Dolcevita Diva

Nope. Standard procedure is electronic only. Someone mentioned elsewhere that they requested a paper copy and were able to get a black and white version. The Chronicles on the tablet/tv are 79-80 pages long...a lot to flip through. Your messages and the survey will also come on the tv/tablet, but invitations such as Venetian Society reception are still delivered in paper. On the positive side, the digital displays near each elevator list do list upcoming activities for the next few hours.

Since @boccenana will board in a few days, let me first add a few more overall comments about specific facets of this ship/cruise experience before covering additional details of our ports and excursions to wrap up. None of these comments are intended as a complaint, just a few differences from other Silversea ships or oddities they may want to consider sorting out. Follow-up note re: the Cadiz excursion and sherry tasting - unless you book the first group time, eat a hearty breakfast! Our excursion left at 9:45 a.m. and it was around 1-1:30 when the tasting portion began. So we'd not had lunch before we began tasting 5 different types of sherry😄. Electronics - The Silver Nova is much more advanced on the tech front, but there are a few areas that could still stand improvement. The Chronicles, restaurant descriptions, daily menus and yourbefore we began tasting 5 personal agenda for the day are all handled electronically, either on the tablet provided in your suite, your television or your personal phone/tablet (after you download and connect to Silversea wifi and the mycruise app). As you look through daily activities in the Chronicles, you can click on activities that you'd like to add to your agenda for the day. Really liked having this information available electronically, but some aspects are a bit cumbersome, too. You can make restaurant reservations electronically, but you're not able to change the number in party or cancel a reservation through these tools (!?). In fact, cancelling restaurant reservations was rather a pain on this voyage, as you cannot call to cancel until the venue is open or someone there in mid-afternoon, when you might be out on an excursion. So you need to rely on your butler or ask the reception desk to cancel those reservations and in practice, they are so busy they sometimes forget. And as mentioned, your agenda is available on your own phone/ap, but in my experience, that was only when connected to Silversea wifi. Which means only when you're onboard the ship. Suite Numbering - The number scheme is disorienting on this ship. Although they followed the usual approach of even numbers on one side and odd numbers on the other, because there are so many different suite configurations interspersed with each other on a deck, the suite numbers on the opposite side of the hallway may be very different. For example, I had booked 6051, a deluxe midship veranda. After boarding the ship and going to deck 6, I quickly found suites 6052 and 6054. But the odd-numbered suites across the hall were numbers 6071 and 6073 and my suite was 10 doors down. The elevator banks on opposite sides of the ship add to the disorientation once you get to your home deck (or was that the champagne? 😄). So count the doors till your cabin from each bank of elevators. S.A.L.T. Lab - As others have mentioned on the Dawn and the Moon, these classes can only be booked onboard and are very popular, so they book up quickly. I inquired about the classes at reception immediately after boarding. They gave me the list (two different classes were offered that week) but told me that these needed to be booked on the television or tablet in my suite. That didn't seem to be an option on my tablet, though. Tried again at reception later that evening and they all classes were fully booked until the final day so I grabbed that spot. I did try to stand by for an earlier class and the chef that day said that there was a spot available, but then far more people than there were places poured in so I left. The lady who runs the program was ill/quarantined that week and so the overall organization needed help - the chef was great with the cooking instruction but they really needed someone else there at least at the start of each class to manage the passengers. They book reservations on the basis of two people at each cooking station, but most of the couples were taking two stations until another passenger pointed out "there are two aprons there, which means two people per station". There were also clearly more people showing up than had reserved - when my friends took their first class, there was a third person added to their station and a few others. So - a bit chaotic but loved the class itself. And the venue is gorgeous. I've only seen pictures of the S.A.L.T Lab on the Moon and the Dawn, but this space on the Nova is quite beautiful with a full wall of windows. Entertainment/Activities - Although there was only 1 sea day on this itinerary, there were more activities scheduled on port days than I ever remember seeing. From dance classes with the entertainers to table tennis competitions, golf-putting challenges, enrichment lectures every day and of course team trivia, there was a lot happening on the ship every day. There was also entertainment in each of the bar/lounge areas every evening, so you could listen to Alfredo in Dolce Vita, Chris on the saxophone at S.A.L.T. bar or Dusk Bar or Violinist Annet depending on which venue you went to at that time. And during the early evening from 6 to 8, it was a bit like "season" where I live - multiple invitations all at the same time, so you'd have to flip a coin or stop by each for a short bit. The Venetian Lounge on the Nova is two-story which gives it even more of a feel of a theatre/performing arts centre. There was a much wider variety of entertainment - from the "new" singers/dancers to a comedian, the MacDonald Brothers and acts you may know from other lines like Chris Watkins the violinist. And even (gulp) karaoke. The new primary entertainment troupe consists of 4 singers and 5 dancers, plus the Silver Nova Band. The singers are phenomenal and include the gentleman who was the original Simba in The Lion King. The dancers....hmmm. My opinion was that they're superfluous. They were energetic but didn't add anything to the show and the choreography seemed rather high school musicalish. So - a LOT more variety than the Voices of Silversea. One major drawback? The cruise director is the fabulous and talented Ms. Vicki von Tassel. But if you adore her show "Ship Happens" (who doesn't !!!!???), you will not see it onboard. Silversea has deemed it not in keeping with the approach they are seeking for entertainment on the Silver Nova. If you're sailing soon, please write in the comments that you miss that show! As for the Karaoke? Heard that it was very well attended and a lot of fun, although no major new talent was unearthed. I'm ashamed to admit that I rolled my eyes when I read that Karaoke was an option, because as I realized later - on Silversea you never know who might be a passenger onboard. And remembered that way back when I used to cruise with my parents on other lines several decades ago, my dear mother used to bring down the house belting out "The Birth of the Blues" during those passenger talent nights...because when she was in her late teens, she used to sing with one of the big bands in Miami...

