Silver Whisper

The 2001-built MS Silver Whisper cruise ship is the fourth vessel in the Silversea fleet - preceded by Silver Cloud (1994), Silver Wind (1995) and the sistership Silver Shadow (2000).

The vessel (IMO number 9192179) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 308322000) 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. 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 500-passenger ship Silver Whisper and her sistership Silver Shadow, hold slightly more guests than earlier Silversea ships. As a result, they offer a few more options – Internet center, poolside grill, cigar bar. But the experience is still relaxing, pampering, and elegantly casual. Not to mention the little extras, like free laundry facilities and complimentary shuttles in call ports, that make your vacation effortless.

Silver Whisper ship’s passengers are an interesting mix - geographically diverse, the mid-30s and up, hailing from Europe, the Far East, and America. Silversea's Whisper ship (just like her sister Shadow) has one of the highest ratios space-to-passenger – at 74, providing more space than any other ship. Another impressive ratio is passenger-to-crew – which on the Whisper ship is 1.31 to 1.

Silver Whisper's 2016 refurbishment resulted in refreshed suites (also fitted with dark marble floors in the bathrooms). Sun Deck received new furniture (premium sun loungers) and a newly tiled swimming pool. The Restaurant and La Terrazza received new furniture and hard-wood parquet and carpets. Two new satellite antennas were installed to provide increased Internet speeds. On-demand movies and interactive HDTVs were added to all cabins.

Decks and Cabins

Silver Whisper staterooms (194 total, in 12 grades) are all Suites and include 4x connecting and 2x wheelchair-accessible cabins. Outside suites range in size between 290-1435 ft2 (27-133 m2) and 80% of all accommodations feature step-out balconies. Standard Suites (Vista and Verandah) have sitting areas, large table, writing desks, video players, walk-in closets. The marble bathrooms offer a separate shower and tub. The owners’ suites are two, very spacious, featuring a living room, big plasma-screen TV, bar, dining and powder rooms, and one or two bedrooms (of course, with Jacuzzi bathrooms).

The boat has 10 decks, of which 8 are passenger-accessible and 6 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Dinner onboard Silver Whisper is the culinary highlight of each day at sea. The Restaurant offers a 6-course menu, with a variety of choices, including vegetarian entrees and “CruiseLite” menus (low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium). An intriguing option is also themed events at La Terrazza. Occasionally the restaurant opens for dinner throughout each voyage, offering any of 16 six-course menus that range from French, Asian and Italian to all-seafood. Terrace Cafe’s chef works with a sommelier to pair food with an appropriate wine. Reservations are required because these events are limited to 50 guests.

For breakfast, Silver Whisper guests can choose from light food options, set out in the Panorama and Observation lounges, or ample buffet in Terrace Cafe. Also open is the Restaurant, though for more formal breakfast. Terrace Cafe continues the buffet theme for lunch and the Restaurant offers more formal menus. Poolside Grille is an ultra-casual option – the menu features grilled chicken, burgers, fries, and salads.

Room service provides a 24-hour comprehensive menu and during meal times guests can order from Restaurant’s menu. The Whisper staff’s service is efficient and prompt – upon request, you will be served meals course-by-course, or all at once. Silver Whisper gratuities are included in the fare, extra tips aren’t encouraged.

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

• The Restaurant (open-seating dining room with top-quality gourmet cuisine; features the most Mediterranean themed meals, and always available standard menu with daily specials; all three meals are waiter-served and a la carte)
• Le Champagne (20-seat French cuisine specialty restaurant; offers signature dishes by Relais Chateaux; dinner-only; reservations-only)
• La Terrazza (Terrace Cafe; complimentary buffet-style restaurant, offers both indoor seating and an alfresco terrace; wine is complimentary; there is also Afternoon Tea service; La Terrazza transforms each evening between 7:00 and 9:30 pm, into an Italian specialty restaurant, reservations-only, with a la carte menu)
• Pool Bar & Pool Grill (serve ship's pool deck area with fast food and drinks during the day; in the evening, the outdoor area becomes an al fresco dining venue with classic seafood and steakhouse choices, plus vegetarian and healthy selections)
• The Grill (offers gourmet dining under the stars with signature meals including lava-rocks grilled meat, seafood, Mediterranean vegetables, baked potatoes, salad of the day; wines are complimentary, except the premium ones from the Connoisseur’s Wine List; The Grill implements the line’s interactive dining concept “Black Rock Grill Experience”, which allows guests to cook their own meat and seafood). 

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Maybe the busiest spots on the Silver Whisper cruise ship is the Internet Center, containing five computers, and each passenger has a pre-assigned onboard email address. An adjacent library with the usual bestseller books and a wonderful selection of videos uses another two terminals. Silver Whisper also has a Medical Center, fully serviceable by the way.

