REVIEW of Silver Nova, 11/7/23-11/18/23, Lisbon to New York

[Lois R]

8 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

 

 

Yes, but unfortunately though I got a picture of the front part of the Observation Lounge, I don't have one of the other side.  If you have one of that area, feel free to add on here.

Also, every time I thought of taking an Arts Cafe picture there were too many people there for me to be able to half respect their privacy (without resorting to time-consuming face-hiding editing), so I don't have one from there either to show the layout of the snack bar.  So if you have one, add that too if you have time, thanks!

 

I posted some photos of the Arts Cafe in my review.

[spinnaker2]

23 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

 

The Venetian Lounge (up and down, plus lateral view of some of the sofas there).  The plexiglas on the balcony levels was a bit obstructing, if you were in the front row.

As noted in my review, there was no drink service pre-show, and a strange smell of the synthetic furniture coverings prevailed. 

 

 

 

 

 

The singers and band in action (good voices, it was mostly just not my kind of music other than some of the bluesier Motown at the end ).  I would love to have heard those voices applied to some more melodic and less showy Chicago or Mississippi blues, with a double shot of fine bourbon from the Connoisseur's Lounge cabinet,  and . . . 

 

As noted in my  review, the guest artists were very good  and suited to a small ship venue (old rocker, comedians, and a Broadway diva).  SS can  hold its own compared with what Seabourn offers  (but cannot hold a candle to Hapag Lloyd small luxury ships because HL does classical, and hires well-known tango groups, but I know most people don't want classical music or tango).

 

 

My balcony and my closet

How does one get around those tables in the theater? 

[Catlover54]

 

More of the suite, a tidy basic veranda (before I redecorated):

 

 

The controversial two level uni-sink;

 

 

 

And one of the nightstands  with its fixed mushroom lamp in the middle (I would have preferred it be on the wall, to allow more room for "stuff" on the nightstand). One of these, with outlets (both American and European, on each side).  Shelving underneath (3, no drawers) which I stupidly cut off.

 

 

When you get out of the ocean view  elevators, on each floor you see this kind of signage (no bow/stern indication, no picture or other visuals).  When the sun shone on it I often couldn't read anything except about the floor I was on, and had to pull out reading glasses. Of course you learn, but they make it harder than it needs to be for newbies to the ship.

 

Cheerful Brazilian Chef Giulliano in the Chef's Tasting upcharge seating area (it wraps around on each side), shown not during an event.  This is just beyond Salt Bar.

 

 

Part of the jogging/walking path:

 

[Lois R]

Hi Spins, the picture may not give the greatest dimension but I had no problems with the tables in the theater.

[spinnaker2]

7 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Spins, the picture may not give the greatest dimension but I had no problems with the tables in the theater.

For someone who has a cane that would be near to impassable and impossible. What if someone has a drink or two on the table? 

Are there dedicated handicapped seats?

 

Does the jogging path go thru the restaurant? Egads

Edited November 19, 2023 by spinnaker2

[Dover Duo]

40 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

 

 

Yes, but unfortunately though I got a picture of the front part of the Observation Lounge, I don't have one of the other side.  If you have one of that area, feel free to add on here.

Also, every time I thought of taking an Arts Cafe picture there were too many people there for me to be able to half respect their privacy (without resorting to time-consuming face-hiding editing), so I don't have one from there either to show the layout of the snack bar.  So if you have one, add that too if you have time, thanks!

 

Unlike some of the other Silversea ships where about half of the Observation Lounge is a de facto “library” with bookshelves, what Lois is referring to is the library that is essentially “inside” the lounge. It is not well marked, but it is a separate room, accessed by a door in the middle of the lounge, with no windows but well-stocked bookshelves and comfortable chairs. 

[dawntrdr]

Actually,  we found that it was much easier to get around the tables in this new Venetian Lounge than the setup in the lounges in the other ships. On the bench rows, the small round table is attached to the bench so it is not only tucked out of the walking path but usable for support when walking.  On the chair rows, you can push the tables forward to make more room.  And I will note that I did not smell anything chemically other than possibly new furniture smell.  On the topic of aroma, however, the classic "white tea" scent that we associate with SS was missing except outside of the Silver Note.  Maybe it takes years for that to build up.

