata and desserts are banana pie and orange blossom cheesecake.
Atlantide is open for lunch from 12pm until 1:30pm.
If you want to grab a late lunch on the Silver Nova after 2:30pm, then you can do that at The Grill, Spaccanapoli and Arts Café.
The Grill restaurant is located on deck 10. Al fresco lunch is served from 12pm until 3:30pm, another lovely place if yo want to sit outside on a lovely day.
Here you can get a selection of sandwiches, burgers, wraps, appetizers and daily lunch specials such as grilled meat (steak and chicken) or grilled fish.
We ate here a few times when the sun was bright and warm and ordered the caesar salad, fried calamari, hot dog, roasted pumpkin salad, salmon poke salad and grilled tuna sandwiches which were all delicious.
The pizza restaurant Spaccanapoli is located in the same place so you can definitely order a salad from The Grill and at the same time a pizza from Spaccanapoli. Both open kitchens are right next to each other.
You can eat pizza here when breakfast is over from 11am, until 11pm.
The pizza dough is fresh and baked in a proper pizza oven. The choice of pizzas is great, and yes the pizzas we tasted here were absolutely delicious.
Crunchy crust, fresh toppings, assembled and baked on the spot. It is quite a popular place to sit in the afternoon when the sun is out.
A great place to grab a slice of pizza and a crispy salad!
Dinner
Plenty of choice for dinner on the Silver Nova!
Restaurants where you don’t need a reservation: Atlantide and S.A.L.T. Kitchen.
Restaurants for which a dinner reservation is needed: La Terrazza, Silver Note and The Marquee. At La Dame and Kaiseki reservation is also needed and an extra fee per dinner guest applies.
A couple of months before your Silver Nova cruise begins, you get the possibility to make dinner reservations online in advance.
On board we cancelled a few reservations and made a couple of new ones by calling the reception. If you cancel dinner for La Dame and Kaiseki after 2pm the day of your reservation, you still have to pay the dinner fee.
Atlantide
We mainly went to Atlantide for dinner because the à la carte menu was always extremely appealing.
Open from 6pm until 8:30 pm. No reservations needed here.
On the main menu the starters are beef tartare, raw salmon, asparagus, glazed pear salad, lobster bisque. Main courses are fish (sea bream, chilean seabass, black cod, salmon, dover sole) and delicious cuts of meat (ribeye, tenderloin, New York strip, chicken, lamb chops, veal chop, pork chop), served with your choice of potatoes, vegetables and sauces.
On our last cruise caviar was on the menu as a starter, here not anymore but you can still order it every day.
There is also a daily changing menu to choose from: 2 starters, 3 mains and 1 dessert.
Dishes that immediately come to mind that we liked were the crab legs, prime rib, scallops, venison, rainbow trout, ossobuco, beef carpaccio, grilled lobster and foie gras. A feast.
Desserts: lemon meringue tart, macarons, tarte tatin, creme brulee, panna cotta, ice creams and sorbets, fresh fruits and cheeses. We loved the stilton, served with crackers and a glass of sweet Cadillac wine or port wine if you like.
Excellent complimentary wines to choose from.
The sommelier will have 2 lovely wine suggestions for you, for red and white wine.
If you want another wine, just let him know and he will suggest another (complimentary) bottle of wine that is to your liking. There is also a premium (expensive) wine list that comes at an extra cost, however their complimentary wines are fabulous enough in our opinion.
One night our waiter Panneer asked if we would be interested in having an Indian dinner instead of the usual menu. At that point we had been cruising for 2 weeks and a change of flavors certainly looked highly appealing.
We were treated to an absolutely delicious meal with rice, naan, poppadoms and 3 curries: a mild prawn curry, a slightly spicy lamb curry and a spicy chicken curry.
Spot on flavors, brilliant.
S.A.L.T Kitchen
On our previous cruise with the Silver Moon in Norway we were very impressed with the food at the S.A.L.T. Kitchen restaurant.