Ah, this could be the reason I've been sick the past few days! I thought it was due to all of the people coughing and sneezing during my travels back. Either that...or I'm allergic to being home? In withdrawal from copious quantities of champagne?

Alright, I'm back. The Reentry to Reality phase post-cruise really reinforces the need for Silversea to adopt my recommendation from several years ago for a post-cruise butler service option. 😉 Hear me out - you arrive home in your Blackstone vehicle. The lights are on and a Silversea butler is standing outside your front door with a Welcome Home sign. Inside, candles are aglow, there is a chilled bottle of Pommery and some canapes at the ready and a therapist is on hand to work out the travel knots while your butler unpacks for you. He/she has ordered dinner for you from your favorite local restaurant and serves it plated on your china, while music from your favorite artists aboard the ship plays in the background. After enjoying the delicious chocolates left at your bedside, you nod off to sleep that evening to the white noise sound of ocean waves. The following morning, you awaken to wonder if that was all just a dream - until you go to the kitchen and find freshly brewed coffee or tea in a thermos, with an array of pastries and other breakfast goodies on the counter, including the necessary fixings for a bloody mary or a mimosa. Your laundry has been taken care of, your shoes are polished and there's a note letting you know that necessary perishable and pantry items have been ordered and will be delivered that morning - and that your luggage has been cleaned with an ecologically friendly cleaner. And of course, tucked under that note is a Silversea brochure for you to peruse and plan your next voyage...

Definitely a younger skew, but did not see kids, teens or passengers in their 20s. A better way for me to frame that would have been that at least 30% of the passengers appeared to be between 30 and mid-40s and there was a healthy percentage in the mid-40s to mid-50s as well. It was also noticeable that many of the more physically demanding excursions seemed to fill up quickly. If you plan to dine early, you should have an easier time getting into most venues. But if there is a particular restaurant that you would be disappointed not to get into, definitely reserve that ahead of time. Someone else who was on the same voyage has said that she could not get into many of the restaurants without a reservation (partially because some passengers booked ahead and did not cancel). That was not my experience - but I wasn't trying to get into La Dame or Silver Note. We were able to dine at La Terraza on two different evenings when we did not have a reservation. The Marquee was a challenge if not reserved ahead of time and others were definitely turned awaya; I saw a long queue form shortly after 8 pm. Go to the S.A.L.T Bar! The wonderful bartenders there are lonely on this ship.

