 Silversea Cruises' Silver Shadow
Jean, Ruth and my daughter were enjoying their wine with the French-inspired cuisine in the Terrace Café, transformed for dinner into an elegant bistro. I have no idea what wine it was, since my idea of a fine wine is anything that tastes like 7-Up. Jean, a gourmand, a member of Des Chaines des Rotisseurs and a true gentleman, tried not to laugh as the wine steward poured my Berrenger White Zinfandel. I had attempted to signal the steward away so I wouldn't embarrass myself, but to no avail... he served me, as he and his colleagues did every evening, with what they knew was my preference.
We were on Silverseas' Silver Shadow, enjoying an evening of fine dining in the alternative restaurant, sharing our supper time with Jean and Ruth from Tampa, new friends and world travelers with inspiring stories to tell. After supper we would find Dolly and Ed from Austin, have a cappuccino and perhaps a liqueur while we listened to soft jazz by Bazz. And then I would wander down to the casino to play slot machines with my group of regulars while my daughter stayed in The Bar.
I had tried to prepare myself for this trip-of-a-lifetime by studying everything I could about Silversea ("undisputed World's Best" according to Condé Nast Traveler) and our ship. I knew that the Silver Whisper is an identical sister ship so I pored over the reviews by Durant and Cheryl Imboden at Europe for Visitors and Linda Coffman, the Cruise Diva. I studied the photos of The Whisper by Bart de Boer, got a brochure (the size of a New York phone directory, and classy, classy, classy) from my travel agent. I was ready. I was prepared to set out for our transatlantic crossing from Dublin to New York.
SILVERSEA OFFERS FLEXIBLE
CHOICES FOR YOUR CRUISE VACATION
Four Seasons Dublin Guestroom |
Silversea's programs offer a pre- and/or post-cruise stay at hotels specifically chosen by Silversea for their elegance and customer service. You can select that option, or cruise and air only, or cruise only, or cruise and hotel only. The offerings are very flexible, designed to make your journey as painless and seamless as possible.
We stayed the night before our journey began in the Four Seasons Dublin, only a year old and typically Four Seasons deluxe. The hotel itself was beautiful with a perfect mix of traditional furnishings and contemporary amenities, glass conservatories and well-maintained gardens. Our room, however, seemed quite spare. In fact, with the twin beds and no wall adornment, I felt as though I were in a hospital room preparing for a tonsillectomy. Since the hotel was fairly new, perhaps they hadn't quite finished decorating or something; the hallways were almost opulent compared to our guestroom, and the other public spaces were beautiful.
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