Open for dinner from 6:30pm until 9pm. No reservations needed here.
S.A.L.T. stands for Sea And Land Taste and brings the local flavours, produce and ingredients from the countries you dock at in the picture.
As much as we loved the Norwegian inspired dinners on our previous cruise, here in Australia the menu looked nice but we were just not overly blown away by the creativity.
But surely we had to try it at least once, right.
Excellent complimentary wines to choose from, with the help of the sommelier.
Besides the daily Terraine menu of 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 desserts – you can also choose from the à la carte Voyage menu where you can find the fish of the day or a ribeye steak.
The food at S.A.L.T. Kitchen was memorable, a real pleasure.
We remember the beef carpaccio with fried kale, the grilled asparagus salad, halibut with miso and nori butter, and the apple beignets.
La Terrazza
We went to La Terrazza for dinner 6 times.
Open from 6:30pm until 9pm. You need to make a dinner reservation for this one, and well in advance before your cruise starts because it is a very popular restaurant at night.
Food here on the a la carte menu is Italian, and changes every 3 days.
The wine sommelier will come over and bring a red and white wine suggestion of the day. Or just ask a specific type of grape that will suit your dinner better.
Appetizers are brought to your table as as soon as you sit down: a plate with sharing appetizers (prosciutto, bruschetta, caponata, parmesan cheese), and 3 types of breads with a bulb of smooth roasted garlic.
The fresh pasta is again so delicious, just like on our previous Silversea cruises.
We loved the bigoli al cacio e pepe, fusilli with artichokes and parmesan, the gnocchi with lardo and parmesan sauce, pansotti in walnut sauce and the pasta pesto.
Mains were excellent as well: Italian veal, sea bass, saltimbocca, crunchy breaded veal chops Milanese, beef tagliata, poached eggs with asparagus and parmesan sauce.
Yum.
Desserts would be coffee panna cotta, sabayon, Sicilian cassata cake, tiramisu, ice creams and sorbet, and a selection of Italian biscuits to end your dinner.
Very pleasant dinners we had here at La Terrazza.
The Grill
In the evening reservations are needed to eat al fresco.
Depending on the weather conditions, this restaurant might be closed.
On the menu are appetisers and salads, from a classic caesar salad, couscous salad and avocado salad to a blooming onion served with mayo.
Mains you cook on the hot rock yourself are prawns, filet mignon, rib eye, New York strip and lamb chops. With that a nice selection of side dishes (baked potato, fries, onion rings, roast vegetables) and sauces (béarnaise, veal jus, peppercorn sauce) to choose from as well.
In the open kitchen other grilled mains are cooked for you such as the fish of the day with a caper and lemon dressing, teriyaki chicken thighs with Asian slaw, beetroot and lentil patties, grilled sweet potato, and grilled Giant mushrooms stuffed with a vegetable ragout.
Desserts are vanilla sabayon with meringue, roasted pineapple, baked s’mores, and the usual selection of ice creams and sorbets.
We made several dinner reservations here beforehand, however most nights were too cold and windy for us to dine outside. We talked to several fellow passengers who were absolutely fond of this place for dinner though.
Silver Note
One restaurant we always looked forward to go to on our previous Silversea cruise is the Silver Note.
It is open from 7:30pm until 9:30pm, reservation is needed.
From 8:30pm onwards a jazz singer and pianist perform an array of classic jazz and blues songs.
The menu consists of a bunch of small bites. The waiter recommends you chose about 3 to 4 per portion. The dishes all sound good.
However what sounded like a feast ended up into a very disappointing dinner. Underwhelming creativity, pretentious and overcooked food. Scallops were rubbery and dry, we asked for the lamb tenderloin to be rosé in the middle but the 2 tiny cubes of lamb meat (not bigger than a one-biter really) we received were well done. The waiter was very attentive and understanding though and asked if we wanted to order another main dish instead which we declined.
We left before dessert and ordered an in-room meal.