Interestingly enough, the demographics on this voyage definitely had a younger skew. I'd hazard a guess that at least 30% of the passengers were under 40.

There was a glass bottle of still water and one of sparkling water in the refrigerator. The main change is there are no plastic bottles handed out when you leave the ship or arrive back from an excursion. As @Stumblefoot mentioned, you don't have to reserve any restaurants. That said, the one you definitely should reserve is it is of interest, is Silver Note. It's a very small venue and was fully booked all week. Atlantide and S.A.L.T. Kitchen do not take bookings; all of the other restaurants do. So if you have your heart set on a particular restaurant, go ahead and make a reservation. The Marquee (which combines Hot Rocks and Spaccanapoli) was very popular on this voyage, so would recommend pre-reserving this as well. In addition, the S.A.L.T. Chef's Table tasting dinner held in the S.A.L.T. Lab only takes bookings on board. On my voyage last week, bookings for that experience were very light. My friends booked it on the same evening that I had reserved Silver Note; otherwise I would have gone too. As it turns out, my friends ended up having a very special personalized experience - because they were the only people who had booked the tasting dinner that night.

Another difference of the Silver Nova (and presumably the Ray) is there are no plastic bottles. All passengers will receive a stainless water bottle to take with you on your shore excursions and use aboard the ship. Your butler will keep it filled in the cabin, there is a filling station near the gangway and servers aboard the ship were proactive offering to refill your bottle. All the bottles are alike, however, which could easily result in mixups, especially since some people leave theirs on the excursion bus. Some passengers wrote their initials on the bottom. I happened to have a shoulder strap that came with my iPhone case with me and immensely enjoyed being told by other passengers how brilliant that was. 😎 So if you wish to be known for your brilliance onboard, bring a strap or a carabiner clip to attach the handle to a tote bag, belt loop, etc. Those wine charms that are used at some parties would be useful too…(anyone with mfg. contacts, let me know…I have some ideas about those💡)

Photos of arrival in Cadiz and of Bodegas Osborne

Cadiz - The following morning we arrived before dawn into lovely Cadiz. Fabulous view of Cadiz from my veranda on the starboard side. My excursion for the day was Jerez De La Frontiera & Bodegas Osborne for sherry tasting. Prior to sailing, only one excursion time was listed, but I had learned through someone that there was a later time available. On this voyage, in some ports they apparently added new times and only published those in an excursion list onboard, so be sure to ask. There were 15 people on our bus. The excursion and our guide were good, but we wished it had been at least an hour shorter. The excursion began with a drive through Cadiz, with our guide pointing out key highlights, then we left the city en route to Jerez de la Frontiera. We had a "drive-by" of sites before the driver parked the bus and we walked to the courtyard at Bodegas Osborne, a producer of sherry and brandy since 1772. The grounds are absolutely beautiful. We were escorted into the caves and learned about the grapes used and had a very educational session about how sherry is produced. Afterward, we were escorted through the museum into another room to taste 5 different types of sherry; the group had an enjoyable time getting to socialize with each other and tasting and sharing notes while a talented guitar player provided background music. We were a bit startled when some dolorous singing began in the background and turned to watch a young lady (we later learned that she was only 13) sing and then dance the flamenco. While this is enjoyable at first, when a third round of singing and dancing began, faces froze in polite smiles and the group became restless. My friends had signed up for the S.A.L.T. Rare Barrel Tastings & Gourmet Lunch at an 8-Generation Family-Owned Sherry Producer (Bodegas Hidalgo) which was priced at $439 US per person, so that provided an opportunity to compare notes. They said there were 7 people including themselves who participated. Their excursion had much less "filler" time and took them to Bodegas Hidalgo, which is closer to Cadiz. The S.A.L.T. excursion included time in the vineyards learning about the grapes and harvest procedures. The discussion about how sherry is produced sounded similar to ours; but their group enjoyed tastings from rare barrels in the cave, followed by an 8-course lunch that they said was amazing.

