Silver Dawn

The 2021-built/2022-inaugurated MS Silver Dawn cruise ship is a newbuild of the same design as the sisterships Silver Muse (2017), Silver Moon (2020) and another (still unnamed) vessel scheduled for launch in 2023. When Dawn's shipbuilding order was placed, Silversea had a fleet of 10 vessels, with a planned 12-ship fleet.

The vessel (IMO number 9857937) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311001044) and registered in Nassau.

History - construction and ownership

Silversea Cruises is a Monaco-based privately-owned cruise company and top-luxury travel brand. It was established in 1994 as joint venture of V-Ships Monaco (fka Vlasov Group) and Lefebvre Family of Rome Italy. In 2018, RCCL-Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd acquired 2/3rd of the company. Silversea now has a fleet of smaller-sized boutique cruise vessels with passenger capacity between 100-700. The company's business model is to operate yacht-like vessels in the industry's ultra-luxury-all-suite ship category. Silversea's all-inclusive fares include beverages (also selected wines), gratuities (none are allowed), travel insurance, port charges, one or more shore excursions (per voyage).

The 600-passenger ship Silver Dawn is an all-suite, top-luxury cruise liner. The shipbuilding contract with Fincantieri was announced on May 14, 2018. The new vessels will be constructed at the Sestri Ponente shipyard (Genoa Italy). Among the ship's certificates is the “Green Star 3 Design” assigned to vessels specifically designed and equipped with technologies that prevent pollution. Other IMO-issued certificates relate to the vessel's lower noise levels (comfort-noise) - "COMF NOISE A" (for passengers) and “COMF NOISE B" (for the crew).

Decks and Cabins

Silver Dawn staterooms (288 total) are all categorized as "suites", and 96% are with step-out balconies. The ship also has the Silversea fleet's biggest number of connecting cabins. Suite sizes range between 390-1970 ft2 (36-183 m2). Silver Suites (increased to a total of 34) are located on the ship's 3 top decks. The new category 2-Bedroom Silver Suite is sized 1120 ft2 (104 m2) including the terrace (130 ft2 / 12 m2).

The boat has 11 decks, of which 8 are passenger-accessible and 7 with cabins.

Each cabin has a private step-out balcony, walk-in closet, electronic safe box, chest of drawers, marble bathroom (bathtub, separate bathtub/shower, sink/WC area, plush robes and slippers (by Etro), towels, luxury bath products /choice of European top-brand products, Bvlgari by default).

All cabins are completely wireless, with iPod docking stations, hairdryers, alarm clocks, binoculars, umbrellas. Additional amenities in categories Owner, Silver, and Grand suites include 2 hours worldwide complimentary satellite phone use, in-cabin dining (afternoon canapes), private dinner at officers' table. Junior attendants and butlers are assigned to each suite.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Silver Dawn offers 8 different dining options, including 3 al-fresco / outdoor. The menu selections are not just creative, but gourmet food art. The Hot Rocks grill menu and La Terrazza dinner robust menu is stepping in future gourmet cuisine at sea. As for the gratuities – all of those are included in the fare, and nothing additional is expected.

Follows the complete list of Silver Dawn restaurants and food bars.

• Atlantide (steakhouse, bar & grill restaurant, reservations-only; features designer seafood dishes and gourmet fish specialties)
• 7 Restaurant (open-seating dining room with top-quality gourmet cuisine; features mostly Mediterranean themed meals, and always available standard menu with daily specials; all three meals are waiter-served and a la carte)
• La Grande Dame (called Le Champagne on the other Silversea ships). La Dame is a new, 24-seat upscale French cuisine specialty restaurant that offers signature dishes by Relais Chateaux. This is the only shipboard restaurant where dining is offered at an additional fee (all others are price-inclusive). La Dame is dinner-only and reservations are required.
• Kabuki (Japanese cuisine specialty restaurant, reservations required) with teppanyaki iron griddles (used for the evening meals). Sushi and sashimi are offered during the day.
• Indochine (Asian cuisine specialty restaurant)
• Silver Note (jazz club with live performances) also serves tapas-style dishes.
• La Terrazza (Terrace Cafe; complimentary buffet restaurant) offers both indoor seating and an alfresco terrace with interactive food stations (olive oil cellar, a mozzarella bar, seafood bar, salumeria, Italian-style deli). Wine is complimentary, but premium wines (from Connoisseur’s Wine List) cost extra. There is an Afternoon Tea service. La Terrazza transforms each evening (between 7-9:30 pm) into an Italian specialty restaurant (reservations-only) with a la carte-priced menu. During the day, La Terrazza is also open for buffet-style breakfast and lunch.
• Hot Rocks (alfresco poolside restaurant) is an outdoor Steakhouse and Seafood restaurant for gourmet al-fresco dining under the stars; This open-air grill venue implements Silversea's new interactive dining concept “Black Rock Grill Experience”. In the evenings, it allows passengers to cook their food (fresh seafood and prime steaks) on heated volcanic-rock plates at their own table. During the day, Hot Rocks serves as a rotisserie and gourmet salad and burger bar.
• Regina Margherita (outdoor/poolside pizzeria) is also complimentary and open from morning to late evening. The restaurant offers pizzas baked in a custom-made, wood-fired oven.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Traditional shipboard entertainment includes bingo, team trivia, golf competitions, occasional movies, evening Broadway-style show productions and live jazz performances in The Theater lounge.