[Lois R]

37 minutes ago, dawntrdr said:

Actually,  we found that it was much easier to get around the tables in this new Venetian Lounge than the setup in the lounges in the other ships. On the bench rows, the small round table is attached to the bench so it is not only tucked out of the walking path but usable for support when walking.  On the chair rows, you can push the tables forward to make more room.  And I will note that I did not smell anything chemically other than possibly new furniture smell.  On the topic of aroma, however, the classic "white tea" scent that we associate with SS was missing except outside of the Silver Note.  Maybe it takes years for that to build up.

Hi Dawn, I never smelled anything either.

[Gourmet Gal]

Catlover, La Dame looks smaller on Nova vs Moon.  Is it just an optical illusion in the photo?

[DavyWavey70]

6 hours ago, spinnaker2 said:

Great photos, thanks much. 

Austere interiors

Cell block Chic?

[Catlover54]

57 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Catlover, La Dame looks smaller on Nova vs Moon.  Is it just an optical illusion in the photo?

 

La Dame in my photo just shows one part. There is a whole extra section that gives off towards the right, not shown, so it is plenty big, not smaller than on Moon.  I just wanted to show an example of the comfortable looking chairs, the spacing, and the more traditional looking "nice restaurant" venue style.

 

I know we're not supposed to post links to travel agency videos on CC, but I think travel writer videos are ok. So here is a 25 minute youtube video of the Nova by travel writer Cruisetricks which includes more extensive La Dame footage (and a lot of other great footage from Nova including some drone shots -- though much of the food shown, especially in Atlantide, looks more appealing on that breakin cruise a few months ago than what I saw). He's a travel German writer (I may be wrong but I think he is the husband of CC poster Steamboats), but there are English subtitles in places where he talks (and most of the key parts are visual anyway).  La Dame part starts a bit after minute 11:43 into the video when he finishes showing red Atlantide.

 

 

[mancunian]

In the photo of the veranda cabin I was disappointed to see they have done away with the side tables by the sofa with the the lamps which was so cosy in the evening and also makes the suite smaller.  they also seem to have lost the plant on the table.  I find the decor somewhat austere for my taste.

 

 

 

[Mayflower1]

Thank you for the excellent Photos of The Nova. Just a Personal opinion but the interior seems very stark, bland and almost unfinished. Clearly the Ship has been designed for Fair weather Cruising with the Interiors seeming lacking in any real warmth or character.

Such aspects as the positioning of The Arts Cafe seem very strange and The Panorama Lounge looks like an unattractive Airport Lounge.The Shelter Bar also appears to have no ambience whatsoever.

All in all whilst I am sure there are many fine features but this design seems to major on modernism against comfort.

[spinnaker2]

9 hours ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Cell block Chic?

I don't appreciate the line on the ceiling either. Is that akin to dropping breadcrumbs in the forest? If you look up you know where you are…

[lincslady]

I too like restful simple colour schemes, but this does look a bit drab to me.  A few touches of light blues or greens, maybe - does not have to be garish to be pleasing to the eye.  Which some ships are, or certainly used to be.

[Catlover54]

6 hours ago, mancunian said:

In the photo of the veranda cabin I was disappointed to see they have done away with the side tables by the sofa with the the lamps which was so cosy in the evening and also makes the suite smaller.  they also seem to have lost the plant on the table.  I find the decor somewhat austere for my taste.

 

 

 

 

1. There *was* a plant (a tall white flower in a pot, maybe an orchid but I'm not sure), which appeared on the second day. But it spent most of its time unhappily tucked away either near the bottom of the drapes behind the desk, or on the floor near the trash can to the left of the desk.  The staff kept putting it there after they serviced the room whenever the seas were anything other than totally smooth, as the butler insisted it could tip over.  I would then put it back when I would be in the suite, except on the one day when we had a bumpy ride. If they worry so much about the plants tipping over (which would of course make work for them to have to clean up), maybe a compromise would be to change over to a very stable plant, perhaps one with a wider, lower base (but please, no plastic plants).