Not able to answer this, as I was taken straight from the waiting area to the treatment room.

Yes, there is an ample array of amenities in your suite - shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, lotion, sewing kit, cotton makeup pads, cotton swabs, nail file, shower cap, etc., as well as a clothing brush with shoehorn. Have no idea why they are also offering the items you mentioned for sale. I "took one for the team" and used the new OTIVM line of shampoo, conditioner, etc. - my highlights survived, but I felt that the conditioner left my hair too dry.

The first day after sailaway was a sea day, which gave us time to explore the ship and relax after travel. The time had moved forward an hour during the night, which meant that many of us received polite phone calls 2 minutes after our spa appointment time. A few learnings here: 1) if you're relying on Apple or other devices to automatically change the time, they aren't going to do so when you have them set on airplane mode...🤦‍♀️and 2) you will not be the only one and 3) the team in the spa very kindly does not deduct any time from your appt. due to tardiness. I don't always use the spa on board because in the past I've found the treatments to be fairly mediocre, but this time I had a great therapist. On the Nova, the spa specials are not well-publicized (on other ships they typically put offers in the Chronicles). But since the Chronicles on the Nova are provided electronically - and are 79-80 pages long(!) - it's very easy to miss. For example, apparently a drawing was held on the third day for a spa credit - only 3 people entered, so the prize was divided between the 3 of them. My therapist also offered me 20% off any additional treatments for that week. This was also Formal Optional night - and it was a wonderful surprise to see what appeared to be the majority of passengers - across all ages - decked out in tuxedos, suits, gowns and cocktail dresses - really added a festive, fun touch to the evening.

Thanks for the compliment, @boccenana, but I suspect many would wish my posts were more timely and less verbose 😉 They do have an assortment of "essentials" available on board; you can ask your butler for the list (had a feeling someone might ask; see below).

@MJN1 - Paul is correct. I inquired when meeting with the cruise consultant yesterday. The deposit for P2P is 25% but 15% is non-refundable. So you can transfer your deposit to another voyage before the other cancellation penalties kick in, but only 10% would be transferable.

The Dusk Bar on deck 10 is a terrific new venue. I was initially concerned because one of the designated smoking areas on the ship is on the port side of the Dusk Bar and I often had to leave the veranda of the Arts Cafe on other ships because the smoke wafts over. On the Silver Nova, the deck area is wide enough that unless you choose seating right next to the smoking area, you’re not likely to smell any smoke. There is a talented saxophone player on board who often plays at the Dusk Bar at, well, dusk 😉 and also later at night when there is a later sail away. Chris also plays in the S.A.L.T. Bar some evenings. I’d heard so much about the SALT Bar from so many of you and had to seek it out. Definitely go visit when you’re onboard the Nova - the bartenders need some company!!! The SALT Bar is now on Deck 10 and is next to the SALT Lab. Unfortunately, this new location is rather out of the way and seems to mainly be used as a pre-dinner meeting area for those who have reserved the Chef’s Table and other guests who are familiar with SALT Bar from the Moon and Dawn. For those of you who felt the space on the Moon and Dawn was too small - there is plenty of room now!

Yes it was!!!

A few comments about venues and some differences from the other ships. The new location of the Arts Cafe close to the center of the ship and in the same area as Reception, Shore Concierge and Future Cruise Consultants creates a central hub. Despite the higher volume of passengers visiting the Arts Cafe, the team there, led by Tatiana, does a great job with thru-put and still provides that Silversea touch of remembering your favorites. I do miss the Arts Cafe outdoor seating, but there are plenty of other options for outdoor seating on this ship, though. There’s a wide variety of seating types in the Arts Cafe. Be forewarned; if you choose the mustard-colored armchairs, your quads better be in good shape if you ever want to get up. The most prevalent chairs are these odd-looking little round chairs that are guaranteed to improve your posture. One major change is that there is no alcohol served at the Arts Cafe and it closes down at 6 pm. I know some of you enjoyed stopping by the Arts Cafe after dinner for dessert or coffee with some Bailey’s or other liqueurs; that’s no longer an option. This also means that there is no bar on this deck(4) for passengers to stop by before or after a show in the Venetian Lounge; you’ll need to go up or down a deck. There didn't appear to be any beverage service in the Venetian Lounge on the occasions I visited, either.

