Cruise embarkation day finally arrived and, after a lovely stay in Venice, we were anxious to board the Silver Spirit for our 10-day journey along the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Seas. After a final breakfast at Cucina, we checked out of the JW and boarded our reserved 12:30 water taxis for the 20-minute ride to the Marittima Cruise Port. Smiling Silversea agents were on deck to guide us towards the terminal building where check in procedures were pleasant and perfunctory. After clearing security, we then had to take a shuttle bus to the Fusina Cruise Terminal, where we boarded the ship to begin our adventure. Visiting two port terminals was the cruise line's answer to the Italian government's banning large cruise ships from the historic center of the city. This occurred after the 13-deck MSC Opera experienced an engine failure in 2019 causing it to crash first into a tourist boat and then into a dock, injuring five tourists.
The all-suite Silver Spirit made a name for itself in the luxury cruise world when Silversea first introduced this vessel as its flagship back in 2009. Some nine years later, it underwent a $70 million renovation which included adding a new midsection. For the refurbishment, the ship was literally cut in half, and a 49-foot-long prebuilt midsection was inserted. The ship benefits from this expanded length with a larger pool, additional outdoor space and seating by the pool and on the sun deck, and an increase in suites from 270 to 304. We opted for Superior Verandah Suites located on decks 8 and 9. Our 376 square foot suite featured a queen bed and a comfortable sitting area with work desk. We also had a rather spacious walk-in closet complete with in-room safe and a bathroom that had both tub and shower, along with much-appreciated Bulgari amenities. The best part? The floor to ceiling glass doors that opened onto our relaxing and private teak veranda from which we enjoyed some wonderful moments, including our arrival in various ports of call.
This cruise line offers dedicated butler service in all suites. As we were settling in, Louie stopped by to introduce himself and welcome us aboard. His polite, professional and friendly demeanor was much appreciated and we soon discovered that no request went unfulfilled, whether it was getting a shoe shine or making restaurant reservations or checking on a last-minute excursion. Louie also provided white tablecloth in-suite service for us with a smile on most mornings and made sure our in-suite bar requests were always met. It was easy to get used to having a butler like him and we were only sorry we couldn’t take him home with us! This is the perfect opportunity to praise the rest of the Silver Spirit crew. Most made a point of learning our names and preferences and seemed genuinely pleased to have us on the ship. The crew are well trained to satisfy every passenger whim, whenever possible. We’ve cruised with six different lines over the years, but could never make the same claims about those crews.
We established quick friendships with both Kimberly and Ronnie, our servers in Deck 9’s Panorama Lounge. Later we opted for casual for our first evening dinner, dining at Hot Rocks, also on Deck 9. What sets this venue apart from others is its unique way of cooking the entrée courses from the Pool Grill. These may include steaks, veal, swordfish or shrimp, or even a vegetarian tofu option and they all come with a variety of zesty dipping sauces. We were first given “bibs” attached with clips held in place with small chains around our necks. While we enjoyed our salads, our selections were placed on hot, (and I DO mean hot) sizzling lava stones heated to 750° Fahrenheit. So, in essence we were cooking our own dinners outside as we sailed along enjoying the night air. It was a great experience. It also set the stage for what was to come as we later dined at many of the eight different dining choices (including 24-hour room service) to be found aboard the Silver Spirit.
The following morning found us sailing the Adriatic Sea. We didn’t dock at our first port of Split, Croatia until 1:00 PM, which gave us a chance to explore the vessel and afterwards we met up for lunch at the Atlantide Restaurant on Deck 4. This was a wildly popular venue open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Service was attentive and the elegantly-styled room is stunning. There were gorgeous marble floors and columns and velvety burnt orange chairs. One side of the room offered lovely window views framed by thick drapery while the opposing wall was decorated with intricate mirrors and crystal sconces. There was also a small eight-seat bar tucked inside Atlantide with a cool vibe and welcoming bartender. We chose the buffet, and noted the midday menu choices were lighter than those offered in the evening, including more salads (like a spicy Asian beef) and seafood (such as shrimp in tamarind sauce).
After lunch we boarded a shuttle bus for the seven-hour excursion titled “Split Riviera and River Cruise.” First up was an extensive tour of Diocletian's Palace. This is considered to be one of the most imposing Roman ruins and certainly Split’s main attraction. The entire complex occupies about seven and a half acres and the ruins lie in the heart of the city. The ancient fortress has become the Old Town of Split with numerous shops, cafés, restaurants and apartments located in very old buildings on narrow streets. Today, approximately 3,000 persons are living in what was originally Diocletian's Palace.
We then boarded another shuttle for the 17-mile journey to the Cetina River, where our group of 20 boarded two open-hull boats for a 30-minute boat ride up the river, passing imposing cliffs before stopping at the Radman’s Mills Restaurant near Omiš in the heart of the Cantina River Canyon for what we assumed was a typical Croatian meal. Sitting outside on picnic table benches, dinner consisted of Beef Soup with Homemade Noodles (that tasted surprisingly like Liptons), Pot Roast with Tomato Sauce and Gnocchi. Croatian Donuts with Grapes were served for dessert, after which we boarded the bus for the 40-minute ride back to the ship, arriving at 8:40. This tour was way too long and the dinner was very poor. The worst part was that we missed dining on the ship for the first formal night.. But, shame on us for making the booking in the first place without noticing its length or the timing. In any case, we were all so tired, we simply went directly to bed.
The ship arrived in the lovely city of Dubrovnik on Wednesday morning and, although we had visited once before, we were looking forward to our “Medieval Dubrovnik Walking Tour, “ which commenced after taking the tender to the pier. The Old City of Dubrovnik is known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic” and it’s easy to see why. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most picturesque cities on the Dalmation Coast. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, much of the Old City has since been restored. There are more churches than coffee shops in this city and so it was no surprise that the excursion included stops at the Cathedral of Dubrovnik and the Rector’s Palace. One of the highlights was seeing the steps where Cersei Lannister’s Walk of Shame scene was filmed for Season 5 of the popular Game of Thrones dramatic HBO television series. Back on the Silver Spirit, we went to La Terrazza for dinner that evening. Although it’s also open for breakfast and lunch, La Terrazza ups the ante at dinnertime with dimmed lighting and more personalized and attentive service befitting a fine Italian restaurant.
We had another seven event-filled days to go on this first-rate cruise and I’ll tell you all about them in a future post.
Until next time…safe travels.
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