 

2. As for the sofa, I was happy that even without side tables, it was long and soft enough to sit or  lie on (e.g., once I moved away the bottles of Pellegrino the butler had initially stashed there). On some ships the sofas are quite short, and/or hard (e.g., on the Seabourn Quest and Odyssey) for my and DH's anatomy, not good for much other than piling stuff on or a deliberately abbreviated breakfast, unless we had also brought an ugly Thermarest. So at least form was following function for me.

 

 

[Emtbsams]

14 hours ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Cell block Chic?

I called it "early convention hotel modern".  Spacious and charmless.

[Carolfay]

I think I'll prefer it to the decor I found on Oceania Regatta last year, which I thought of as "bordello chic."

[John117]

Thank you for submitting such a detailed review of your cruise. I find this type of review much more useful than the "everything was wonderful" reviews many submit.

 

I am sorry you had so many issues which of course detract from your enjoyment. Sad to say i had many of the same problems ( and possibly a few more?) when i cruised on Nova in Sept/Oct.

 

It is interesting that you felt strongly enough to comment and post a photo of the useless bathroom sink which i did too in my review. A fellow reviewer seems to think that the views of anyone who comments on the sink should be ignored but maybe we can let the readers decide which type of review is more helpful?

[Catlover54]

3 minutes ago, John117 said:

Thank you for submitting such a detailed review of your cruise. I find this type of review much more useful than the "everything was wonderful" reviews many submit.

 

I am sorry you had so many issues which of course detract from your enjoyment. Sad to say i had many of the same problems ( and possibly a few more?) when i cruised on Nova in Sept/Oct.

 

It is interesting that you felt strongly enough to comment and post a photo of the useless bathroom sink which i did too in my review. A fellow reviewer seems to think that the views of anyone who comments on the sink should be ignored but maybe we can let the readers decide which type of review is more helpful?

 

I am glad you found my review useful.  

 

There were some issues as noted that were a bit annoying (I expected a few, as I had carefully read your review and others' reviews in advance before boarding, and I've been on SS before, starting in 2011). But overall the cruise was enjoyable (I rated it 4.3/5 after all, rounded down to 4/5 for the computer), and I have no regrets about having done it.  Each day provided new opportunities to slowly learn  about the ship layout and nooks, at different times of day and with different weather, and provided opportunities for  trying different foods and learning new strategies.  I enjoyed observing diverse people (guests and staff) and their behaviors, meeting some interesting characters, and just simply chilling on my balcony with the sound of the ocean.  

I hadn't done a transatlantic crossing since the 1970's, when I sailed for basic transportation on a somewhat bumpy Polish  ship (the Stefan Batory), where dessert every day was a ball of vanilla ice cream and pax were happy to even have that before retreating into their cramped cabins.  The long portless days on the spacious Nova allowed lots of time for reflection and enjoyment of the sea in a much more luxurious enivronment, and it helped me decide I would love to do more TAs, which are a more pleasant way of returning to the U.S. than sitting in an airplane.

I was happy that you were mistaken about the balcony chair not being adjustable, as I cannot sit upright and stiffly for a long time, though it certainly wasn't intuitive or easy to adjust.  I am glad I checked with my suite attendants before I gave up.

 

I didn't mention that I would also have liked to have had a bridge tour, but the Chronicle didn't announce such an opportunity. Nor was there announcement about a galley tour, which SS used to do so well. So next time I will have to be more proactive about asking for things and alert staff in advance (especially if I sail with engineer DH, who loves all tech), namely, that if they have publicly unannounced limited opportunities for a bridge tour, we would be interested in being contacted, or maybe they could create an opportunity.  Many lines announce bridge and galley tours in advance, and thus  provide all guests a fair opportunity to sign up, 'first come first serve', and some even charge (that makes it more likely that those who value the experience are more likely to attend).

 

As for the sink, LOL, I posted a picture of it because some people like you complained about it and then others complained about you complaining (it is unclear why people complain about complainers -- we all have different preferences and opinions).  So I thought one look might be worth a thousand words in helping future cruisers to decide if that sink structure is acceptable or not for a cruise on Nova.  My main concern about it was that *if* the stopper failed, I wouldn't be able to use the big round flat rubber stopper that I travel with to keep the water in when stoppers break,  because the deeper section was so narrow. Avoiding traditional  dual sinks and having one big one with two faucets allowed the designers to have enough space for both a comfortable tub and a decent sized shower in the same bathroom, but I suspect the  rectangular shape and split level were just for style.