Onboard amenities include movies on demand and interactive TV service. Passengers can check messages, review accounts, or choose from a large number of newly released movies. Smart TVs are the world's latest technology - hybrid UHDTV with infotainment system (integrated Internet and interactive features). Cabin TV programming includes the channels CNN International, Fox News, ESPN, BBC World.

Eight laundry rooms are available for guests and complimentary. Also available are laundry, dry cleaning, pressing – all through the complimentary butler service for each of the cabins.

Follows the complete list of Silver Dawn lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Boutique shops (offer duty-free shopping: luxury jewelry and watches, brand perfumes, fashion, designer handbags, photo/video accessories, Silversea logo merchandise, special occasion gifts, convenience goods)
• The Main Bar (lounge with ample comfortable seating; offers live music performances, large dance floor, complimentary cocktails)
• The Theatre (Main Show Lounge for live music and show productions; the daily enrichment program offers trivia games, dance classes, language lessons, lectures, media presentations)
• Conference Room (hosts group meetings and conferences) is adjacent to the Card Room and the Internet Cafe.
• Swimming Pool is with saltwater and heated during cool-weather cruises. The sunbathing area has teak chaise loungers, 3 whirlpools (Jacuzzis), tennis tables.
• Connoisseur’s Corner (formerly known as Humidor - ship’s cigar club (smoking lounge) furnished with leather armchairs and selling brand cognacs, vintage wines, fine cigars)
• Panorama Lounge (served by its own bar; offers live music and dancing, Continental Breakfast and Afternoon Tea)
• Observation Lounge (with 270-degree panoramic views and a radar screen; serves early breakfast with coffee)
• Children’s Room (kids-play facility with supervised, age-appropriate activities; has an Outdoor Area)
• The Library (with audio listening stations and on-demand movies)
• Zagara Beauty Spa has treatment rooms, Beauty Salon, 2 saunas, 2 steam rooms, Thermal Suite.
• Beauty Salon (provides a full range of services: hairstyling, manicures, pedicures)
• Fitness Centre (offers a treadmill, stationary bike, weight machine, elliptical trainer). There is a separate Aerobics Studio for classes.
• Power Walking/Jogging Track, Golf Cage, paddle tennis, golf putting green.

24-hour Room Service and WiFi Internet are complimentary.

Itineraries

Silversea Silver Dawn itinerary program was officially announced in mid-October 2019. The ship seasonally operates in Europe's Mediterranean Sea (departing from homeports Civitavecchia-Rome, Venice, Barcelona, Piraeus-Athens) and Caribbean (departures from homeport Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA) with Transatlantic repositioning crossings in spring and fall. The boat also offers Around The World voyages.

The inaugural cruise was initially planned for September 22, 2021 (out of Civitavecchia-Rome) and later rescheduled for November 9 (from Barcelona).

With Silver Dawn, Silversea unveiled 5 new itineraries, all of which were canceled in early-January 2021.