We cancelled our upcoming dinner reservation in the Silver Note and decided to stick to the restaurants where we had had absolutely flawless dinners before for the rest of our cruise.
Room service 24/7
If you don’t feel like going out for dinner, have dinner delivered in your room.
You can browse the online menu on your TV screen or app and call your butler or room service to place your order.
For breakfast complete the breakfast list that you find in your room and place it outside your door by 2am. Choices for breakfast are coffee, tea, juices, assorted breads, smoked salmon, cheese and charcuterie platter, breakfast pastries, pancakes, waffles, fresh fruits, yogurt, breakfast cereal, porridge, oatmeal, omelettes, eggs (poached, fried, scrambled, Benedict), sourdough toast with avocado and poached eggs, and a healthy quinoa bowl with spinach and poached egg.
We ordered breakfast in our room 5 times on the Silver Nova when we had an early excursion and it was spot on each time.
What we ordered: coffee, eggs Benedict, fried eggs, omelettes, crispy bacon, blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit platter, assorted Danish pastries and yogurt. Each time we indicated that we wanted it delivered to our room between 7:30am and 8am. At 7:30am sharp our butler Mark knocked on our door, set our breakfast table up and poured our coffee.
After many letdowns with stone cold in-room breakfasts on other cruise ships, we were elated to see that our eggs Benedict and pancakes for instance here on the Silver Nova were served absolutely hot, and perfectly cooked.
Highly enjoyable!
The in-room lunch and dinner menu is extensive.
Just a handful of items on the list to give you an idea: garden salad, caesar salad, beef empanada, tomato soup, veggie spring rolls, club sandwich, tandoori vegetable roti, steak sandwich, veggie wrap, burger, hot dog, beef striploin with mushroom sauce, butter chicken, pasta bolognaise, mushroom pastry puff, pesto penne, shrimp cocktail, salmon with spinach and butter sauce, pumpkin ravioli, grilled lamb chops with sweet potato fries, brownies, cheesecake, fresh fruits…
One evening we ordered the club sandwich with fries for dinner.
Our butler Mark took our order, suggested a red wine for our meal and 30 minutes later he was back with our food.
Again he set up our table perfectly, and we must say that the club sandwich was absolutely delicious. Freshly made, crispy, crunchy, juicy, with fresh ingredients, perfectly cooked and so tasty. Coleslaw is served alongside the sandwich. The fries were served in a metal ramekin and were hot, crispy and very tasty. The glass of wine was generous and excellent with the club sandwich.
Again a delicious in-room meal on the Silver Nova, yum!
There is also a kids menu with items such as (just to name a few again) chicken nuggets, fish fingers, spaghetti bolognaise, pasta Alfredo, kids burger, kids, hot dog and kids club sandwich, kids pizza, ice cream, apple pie, chocolate sundae and toffee pudding.
Plenty of choice!
Bars
The Silver Nova boasts an impressive array of bars, each offering a unique ambiance and experience for guests.
Here’s a detailed look at the different bars on board.
Dolce Vita Bar
Located on deck 5, the Dolce Vita bar is a popular bar on the Silver Nova.
This elegant venue is perfect for pre-dinner drinks with a selection of fresh canapés served from 6pm until 7pm. It offers a sophisticated setting with a central feature bar and high bar chairs, fluffy comfortable chairs and couches, a live music and piano corner, and attentive staff. This bar usually opens from the early afternoon until late in the evening, when it transforms into a lively bar by night with live music. The perfect spot if you want to socialize and try out a couple of professionally made cocktails.
During the day in between opening hours the Dolce Vita bar is a quiet spot if you want to read, work or check your social media in peace.
Panorama Lounge
Situated at the aft of the ship on deck 5, the Panorama Lounge offers stunning views of the ocean. By day, it is as a peaceful retreat and our favorite spot to sit to work in peace because these is absolutely no one (except for the occasional ballroom dance class at 11am).
In the evening and at night, it becomes a vibrant bar with live music. It is a place where people enjoy a pre-dinner or after dinner drink with canapés and snacks. And if you feel good, put on your blue suede shoes and hit the dance floor.