Lois - You are soooo right. This “live” turned out to mean “hopefully she’s not dead.” 😂 The cruel ritual of disembarkation occurred earlier today, alas. So - let’s continue where we left off after embarkation. A quick flurry of activity after boarding (meeting my butler Olivia, safety video, muster drill) and then met up with my friends who had also booked this cruise. Quick note re: muster drill. Silversea is using the same approach (watch safety video, then proceed to muster station without your life jacket at the designated time) we’ve all seen recently with one difference. There are no life jackets in your cabins on the Silver Nova. In the event of an emergency, life jackets will be distributed at the muster stations. 🤔 As someone who has been through a true emergency aboard a cruise ship many years ago and has seen enough disaster movies to spur the imagination, this approach is rather concerning. Haven’t they seen how people attack the buffet in La Terrazza? Imagine what would happen to the staff handing out life jackets… My friends’ travel to Lisbon did not go as smoothly as mine. Heavy rain delayed their first flight by several hours and despite wind sprints through Newark airport, they and a half dozen other passengers missed the flight to Lisbon by 15 minutes. United routed them to Frankfurt for the night and then on to Lisbon the following morning; they went straight from the airport to the ship and were onboard by 1:30 or so. Cautionary tale - seems like arriving 2 days pre-cruise is the minimum now. We had missed a planned dinner at Grenache in Lisbon for the evening before embarkation, so first decamped to the terrace of the Panorama lounge terrace to raise a toast, then on to dinner at SALT Kitchen. We ended up closing the restaurant…then went up to the Dusk Bar on Deck 10 for sail away at 11 pm under a gorgeous harvest moon.

A few first impressions. As @TucsonGuy mentioned, this ship is simply gorgeous. There has been a tremendous amount of attention to detail in every area. The artwork throughout the ship is stunning: virtually everywhere you look, your gaze will rest on a painting, sculpture or unique glass art. The elevators!!!! Is it possible to fall in love with an elevator? The view of the sea from both inside and outside the elevator is mesmerizing, especially when at sea. And so quick. We’ve never needed to wait more than 1 or 2 minutes for an elevator. Outside of each elevator bank is a digital display listing the day’s activities and their location, so it’s always easy to keep track of what day it is or where you were going if life onboard is beginning to blur (something similar at home might be useful!😆) Videos of the veranda suites have been provided by others, but I wanted to note some of the additional attention to detail in the cabins. The vanity opposite the bathroom has a jewelry tray in the drawer and there is also a closable jewelry tray in the safe. Drawer dividers in the bathroom and desk drawers are a very simple but extremely useful addition for keeping your belongings organized. In the bathroom, the drawers are deep, but the custom divider “shelf” adds another level. My friends are in the midst of remodeling the bathrooms in their home and immediately sent a photo and change order to their contractor. One oddity relates to the new OTIVM toiletries. I was surprised to see the large bottle of conditioner on the bathroom counter - because the corner rack inside the shower isn’t large enough to hold shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles. Oops! But there’s ample room on the bench inside the shower to place the third bottle. And the shower IS quite large; plenty of room for a shower a deux…😉

Lois - the bus is outside of baggage claim for terminal 4. Since you are flying Jet Blue to JFK, your luggage will not be checked all the way through. You’ll need to claim your baggage and bring it on the bus with you to Terminal 1, then check your luggage at the Lufthansa/Swiss/Austrian checkin desk and go through security. As soon as you go through security, look to your left for the Lufthansa business class lounge. Do not follow the signs for airport lounges because the other lounges are in another area, while Lufthansa’s is right there after security.