The Whisper’s Mandara Spa offers south Pacific exotic treatments. Silversea Cruises forbids spa therapists to engage guests in their annoying sales product attempts at treatments’ end. Silver Whisper spa treatments include traditional facials, massages, and even unusual offerings. The “Indonesian Natural Facial” is made with ingredients from seasonal vegetables and fruits. “Ultimate Indulgence” features two therapists who offer simultaneous one-person massage. Treatments are typically priced higher than onboard other lines, and the reason is that many of them last twice-as-long as average. Spa facilities also feature steam, sauna, and full-service beauty salon. An adequate fitness facility is adjacent to the spa, with treadmills, weight machines, exercise room. Daily fitness instructor classes are offered. Outdoors is a pool (big enough) with two whirlpools. Other athletic features include a running track, shuffleboard, golf cage, and ping-pong.

Additional amenities include 2 Launderettes, Medical Center/Infirmary, complimentary 24-hour Room Service, Internet/WiFi Access.

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

• The Casino (with slot machines and gaming tables; served by The Bar)
• Boutique shops (both 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 Bar (lounge with ample comfortable seating; offers live music performances, large dance floor, complimentary cocktails)
• Show Lounge (former Venetian Lounge - ship’s theatre 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; it is adjacent to the Card Room and the Internet Cafe)
• The Swimming Pool (with saltwater; heated during cool-weather cruises; the sunbathing area has teak chaise loungers, 2 whirlpools and tennis tables)
• Connoisseur’s Corner (formerly known as Humidor - ship’s 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)
• The Library (with audio listening stations and on-demand movies)
• The Spa at Silversea (features treatment rooms, and spa therapies including body wraps, massages and facials; sauna and steam rooms)
• Beauty Salon (provides a full range of services: hairstyling, manicures, pedicures)
• Fitness Centre (offers a treadmill, stationary bike, weight machine, elliptical trainer)
• Power Walking/Jogging Track, Golf Cage, paddle tennis, golf putting green.

Itineraries

Silver Whisper itinerary program is based on luxury World Cruises and Baltic Sea voyages with departures from the UK, Denmark and Sweden. The ship also operates on Canada/New England cruises from New York and Montreal, and sails in the Caribbean leaving from Fort Lauderdale, with Transatlantic repositioning crossings.

In 2020, the ship started the world's first Around The World voyage visiting all the 7 continents. The 140-day itinerary (January 6 through May 25, 2020, from Fort Lauderdale Florida to Amsterdam Holland) had 62 ports in 32 countries. Read more in the ship's Wiki section.

Silversea's "flight and cruise" package deals (by the company's "Silver Sky" program) are inclusive of the luxury cruise fare, discount round-trip 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 the option of adding transfers or upgrades. The upgraded cruise and hotel package ("Silver Shore Grande Hotel") offers 1-3-nights landmark hotel stays (or at a boutique property) and is inclusive of private transfers (airport-hotel and hotel-pier).

Silver Whisper cruise ship was built in Italy, in 2001. The hull of the vessel was constructed at the yard of Visentini, near Trieste, while final outfitting, took place at the T. Marotti shipyard in Genoa.

Silversea Whisper cruise ship has an "elder" identical sister - Silver Shadow, that was launched in 2000. Godmother of the vessel is the wife of Silversea Cruises' Chairman Manfredi Lefebvre D'Ovidio - Marzia Lefebvre D'Ovidio. Mrs Lefebvre smashed a Salmanazar (9-liter bottle) of Moet & Chandon champagne in the ship's bow at the grand ceremony in the morning of the 18th of June, in Genoa Italy. On the 2nd of July, 2001, the ship began her maiden voyage between two capital city ports - Civitavecchia/Rome to London England.

Silversea ships Whisper and Shadow are famous for their world's best space-to-guest ratio - score of 74. This means they offer the most space per guest than any other mainstream or luxury cruise ship on the planet. Like all Silversea vessels, Shadow and Whisper also have very good guest-to-crew ratio - 1,3. All their officers and crew members are European trained.

(August 09, 2008 accident) the ship was reported to have a power failure at about 7 am, that affected the propulsion system. The ship was near the port of Lisbon Portugal and the problem was fixed in the afternoon.

Silver Whisper refurbishment 2018 review

In 2018, the ship entered drydock at Freeport Bahamas (December 8-19). The refurbishment works included:

• redesigning and redecoration of all public areas (to become similar to the fleet mate Silver Muse interior decor)
• new carpeting (hallways, theatre, main dining room restaurant, casino, conference room, main bar lounge)
• La Dame Restaurant received new curtains and floor polishing.
• Lounge renovations (La Terrazza, Observation Lounge, and Panorama Lounge).
• Casino and Conference Room received new curtains and chairs.
• Zagara Spa received new furniture and equipment.
• The Gym was fitted with latest technology equipment.
• (Deck 5) 9x Terrace Suite cabins were refitted and recategorized in Veranda Suites.
• All cabins were upgraded with 40-inch HDTVs (interactive system, on-demand movies, Internet). All cabin bathrooms were updated with newly polished granite countertops.
• Also were allocated storage space for new zodiacs (large-capacity inflatable motorboats used for passenger tendering and landings in remote areas). A new lifting crane for deploying the boats was installed.