• (September 22 - October 1, 2021) 9-night from Civitavecchia-Rome to Venice itinerary visits Sorrento (overnight), Siracusa (Sicily), Corfu Island (overnight), Kotor (Montenegro), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Split (Croatia), to Venice. Prices started from EUR 5500 per person (double-occupancy cabin rates).
• (October 1 - October 13, 2021) 12-night from Venice to Piraeus-Athens itinerary visits Split, Dubrovnik, Corfu Island, Kefalonia Island, Souda (Crete), Rhodes Island, Istanbul (overnight), Dikili, Kusadasi, to Piraeus-Athens. Prices started from EUR 7200 pp.
• (October 13-23, 2021) 10-night from Piraeus-Athens to Barcelona itinerary visits Santorini Island, Valletta (Malta), Giardini Naxos (Sicily), Sorrento, Civitavecchia-Rome, Livorno, Monte Carlo (overnight), to Barcelona. Prices started from EUR 6000 pp.
• (October 23 - November 2, 2021) 10-night from Barcelona to Lisbon itinerary visits Palma (Mallorca Island), Valencia, Cartagena, Malaga, Cadiz, Casablanca (Morocco), Tangier (Morocco), to Lisbon. Prices started from EUR 5500 pp.
• (November 2-15, 2021) 13-night Transatlantic crossing itinerary (RepositionCruises.com) from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale visits only San Juan Puerto Rico (overnight). Prices started from EUR 4900 pp.

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, Silversea postponed Silver Dawn's inauguration for 2022. The Maiden Voyage was on March 18th (14-day eastbound Transatlantic crossing) from Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon.

On May 14, 2018, Silversea signed with Fincantieri the Silver Dawn's shipbuilding order. The vessel was launched (floated out from drydock) at Fincantieri's Ancona Shipyard (Ancona Italy) on January 14, 2021. The special ceremony was attended by Roberto Martinoli (Silversea's President and CEO) and Luigi Matarazzo (Fincantieri's General Manager of the company's Merchant Ships Division).

Silversea's "flight and cruise" package deals (by the company's "Silver Sky" fly-cruise program) are inclusive of the cruise fare, discount roundtrip airfare (Economy Class) and airport-pier-airport transfers.

Silversea's "hotel and cruise" package "Silver Shore Simply Hotel" offers overnight 5-star luxury hotel stays with optional transfers or upgrades. The upgraded cruise-hotel package ("Silver Shore Grande Hotel") offers 1-3-nights landmark hotel stays (or at a boutique leisure property) and is inclusive of private transfers (airport-hotel and hotel-pier).

With shipowner Royal Caribbean Group (RCG), Silver Dawn was officially delivered to Silversea on November 12, 2021. The ceremony was physically attended by Roberto Martinoli (Silversea) and Luigi Matarazzo (Fincantieri), and remotely/via video feeds by Richard Fain (RCG's Chairman and CEO) and Jason Liberty (RCG's Executive VP and CFO).

The ship's christening ceremony was on March 31, 2022, held in Port Lisbon (Portugal). The special event was led by godmother Nilou Motamed (Iran-born American food and travel editor/tastemaker/TV personality). She is best known as one of the judges on "Top Chef" (reality competition TV series) since 2008. In the past, she has also worked as Editor-in-Chief for the "Food & Wine" magazine and also Conde Nast's food brand Epicurious (1995-created), as well as for the "Travel+Leisure" magazine (as Features Director and Senior Correspondent), Conrad Hotels & Resorts (as Director of Inspiration).

The naming ceremony was attended by Jason Liberty (RCG-Royal Caribbean Group's new President and CEO), Roberto Martinoli (Silversea's President and CEO), the ship's Master (Captain Samuele Failla), as well as by Fincantieri executives, Portuguese dignitaries, VIP guests.

Inaugural cruise itineraries 2022

In early-January 2021, Silversea officially announced Silver Dawn's schedule (Fall 2021-2022-2023 Spring) and all these voyages were opened for booking. However, later the entire 2021 program was canceled.

Next are listed the ship's inaugural cruise itineraries by theme/region, with prices in USD per person (with double occupancy).

(MAIDEN VOYAGE/inaugural Transatlantic crossing) 14-day from Florida to Europe

(inaugural Mediterranean itinerary) 26-day from Lisbon to Venice ($15840 pp)

(inaugural Caribbean itinerary roundtrip from the USA) 20-day from Fort Lauderdale ($8370)

Godspeed!

Grand Voyage 2022 SOUTH AMERICA

In late-December 2020, Silversea announced Silver Dawn's "Grand Voyage 2022 South America". The 75-day itinerary leaves roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida USA) and visits 45 ports in 22 countries.

Another planned for 2022 "world cruise" is Silver Moon ship's "Grand Voyage 2022 EUROPE". The B2B (back-to-back cruise) itinerary combines two Silversea European itineraries ("Grand Voyage 2022 Mediterranean" and "Grand Voyage 2022 Northern Europe"), departs from Piraeus-Athens Greece (March 30, 2022, ends in Stockholm Sweden (June 28) and visits 72 ports/destinations (including 8 port overnights) in 22 countries.