You can always tell which group of passengers are boarding Silversea because Silversea passengers tend to have the classiest color-coordinated luggage at the cruise terminal. I arrived at 2 pm to a somewhat congested scene, as 5 bus loads of passengers from the hotel had been dropped off over the previous hour. The queue for check-in was the longest I’ve experienced for Silversea (then again, a few years ago there was only 1 person in line ahead of me to board the Whisper…). Probably about 80-100 people or so, but made far less comfortable by people unnecessarily crowding together in line. The woman behind me kept bumping me with her handbag as we slowly moved forward in the queue. Next time I think I’ll just start playing Sting’s Don’t Stand So Close to Me. 😂 And now we (finally!) get to the good part. By 3 pm I was aboard this absolutely gorgeous new ship. Cheers! 🥂

We landed in Lisbon on time and checked bags arrived quickly. Just a short taxi ride to the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade which is Silversea’s Grand hotel option. I had booked this hotel because my friends were staying there, but I booked independently through American Express Platinum, which includes early check-in/late checkout, a room upgrade, breakfast and a $100 property credit. My room was ready when I arrived at 3:00 pm and they informed me that my Deluxe River View room had been given a double upgrade to a family suite. The hotel location is excellent, on a beautiful avenue with leafy trees shading the sidewalk and an array of upscale shops within walking distance. The hotel has a lovely lobby bar and a trendy rooftop bar offering a fantastic view of the city. The moon shone over Lisbon and a quick search revealed that it would be a full moon for our sail away on the 29th. Since this is Silversea’s Grand hotel, here are a few additional details. The room was spacious and well appointed with very comfortable beds. Service was excellent throughout the hotel, the breakfast buffet offered many options (including cooked-to-order omelettes) and the lobby bar had pleasant entertainment and a nice menu of light bites. The hotel also sent up a small bottle of port and a plate of Portuguese pastries. Huge plus - the spa is fabulous. My back and many other parts were a mess after travel so I called down for an appointment. Although the masseuse was a bit lectury/negative (I know I’m a mess and you can’t fix it all 😂) - she did. Using a combination of Thai and Swedish massage; she worked absolute miracles - and the price was only half of the price for a massage on Silversea. Quibbles: That “ double upgrade”? Well, the room was large but had no view; the windows looked into an interior courtyard. Pretty sure I would have preferred the river view room was booked. This next one is hilarious. The hair dryer wasn’t getting enough power to work properly in the bathroom, so I tried it with other outlets in the room. It would not work with any of them. I asked the housekeeper for a new hairdryer. As it turns out, these are new hairdryers for the hotel and the current in the bathroom is not strong enough to power this. So you must plug the hair dryer into an outlet near the floor by your room door and lean over to dry your hair - with no mirrors. I guarantee that no female was involved in these decisions!😂😂😂 PS - And alas, as you can see, the carpet really was quite dirty. Surprising for a hotel at this price point.

It was fantastic, Lois. Where are you changing planes? Weather and travel issues continued in New York during the week before my flight and I was 99% convinced that the flight from Miami made more sense. But there’s an app called FlightStats that show delays by airport, route and airline. This app revealed that even on the days that a massive percentage of flights in and out of JFK were delayed, the Swiss flight departed on time. And Air Europa had cancelled its flight and experienced lengthy delays on 2 other days in the past week. So Swiss won the coin toss. I must lead a charmed life because the journey was flawless (except for the transfer via bus from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1 and then the hellscape security line at JFK). Flight from PBI left on time and arrived early, was able to cajole the receptionists at the Lufthansa lounge into access to the Senator Lounge showers - and then wonderful service aboard the Swiss flight to Geneva and then on to Lisbon. Geneva was a wonderful option for making a connection, as it’s a smaller airport and very easy to navigate. Not to mention the delicious Gruner Veltliner they were pouring…or the chocolates they ply you with at every turn. Even the meal on the shorter flight from GVA-LIS was delicious. IMG_1759.heic And yes, @lincslady, when you’ve not touched a dram in quite some time, then they start pouring champagne and wine on your flight…it certainly helped with sleep on the overnight flight!