Sea-facing suites with butler service, free-flowing Champagne onboard, a multitude of dining options and fascinating stops in the Cyclades and Turkey’s dazzling Aegean coast: it can only be a TTG Luxury Journey, and the first of its kind at sea, with Silversea.
Five travel advisors boarded Silver Moon in Athens for a four-night cruise, sailing to the iconic Greek island of Santorini, then onwards to Turkey, stopping at Kusadasi and Dikili, before arriving in Istanbul.
One of Silversea’s newest ships, Silver Moon was launched in 2021 and takes guests on voyages where they can relax in supreme comfort, enjoy exquisite dining, an almost 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio and revel in Silversea’s hallmark small-ship intimacy. With capacity to accommodate just 596 passengers, Silver Moon has eight superb dining spaces, beautifully appointed all-suite accommodation, a diverse range of onboard activities and a plethora of elegant social areas, lounges and bars, all of which the group discovered over the course of the cruise.
Accompanying the trip was Silversea’s regional and strategic account manager Donatella Valzasina, a perfect host who shared Silver Moon’s latest innovations to the group, such as the line’s revolutionary culinary programme, Sea And Land Taste – or S.A.L.T – which really comes to life in three onboard venues: S.A.L.T. Lab, S.A.L.T. Kitchen and S.A.L.T. Bar.
Dining at the destination-focused restaurant S.A.L.T. Kitchen was a highlight for the agents, who enjoyed this unique concept at sea, where local cuisine, culture and culinary heritage influence a menu that changes along the way, depending on what destination you are in.
Catherine Murphy Birchall, a senior travel consultant at The Ultimate Travel Company, has worked in travel for more than 25 years – but this was her first cruise. “It exceeded my expectations in every way. I really enjoyed our first night dining at S.A.L.T. Kitchen; I loved the concept and ate some of the best Greek food I’ve ever had,” Murphy Birchall says.
It was also a first-time cruise experience for Jacob McGrath of Sutton Coldfield agency Four Oaks Travel. “S.A.L.T. Kitchen is a great idea and a really good way for guests to sample the local cuisine while they’re onboard, with a different menu every day,” McGrath enthuses.
In addition to dining in S.A.L.T. Kitchen, guests can book in for cooking classes with local guest chefs in the high-tech S.A.L.T. Lab.
Social butterflies
Whether guests want to head to the casino, watch a show in the decadent Venetian Lounge, enjoy jazz in the intimate Silver Note Bar, or dance the night away with DJ Misha in the Panorama Lounge, there’s something for any taste and mood.
Our group opted for after-dinner drinks in Dolce Vita, the ship’s main bar and a social focus both day and night, before moving on to some late-night dancing in the Panorama Lounge. Dolce Vita’s decor oozes Italian glamour, and the vibe is relaxed and refined with service to match.
Gill Lindley, a consultant with Hallmark Travel, praises Dolce Vita for its cocktails and quizzes, while fellow agent and director of Travelwise Pauline Duffin adds: “We really enjoyed the afternoon ‘team trivia’ sessions in Dolce Vita – it was a great way to meet fellow guests.”
Murphy Birchall was also a fan of the social nature of the cruise: “The staff and guests were all genuinely lovely. It was so unstuffy onboard, the clientele varied in age and people chatted to each other.”
As the ship made its way to Santorini, the group headed back to their luxury suites and bedded down for the night, with everyone staying in the ship’s Deluxe Veranda Suites. With a preferred mid-ship location, balcony with floor-to-ceiling glass doors with private veranda, walk-in wardrobe, comfortable seating area with desk and TV, queen-sized bed, and bathroom with walk-in shower and bathtub, it’s safe to say we were cruising in ultimate comfort and understated luxury.
Commenting on the suite, Duffin says: “My suite was spacious with a decent living room space, the decor was warm and inviting. I loved the walk-in closet so everything I’d brought with me could be well organised and then hidden out of sight! The addition of the bath was a lovely surprise – some of my clients do ask for this.”
But it was the veranda that really sold the suite for Lindley. “I loved the space, and most of all I enjoyed the veranda – to be out there in the dead of night with the sea rushing by was a real thrill.”