S.A.L.T. Bar
The S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) Bar is a unique venue that focuses on regional flavors and culinary traditions. Guests can enjoy a curated selection of local spirits and cocktails, providing an authentic taste of the destinations visited by the Silver Nova. This bar is perfect for those looking to explore new flavors and immerse themselves in the local culture.
The Dusk Bar
Located on deck 10, The Dusk Bar offers panoramic views and a relaxed atmosphere. This outdoor bar is ideal for enjoying a drink while taking in the breathtaking scenery. With its emphasis on the destination, The Dusk Bar connects guests with the world beyond the ship, making it a perfect spot for sunset cocktails.
The Pool Bar
Also on deck 10, the Pool Bar serves as a central hub for socializing by the pool. Open throughout the day and into the evening, it offers a variety of refreshing beverages and light snacks. The Pool Bar’s laid-back vibe makes it a great place to relax and enjoy the sun.
The Shelter
This sophisticated is an evening-only bar, located in the atrium on deck 3 next to the medical centre.
It is a small bar with a couple of chairs and couches. In the evening we would often come here for a pre-dinner drink and canapés and enjoy the life music played by a violinist. Staff is again very attentive here, a waiter would instantly come take your order and bring snacks.
Located next to the S.A.L.T. Kitchen and Atlantide restaurant, The Shelter bar is just a couple of steps away from your evening dinner.
Connoisseur’s Corner
Located on deck five, this bar offers a selection of premium cigars and liquors.
The Connoisseur’s Corner is designed for guests who appreciate the finer things in life, providing a luxurious and comfortable environment for enjoying a drink and a cigar.
S.A.L.T. Lab
Each day 2 to 4 cooking classes are planned, depending if it is a sea day or not.
You can book a cooking class the day you get on board, the chef takes care of the reservations.
These classes are popular, so make sure to book in time.
We went 4 times, and loved it. Not that we are new to cooking, far from it. However it was always a fun afternoon event with just a select group of people decided over 12 cooking stations. Chef Aldo was fantastic.
We loved the crispy octopus with ajo blanco and scallops with buttery caramalized pineapple salsa, and the lamb chops with orange and mint sauce and crouton salad.
Venetian lounge theatre & entertainment
Located on deck 4 is the main stage, and on deck 5 is the balcony seating area.
Here you can come for lectures, cooking class demonstrations, next port talks, and evening entertainment.
On our cruise we had the choice of shows such as a musical, magician, piano player, violinist, opera singer and so on.
Evening shows are usually at 9:15.
On some (sea)days a pre dinner show was also scheduled, at 6:30pm.
During overnight stays at port, a local group would often come on board the Silver Nova to perform. In New Zealand that was a haka group, bagpipe players in Tasmania and Balinese dancers in Bali.
Observation lounge
Located on deck 10 right above the bridge is the observation lounge.
There is plenty of space, lots of chairs and couches.
In the lounge is also a coffee machine corner where you can make yourself a coffee, cappuccino, cup of tea or a glass of water.
The library is also located there tucked away behind a heavy door leading to quiet and comfortable room to read in peace.
Shops
The Silver Nova has 2 boutiques, on deck 4 and deck 5.
The fashion boutique on deck 5 features high-end clothing and accessories from brands such as Chanel. Here, you can find stylish outfits for both casual and formal optional nights (slacks, jackets, collared shirts, blouses) as well as designer handbags, jewellery and sunglasses.
The boutique on deck 4 is smaller and offers an array of souvenirs, Silversea merchandise clothes (jumpers, shirts, vests, gilets), scarves and colorful trinkets.
Swimming pool and whirlpool
The Silver Nova swimming pool is located on deck 10.
All around it are plenty of sun loungers. Rolled up fresh bath towels are placed on them in the morning by the staff for you to use.
