Silver Moon

MS Silver Moon cruise ship is of the same design as the sisterships Silver Muse (2017) and Silver Dawn (2021). When the shipbuilding order for Silver Moon was placed, Silversea Cruises had a fleet of 9 vessels, with planned expansion up to 12 ships. The last newbuild in this series (still unnamed boat) is planned for delivery in 2023.

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. 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 40,700-ton, 596-passenger Silver Moon is an all-suite, top-luxury cruise ship. The shipbuilding contract with Fincantieri was signed on September 11, 2017. The new vessels will be constructed at the Sestri Ponente shipyard (Genoa Italy). Among the ship's certificates is "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).

Cruise itinerary program

Silver Moon itinerary program is based on summer Mediterranean cruises (in southern Europe) with departures from homeports Rome, Venice, Barcelona and Athens. During winter, the ship cruises in the Caribbean, leaving from homeport Fort Lauderdale (Florida USA). There are also possibilities for seasonal Asian and Australian deployments. The liner will also offer Around The World voyages.

Cabins

Silver Moon has a total of 298 staterooms (all categorized as "suites", 75% with private balconies) that as sizes are fleet's largest. The ship also has the fleet's biggest number of connecting cabins. Suite sizes range between 390 ft2 - 1970 ft2 (36-183 m2). Silver Suites (increased to a total of 34) are located on the ship's 3 top decks. The new 2-Bedroom Silver Suite is sized 1120 ft2 (104 m2).

Each cabin has a private step-out balcony, walk-in closet, electronic safe, chest of drawers, luxury robe, slippers. 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 Moon 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 really stepping in future gourmet cuisine at sea. As for the gratuities - all included in cruise fares, and nothing additional is expected.

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

• Atlantide (steakhouse, bar grill restaurant, reservations-only; features designer seafood dishes and gourmet fish specialities)
• 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 speciality 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 speciality restaurant, reservations required) with teppanyaki iron griddles (used for the evening meals). Sushi and sashimi are offered during the day.
• Indochine (Asian cuisine speciality 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 speciality 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 are the complimentary laundry rooms. Also available are laundry, dry cleaning, pressing - all through the complimentary butler service for each of the cabins.

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

• Boutique shops (offer duty-free shopping: luxury jewellery 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.

When the Silversea-Fincantieri shipbuilding order for Silver Moon was signed (September 2017), the Italian company had a total of 78 cruise vessels built in the period 1990-2017 (of which 55 launched between 2002-2017) plus other 31 being designed or under construction.

Vessel's keel-laying ceremony was held on February 14 (Valentine's Day) 2019, at the shipyard in Ancona Italy. The newbuild is the tenth liner in the Silversea’s fleet. Ship's launch (float out from drydock) was on August 29, 2019. The ceremony was attended by Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio (Silversea's Chairman) and Giovanni Stecconi (Fincantieri-Ancona Shipyard's Director). Ceremony's Godmother was Roberta Bonisiol (Fincantieri employee).

In early-February 2020 was announced the ship's Godmother - Gaia Gaja (Barbaresco Italy-born, one of the owners of GAJA Winery). GAJA Winery is a 5th-generation family business and a large producer of fine wines (Piemonte wines from northwestern Italy's Piedmont region) since 1859. The christening ceremony is scheduled for August 5, 2020, to be held in Trieste Italy. The vessel is Bahamas-flagged (registered in Nassau).

Silversea's "flight and cruise" package deals (by 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).

Inaugural cruise itineraries 2020

Next are listed ship's maiden voyages as homeports, dates and call ports (with port times - arrival/departure).

(2020, August 6) 11-day "Inaugural Cruise" - Trieste to Rome

(2020 October 2) 10-day Mediterranean roundtrip from Venice

(2020 October 30) 9-day Mediterranean roundtrip from Barcelona

(2020 November 8) 15-day Transatlantic repositioning cruise (from Europe to USA-Caribbean)

Godspeed to the new ship!