I stayed in a Deluxe Veranda suite on Silversea's newultra-luxury Silver Ray cruise ship.
The cabin had a walk-in closet, balcony, butler, and caviar room service.
In 2024, the Deluxe Veranda suite starts at$5,400 per person for an eight-day cruise.
I regret to report that my new favorite cruise cabin starts at $675 per person per day.
But before you click away, hear me out: It could be worth the cost.
In mid-June, ultra-luxury cruise line Silversea's latest ship, Silver Ray, set sail on its maiden voyage, marking the second Nova Class vessel to join the company's now 12-ship fleet.
Silversea invited travel agents and journalists on a complimentary five-night test sailing a week before its debut. Luckily, my cabin was one of the most luxurious I've ever stayed in, both on land and at sea.
Silversea assigned me one of the ship's Deluxe Veranda suites.
The cabin has accrued a waitlist on several of Silver Ray's itineraries this year, the company says. The cheapest available one in 2024 is on an eight-day cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Cartagena, Colombia, this June, starting at $5,400 per person.
Broken down, that's about $675 per person and day.
The price is steep compared to the average mass-market cruise.
Silversea is Royal Caribbean Group's most luxurious brand, known for small, high-end vessels with fares far exceeding those of its parent company's eponymous cruise line.
Silver Ray and its one-year-old predecessor, Silver Nova, are the largest in Silversea's fleet. But both only accommodate 728 guests — a stark contrast from Royal Caribbean's largest 7,600-guest ship.
At 357 square feet, the Deluxe Veranda is the same size as the ship's two cheaper cabin categories.
The cost difference comes down to where they're located on the ship. Deluxe Verandas are mid-ship, perfect for guests prone to seasickness (like me).
Like many luxury cruise ships, every cabin on Silver Ray has a furnished balcony.
Sheer and blackout curtains and a heavy glass sliding door separated the open-air 54-square-foot lounge from the interior.
I’ve had my fair share of cramped cruise cabin living 'rooms.' No complaints here.
This one felt roomy, even with an additional ottoman that turned the cozy couch into a small sectional.
The coffee table also doubled as the room-service dining table —perfect for eating complimentary caviar and foie gras while watching the passing waves.
The suites also come with a welcome bottle of Champagne, a common touch on most premium cruise ships.
If you don't finish the complimentary bottle, store it in the desk's mini-fridge.
The desk also houses a tablet that functions as a three-in-one ship directory, planner, and cabin control center. It was my go-to device for perusing Silver Ray's daily schedule, checking the onboard restaurants' menus, and controlling the suite's temperature and lights — all without needing to stand up.
If that wasn't convenient enough, the TV and your mobile Silversea profile also have the same features.
The TV could pull out and swivel toward the queen-sized bed.
Just make sure you adjust it before lying down. It'll be hard to get back up.
The bed was plush and sumptuous, stocked with pillows so soft I felt like I was being swallowed alive.
But if you don't like down pillows — look, I'm not proud of it either — you can always peruse the pillow menu for a different option.
The sleek bathroom was located down a short hall, closer to the front door.
Some of the suites have both a bathtub and a shower. Mine only came with the latter (woe is me), but it did cosplay as a dual-vanity bathroom with two sink heads that shared one basin.
This setup left me ample counter space. But if you'd rather tuck your toiletries away, the bathroom also had generous shelves and drawers, one of which had a built-in organizer perfect for my obscene skincare collection.
The products were all labeled Otium, after Silversea’s spa.
Guests can select different toiletries from the bath product menu. Options included soaps from Bulgari, a signature of rival-owned Oceania Cruises.
A walk-in closet and vanity separated the bathroom from the bedroom.
The closet had less storage than my suite on competitor Regent Seven Seas' latest vessel. But it was still sizable, with enough space and hangars for two guests.
If you, like me, hate doing post-vacation laundry, Silversea has a solution. Guests can wash, dry, and iron their clothes in the communal laundry rooms.
Or just have your butler do it for you.
Yes, you read that right: Butler.
Several mass-market and luxury cruise lines offer these personal assistants to travelers who've booked the highest-tier suites.
On Silversea's cruises, every guest has a white-glove-donning butler to help with tasks like packing luggage and setting up luxurious showers with scented steamers and fake candles.
My suite also had several small, well-thought-out details that made it stand out from other five-star cruise lines.
For example, the "sleep" setting — which could be activated from the thermostat, TV, tablet, or phone — slowly dimmed all the lights, giving me ample time to navigate back to bed before the room went dark.
And my cabin steward (different from the butler) placed a small microfiber cloth over my sunglasses and glasses whenever he tidied up my suite. I've yet to receive this kind of high-touch housekeeping service on a cruise ship.
While it's not something I would've ever requested, I certainly didn't mind.
So, do microfiber cloth-covered sunglasses and free caviar make this suite worth $675 per person and day?
I hate to say it, but yes.
It's undoubtedly a steep cost. But let's not forget that the fare also includes drinks, excursions, access to the saunas, and meals at six of the ship's eight restaurants — all aboard one of the most luxurious vessels I've ever been on.
If you aren't worried about seasickness, you could always reserve the two cheaper cabin categories, which are virtually identical but located closer to the aft and bow. You might feel the waves more, but you'd save almost $90 per person and day.
However, I, a girlie hypersensitive to seasickness, was relieved by the mid-ship position. And that alone makes the premium price worth it.
Read the original article on Business Insider
