Caribbean Luxury with Silversea Cruises

In order to continuously deliver the most knowledgeable and personalized service, our advisors maximize every opportunity they can in order to take our own advice...and travel more!

One of our very best advisors, Julie Freeh, recently sailed with Silversea on a special tour package offered only to a distinguished group of travel agents and wrote about her experience below:

This special advisor-oriented travel package gave me an insider look at Silversea and included brand-specific lectures, a ship and hotel tour, presentations and other experiences that gave me a firsthand look from the customer’s perspective - info, insight and valuable insider details that I can pass on to you, my client.

My husband Gerry joined me for five nights in the Caribbean on Silversea’s Silver Spirit leaving from Ft. Lauderdale with stops in Grand Turk, Virgin Gorda, and St. Martin. There were many things that I enjoyed about this luxury cruise, but some of the things I loved most were:

• The size of the ship
• Beautifully designed common areas and elegant accomodations
• The unreal service we received while on board with a friendly staff that anticipated our every need
• Never having to wait in line for anything!
• Always plenty of deck chairs and little nooks to relax in, so we never felt crowded.
• The amazing Arts Café - a great place to have snacks, play cards or people watch.
• Having a butler!

A little more about the butler, which was truly the ultimate luxury! Our butler, Chris, was stylishly clad in tails and white gloves. He offered to unpack and pack for us and stock our bar with anything we requested. He made sure our breakfast service was on time each morning, filled our ice bucket and even cut fresh limes. On top of all that, he always went above and beyond, doing little extras like cleaning my sunglasses each day and wrapping them in a polishing cloth, putting bath salts in the bathroom, and bringing us special treats to snack on in the cabin. Being treated to that level of service is a special touch that really makes a Silversea voyage indulgent and memorable.

Just like the service on board, the food on Silversea is also world-class! The Silversea brand has deep Italian roots, so it makes sense that the Italian food at La Terrazza was next-level. It was my favorite food on board, and that's saying a lot since there are so many options. Even the pizza at Spaccanapoli was some of the best I’ve ever had. If you eat at The Grill, I’d recommend that you have the staff cook your steak for you instead of doing it yourself on the grill stone at your table. Dinner is more of an experience than a quick meal, so dining may be 2+ hours long, so be advised. Men will need a jacket every night as well, but many of our fellow guests went all out in tuxedos and beaded gowns for formal night.

For accomodations, my recommendation is to book a Deluxe Veranda Suite located at the center of the ship. The other suites are at the front of the ship, so you’ll feel the wind and more motion. Consider booking your spa appointments before you board, as time slots do fill up quickly. Only 20% of the reservation times are held for onboard booking, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Silversea caters to adults, so they don’t offer many amenities for children. That being said, there are typically more young guests on the 7-day and/or Caribbean sailings and we saw a few youngsters on our cruise. In the summer there are more youth programs on many itineraries. If you are traveling with a group, you can also book connecting rooms to accomodate everyone.

The Caribbean islands we toured were breathtaking with white sand beaches and crystal clear water. There is still some visible damage from recent storms, but the islands are improving daily and the locals are friendly and eager to welcome the tourists who help rebuild their economy.

Our ship arrived in Grand Turk at the same time as a much larger cruise ship. While thousands of passengers from that ship spilled on shore and scrambled to find their excursions, we were personally escorted by Silversea staff to our meeting point and invited to sit in the shade until our guide was ready. Yet another example of the impeccable attention to detail provided by Silversea.

In Grand Turk, we decided to do the 3-hour Segway tour operated by Oasis Divers. It did take a little while to get through the instruction part of the tour, but everyone in our group was able to catch on pretty easily so we could head off on our tour of historic Grand Turk. It was a fun experience that took us down Duke Street, onto the pristine beaches, and past the historic churches, buildings, schools, and salt ponds. As a bonus, our guides took us to see the pink flamingos.

We tendered at the next port, Virgin Gorda, and had such a great time on The Baths excursion. We passed through beautiful stacked granite boulders to reach the whitest sand beaches and clearest blue water. We had to climb over rough terrain and navigate tight spaces to get down to the beach, but it was worth it! If you go on this excursion, I’d highly recommend water shoes and a bit of cash. There is a bar on the second beach and there’s nothing better than a Corona after the hike down the hill.

In St. Martin, we used Shore Trips for a 3-hour tour on our way to the hotel. We drove to Lookout Point on Cole Bay Hill for the gorgeous views. We then went on to Marigot, the capital city of the French side of the island. We were given time to do a bit of shopping and walk through this busy part of the island with lots of shops and boats and places to eat. We drove by Orient Beach, the clothing-optional beach, then stopped at Maho Beach, where crowds gather to watch the planes take off and land. We enjoyed a beverage at the Sunset Beach Bar before heading to the Belmond La Samanna, where we stayed in an oceanfront suite for one night. This was a truly amazing experience. The negative edge pool gave way to a beautiful ocean view. The staff was eager to please and the spa was incredible.

Overall, we had an amazing time on our Silversea voyage, and I know you will too! Give me a call so I can help you find your perfect Silversea experience as well - one of the most inclusive, luxurious and relaxing cruises you'll ever go on.