I wanted to describe more of the key attributes of this ship and to touch on a few points that I feel are interesting, innovative and also very nice touches for a ship that seeks to define the epitome of elegance.

First of all, Silversea has now added butler service to its fleet and in every suite on the Spirit guests will be able to take advantage of this more rarefied service in addition to a regular suite stewardess of course. On the Spirit, of the 270 suites on board, only 12 of them are Vista Suites with a large window, all the rest have a private veranda, which to my thinking only enhances one’s onboard experience.  

The Spirit has six dining venues, some of which I mentioned in my previous article, and I feel a spot that will be very popular is the avant garde Seishin restaurant which seats 24 guests and is located on Deck 4 near the Restaurant and Le Champagne.  Seishin means “Spirit” in Japanese and its menu showcases Asian fusion cuisine enhanced by sake pairings and featuring Kobe beef (of course) sushi, sashimi and caviar to please the palate. A large Chef’s table is the centerpiece of the restaurant and is sure to be heavily booked.  There is a small guest reservation fee.

The other winning spot is the cleverly designed outdoor Pool Grill adjacent to the pool area on Deck 9.

New for this ship is a wellness breakfast which will be served from here and include light fare that is nutrition packed.

Guests can also enjoy casual lunches of burgers, salads and sandwiches. But the really cool thing about this space is in fact a “hot” thing! One deck above the pool area is a seating area covered with a canopy that overlooks the pool and also has heaters to keep guests warm on the odd less balmy evening.

Silversea has unveiled a unique cooking concept for dinner that lets guests of the Spirit cook healthy fare on their own heated volcanic rock plate. This is now being dubbed “Hot Rocks” and I have been told that this is fast becoming a very popular choice and already the seating each evening has been expanded to include more guests.

And now to the suites which are very nicely decorated, again in the warm shades and provide all the comforts one could desire. The bathrooms are spacious and well lit and contain both a tub and an interestingly shaped shower which provides more room than many others I have tried out. The marble accent is welcome but my one concern – why only one sink and not two?

Storage areas within the walk in closets are sufficient but may be a little tight for someone in a regular suite on a world cruise (upgrade those clients to the Silver Suites and above then) and the whole design is attractive and beautifully furnished. There was lots of shelf and storage space in the general suite area along with a mini bar/fridge of course and two huge mirrors one at the end of the bed and the other on the living space wall.

Cleverly “hidden” behind or within the mirrors are television screens. I cannot decide how I feel about this as I barely had time to turn the TV on but it is certainly a space saving solution and of course they are interactive so very useful re reservations, shorex information, message centre and so on. Plus of course there is a DVD player.

Other suite attributes include a leather headboard (I do like this a lot), a large couch, and a coffee and side table and of course veranda furniture as well.

All the suites are a good size but clearly if guests choose a higher category such as a Silver or Grand Suite then they are getting much more space and a number of other amenities including a separate dining area, a second bathroom/powder room in some instances and those double sinks in the bathrooms also.

After I spent some time in Ft Lauderdale on the Spirit I headed out to the west coast to one of my all time favourite cities, Seattle. I have a number of great cruise industry friends in that town and it is always a pleasure to visit and what’s more I hardly ever get rained on! 

I had some interesting meetings with the people from Pacific Beachcomber Hotels in Tahiti who are also the owners now of the Paul Gauguin Cruises.

I learned a lot about a fabulous new resort which will be built on a private island formerly owned by Marlon Brando. The island is Tetiaroa and in the summer of 2012 there will be an absolutely stunning property on the island which will be aptly named The Brando.

Stay tuned for more on that in future columns.  I will also be sailing in the Tahitian waters in the next month or so and will be delighted to write about this area again as I have not been there for quite a long time. It will be interesting to see how this paradise is doing these days.

Frankly I can barely wait!

Inside the Silver Spirit
Top: Silver Spirit at Sunset left to right: Pool Deck, Silver Suite,  Veranda Suite, Vista Suite Reception, Silver Suite The Library, The Bar Stars Supper Club, Seishin