Most of these sun loungers are in the sun, however you can also find plenty of them in shadier areas on the same deck, together with comfortable outdoor couches and sofas. We never had trouble finding a spot during a sea day, enough space to sit for everyone.
The pool and pool bar staff are very attentive and helpful.
You never need to wait to have someone come and ask you if you would like a drink. The staff walks around constantly to attend to guests. During the day, a station is set up with a specialty cocktail of the day, or chilled bottles of champagne with glasses for you to serve yourself. On certain days the crew will also stop by with fruit skewers.
The water in the pool is heated to 23°Celsius and just perfect for us.
Factor 50+ sunscreen is provided for everyone to use.
On deck 11 overlooking the pool area is a large hot tub with sun loungers and couches.
Excursions
With Silversea quite a few of the excursions you can book in advance are included.
We booked a total of 18 excursions with Silversea for our 50-day cruise.
For one of them we were on a waiting list but didn’t get to go in the end, which meant a lovely day on board the Silversea Silver Nova.
Edina from the excursions team went above and beyond to help us get on an excursion for which we were on the waiting list.
Information about the excursions, vouchers, where and when to meet, etc was planned well and perfectly organised.
We booked a few included excursions. Some were great (like the wine tastings and Picton bay cruising), some were very dull and frankly not worth getting off the ship for.
Self service laundrette
You can find a self service laundry on deck 6, deck 7, deck 8 and deck 9.
It is open from 8am until 10pm.
All laundrettes have 2 washers and dryers as well as 2 ironing board and irons.
Complimentary detergent and plenty of baskets are also available.
We washed our clothes regularly (every 4 to 5 days) and never had to wait hours to find an empty washing machine. Cycles would take 30 to 45 minutes depending on your selected program. Our fast drying clothes were totally dry after 20 minutes in the dryer.
Fellow guests would mostly be attentive of their laundry and come back on time to empty their washer or dryer. On the rare occasion a cycle was finished and the owner hadn’t returned yet, I would put their laundry in a basket and put it aside. Worked like a charm, it never was a problem.
If you don’t feel like doing laundry, you can have your laundry cleaned by filling up the laundry bag, filling our the laundry form (both can be found in the cabinet right next to the makeup table in your stateroom hallway) and placing it in front of your door for your butler to pick it up.
Laundry requests placed outside before 9am will be returned on the evening of the same day. After 9am your laundry will take 24 to 48 hours after your request.
Other on board services
- Otium spa and beauty salon
- fitness centre
- sauna and steam room
- casino
- future cruise team
- guest relations manager
- medical centre and 24 hour emergency service
Passengers
The average age of most of the passengers was between 55 and 75 years old.
Most of them were couples, a handful of families and a few solo travelers.
With a few exceptions, most of the passengers on board were American and British.
Dress code
Casual wear is allowed on board all day long until 6pm.
No shorts, flip-flops or jeans indoors after 6pm.
Silversea recently changed their dress code and cut back on the amount of formal nights. There used to be way more of these nights.
Most nights the dress code on board the Silver Nova was casual elegant: dresses or blouses and pants for ladies, collared shirts and slacks for gentlemen.
On a handful of nights the dress code was formal: cocktail dresses or pantsuits for ladies, and dinner jackets or suits for gentlemen (tie optional).
If you don’t feel like dressing up, you can still opt for an in-room dinner.
Would we book again with Silversea?
Yes we would.
This is our third time on board a Silversea ship.
We liked the level of comfort and the overall feeling luxury everywhere.
The food is splendid.
The staff is outstanding.
Would we recommend the Silversea Silver Nova and this cruise trip?
Yes, this ship is quite new – it was built in 2023.
And it shows: everything is spotless, new, fresh, like it has never been used before.
We liked the food, our cabin, the well trained staff, the superb excursions.
Pros
- large and very comfortable cabins
- very attentive staff
- excellent excursion organisation
- delicious food
- excellent drinks and wines
Cons
- low quality included excursions
We paid for our trip on board the Silversea Silver Nova cruise ship and didn’t get or ask anything in return for this review.