Pure gold experience with Silversea Cruises
Starting off in Sydney and ending up in Singapore, we called in along the way at Brisbane, Hamilton Island, Cairns, Thursday Island, Kupang, Komodo Island, and Bali, which made for a very interesting and varied itinerary. The cruise lasted 15 nights, with a total of 7 days at sea, so it was a nice mixture of going ashore and exploring and staying onboard and relaxing.
Sydney was warm but cloudy and we had a bit of rain, but as we travelled north it got progressively hotter and more humid with lots of sunshine. There were many highlights on this trip, and space prevents me from mentioning all of them, but here are the best of the bunch:
Sydney: Performance of Madame Butterfly at the Sydney Opera House. If there is one place in the world to see an opera, then Sydney is it. Even if you are not a fan of opera music, this is a must-see/must-do - I defy anyone not to be moved by the power of the performance. The galley brunch on board: On one of the days at sea, guests were invited into the ship's galley where a lavish buffet was set up - a major photo opportunity and a real wow factor with amazing fruit, ice and chocolate carvings decorating the already beautiful presentation of a huge variety of food. Get there early so you can see the buffet in all its glory before it starts getting eaten! Brisbane: Cuddling koalas and hand-feeding kangaroos. It was also good to see that Brisbane had recovered well from the flooding a few weeks ago - we could see no evidence of the earlier devastation. Komodo Island: Seeing real komodo dragons up close. They were smaller than I was expecting, but I think the smaller less dangerous ones had been fed (and were therefore sleepier and less inclined to attack!) and put close to the paths where we walked, so that sightings were guaranteed. Bali: Riding an elephant was THE highlight of our trip and left us determined to go back and repeat the experience! We were honoured to ride the same elephant as David and Victoria Beckham had done a while back (so we were told!), and our elephant Mr Wong was a real character - he even "played" the harmonica in exchange for a banana or two! Bali itself is beautiful - stunning scenery with lots of rice fields.
The ship itself was also a major highlight! Accommodating a maximum of 382 passengers, the Silver Shadow has very spacious cabins, everything is spotlessly clean, the crew are superb - friendly and professional, and we enjoyed some of the best food we have ever eaten anywhere. The ship operates on an all inclusive basis so all food, drinks and gratuities are included - with the exception of the speciality restaurant Le Champagne where you pay $30 per person and purchase wine from the chargeable wine list. This may sound excessive when you are on all inclusive, but it was worth every penny.
Little touches also contributed towards a VIP experience: - such as the luxurious Bvlgari toiletries in the bathroom, the butler shining our shoes without being asked before the formal evenings, a personalised menu at Le Champagne which was delivered to our cabin after our meal, the bar tenders remembering our names and our favourite drinks (and actually ensuring stock was later available when we asked for a brand that wasn't onboard when we embarked), the maitre d' accompanying the ladies to their table with linked arms, one of the waiters making me a rose out of a paper napkin..... I could go on, there were so many nice touches and gestures throughout our cruise.
Initially Silversea may appear to be expensive, but with so much included in the price and the 6 star accommodation, food, service and treatment it really is well worth the splurge.
So, once again I am voting my latest holiday my best ever trip. As some of you know, I have become a real fan of cruising on small ships, and this journey has done everything to consolidate my belief that cruising is a most wonderful way to see the world, and I can recommend Silversea Cruises 1,000 percent! Contact me if you would like to have a wonderful experience yourself.