 

I wish you happy sailing on whatever ship you enjoy most!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AnneS]

Catlover54,

Thank you for your thoroughly entertaining and on-target review. I'm currently finishing dinner at a table for one in the outdoor Italian restaurant on Silver Nova, and your review was excellent company.  I laughed and nodded at so many of your comments.

Anne

[Catlover54]

14 hours ago, AnneS said:

Catlover54,

Thank you for your thoroughly entertaining and on-target review. I'm currently finishing dinner at a table for one in the outdoor Italian restaurant on Silver Nova, and your review was excellent company.  I laughed and nodded at so many of your comments.

Anne

 

Glad you were amused!  I hope your cruise has been going well the last few days and you have been staying warm in your new room 🙂

Have you found a favorite entree at La Terrassa?

[williasp]

My wife and I were on the Lisbon-Lisbon cruise just prior to yours.  I have a few comments on some things you wrote.

 

"you had to have your room key card with you to scan to get into the public toilets"

Not so.  Just waive your hand over the green light.  What you didn't mention was that the automated doors close incredibly (and painfully) slow.

 

"There was no in-room kettle or coffee maker. "

Luckily, our Medallion suite had an Illy espresso machine - a lifesaver and 'must have' in our view.  We would have preferred Nespresso.

 

"Butler: well-meaning, but a little annoying the first few days, until I had 'trained him."

Our butler so wanted to do things for us, but frankly it's a bit annoying.  Sometimes it felt like he waited until we got back to the room, then rang the doorbell and asked to come in to talk to us.  Please, we don't want or need any fruit.  That said, he was very pleased to bring our laundry back and place it out on the bed.

 

"I certainly would not cruise just to experience Nova food. I do not expect gourmet cuisine on cruises, even on "luxury" cruises, so in my review rating, I compare my SS experience with that on other (usually luxury) lines."

Hmnn.  You are captive on a TA cruise with not much to do since there are no excursions or ports.  What else is there but to enjoy some delicious meals?  I don't want to be on a cruise with mediocre food.  I don't expect Michelin star, but I probably wouldn't like Michelin star anyway.  However, I certainly expect very good to outstanding dishes tastefully prepared.  In this regard, I found the Nova a bit lacking, particularly compared to our prior experiences on Seabourn. 

Atlantide felt more like a banquet hall, as did the food.  My wife's prime rib was dreadful and she should have returned it.  La Terrazza and Salt Kitchen were much more to our liking. 

The biggest negative, however, was the menus stayed the same for three days.  And the menus at the Grill and Silver Note never changed (except perhaps the fish of the day).  Seabourn MDR had a different menu every night.  And we agree, the burger at the Grille was pretty bland.  We did not eat at La Dame because the upcharge was absurd.  In contrast, one could dine in Seabourn's upscale Thomas Keller Grille for no additional charge.

 

"Afternoon tea: Sadly there was no civilised sitdown mid or late afternoon formal coffee/tea with soft or classical piano music venue. "

We agree.  We greatly enjoyed the Seabourn tea, as well as their cocktail hour.

 

"there was tasty fresh squeezed OJ"
I have to disagree.  I love fresh squeezed OJ and asked our butler to keep some in our fridge, which he happily did.  However, the OJ, both in my fridge and in the buffet, hardly tasted like fresh squeezed.  It compared poorly to that which we had on Seabourn.

 

As to lectures and entertainment, all were quite good on our cruise.  I particularly enjoyed the Silver Nova jazz band and made a point to listen to them in the Panorama Lounge.  I didn't notice any smell in the Venetian Lounge and I have the nose to pick up any off odors.  SS needs to serve drinks in that lounge.  Seabourn does.

 

Happy cruising!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AnneS]

I don't eat meat, so I've been getting the fish entrees. It's my first Silversea cruise and I was really looking forward to the food, but it's very disappointing.

[Lonedaddy]

Has anyone seen pictures of the verandah Tub/Shower area?  All the YouTube videos are just the shower only rooms.  Curious to see what it looks like.