The works included general maintenance, upgrades to public areas, complete renovation of all staterooms. The Atrium Lobby (Deck 5 midship) was completely redesigned and Atrium Arts Cafe was added (replacing the old Lobby Bar). Connoisseur's Club (the old cigar lounge) was moved from Deck 7 to Deck 8 (aft-starboard, replacing the Library) with added an outdoor smoking-allowed terrace. The Casino was relocated from Deck 5 (midship-portside) to Deck 8 (aft-starboard, replacing the Internet Cafe) and its size was reduced. The Library was relocated from Deck 8 (aft-starboard) to Deck 10 forward (Observation Library Lounge). Internet Cafe (Deck 8 aft-portside) was integrated into the Observation Lounge (Deck 10).

Silver Whisper refurbishment 2016 review

Follows the list of changes made during the December 2016 drydock (in Freeport Bahamas).

• All cruise suites were renovated with dark marble floors in the bathrooms. All staterooms were upgraded with smart HDTVs (infotainment system) offering in-cabin Internet and movies-on-demand. Cabins' interior upgrades also included new furniture, upholstery, carpets.
• On Lido Deck 8 the swimming pool was re-tiled.
• Sun Deck 9 was re-furnished with new sun loungers and received new quality-teak decking.
• The Restaurant (main dining room on deck 4) and La Terrazza (buffet restaurant on deck 7) both received new furniture, carpeting and flooring (hardwood parquet).
• New satellite equipment now provides faster Internet speeds.
• Jogging Track (deck 9) was updated with new synthetic turf cover.
• Renovations were also done to Connoisseur's Corner (deck 7), Panorama Lounge (deck 8), Spa & Beauty Salon (deck 10).
• Observation Lounge (deck 10) has new wood paneling, new marble-topped bar, new wood display cases.

Drydock 2016 renovations were part of Silversea's USD 170 million fleetwide refurbishment program.

Silversea World Cruise 2022 Silver Whisper

Silver Whisper's Tale of Tales World Cruise (2022) visited a total of 62 destinations (ports and islands) in 30 different countries (6 continents) and featured Arctic-though-Antarctic navigation (between 65° North and 65° South). The list of "Tale Tellers" (renown guest lecturers) contracted for the unique voyage included Nicholas Crane (ex-President of the Royal Geographical Society), Pico Iyer (writer), Monica Hanna (archaeologist), Eamonn Gearon (historian), Steve McCurry (photography), Asma Khan (celebrity chef, restaurant owner, author), Christina Franco (polar explorer).

Next table shows the 138-day "Tale of Tales World Cruise" itinerary as call ports and times.

Full-segment "World Cruise 2022" prices started from USD 82700 (EUR 70360) per person with double occupancy.

Silversea World Cruise 2021 Silver Whisper

Silver Whisper's 150-day world cruise (themed "The Finest World Tour 2021") starts from Fort Lauderdale (January 7) and ends in NYC (June 6). The voyage visits 54 ports/destinations in 34 different countries on 6 continents.

"The Finest World Tour" 2021 cruise itinerary

Full-segment "World Cruise 2020" prices ranged from EUR 55,000 pp (USD 62,000 / Vista Suite), EUR 69,000 pp (Veranda Suite), EUR 131,000 pp (Medallion Suite), EUR 168,000 pp (Silver Suite), EUR 169,000 pp (Royal Suite), EUR 171,000 pp (Grand Suite), up to EUR 205,000 pp (USD 240,000 / Owner Suite / GBP 380,000 per booking).

Also in 2021, on the fleetmate Silver Cloud Silversea introduced the company's first "Expedition World Cruise". The cruise starts from Ushuaia (Argentina) on January 30, 2021, and ends in Tromso (Norway) on July 16, 2021. The 167-day itinerary includes 107 ports/destinations in 30 different countries.

Silversea World Cruise 2020 Silver Whisper

On March 12, 2018, Silversea opened for booking Silver Whisper's 140-day World Cruise 2020 (Legends of Cruising). The itinerary visits 62 ports in 32 countries and is the world's first "Around The World" voyage visiting all the 7 continents. The itinerary starts on January 6, 2020, from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) and ends in Amsterdam (Holland) on May 25, 2020.

Silversea World Cruise 2018 Silver Whisper

Silversea's World Cruise 2018 on Silver Whisper was a 121-day westbound itinerary from USA (Los Angeles to Civitavecchia-Rome, departure Jan 6, 2018). The itinerary (named "La Grande Bellezza") visited 60 ports in 21 countries and includes a total of 17 overnight port stays plus 13 late-night port stays. Among the visited destinations were Hawaii, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Oman), Suez Canal, Europe-Mediterranean (Egypt, Greece, Italy. Smaller itinerary segments were also available.

Silver Whisper World Cruise 2018 booked passengers received as bonus amenities Bon Voyage reception and Los Angeles overnight hotel stay (Jan 5), included airfare (Business Class tickets and airport-hotel-ship transfer), USD 4000 per cabin OBC (onboard credit), complimentary services (baggage valet, laundry, dry cleaning), unlimited Wi-Fi, special gifts.

Full World Cruise 2018 prices started at USD 58000 pp (Vista Suite) up to USD 182000 pp (Owner Suite).