Silver Whisper: Smooth Sailing

Can the nearly all-inclusive, ultra-luxury Silversea Whisper satisfy your insatiable appetite for pampering?

This spring, the 6-year old Silver Whisper went to dry dock for ship wide improvements. Among the key upgrades: The fitness facility doubled in size, and new equipment was installed; stateroom televisions were replaced with flat-panel displays, Wi-Fi was extended to all staterooms, new audio systems were added, and mattresses were upgraded. Additionally, a new “Viking Cooking School at Sea” was installed for cooking classes.

Like its sister Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper boasts an ultra- luxury, “near all-inclusive” experience. You won’t need to dole out extra cash for gratuities, alcohol, soft drinks, juices, speciality coffees or shuttle service between the ship and city centers. But your cruise fare won’t quite cover everything, either. There are charges for shore excursions, internet usage, spa services, cigars from The Humidor, and premium wines and liquors. Laundry service, but not dry cleaning or pressing, is included in many stateroom categories, and use launderettes is free of charge for all stateroom categories.

Silver Whisper’s passenger capacity (382) certainly warrants its inclusion in the ultra-luxury category, and the relatively small number of guests allows for open-seating dining. Moreover, with 295 crew, the passenger-to crew ratio assures sufficient manpower for attentive service.

Measuring 28,258 gross tons (a measure that indicates cubic space, not weight), Silver Whisper has one of the highest, if not the highest, space ratios of any cruise ship. That number is derived by dividing gross tons by the number of passengers. A high space ratio (73) means that Silver Whisper seldom feels crowded or congested. Staterooms are spacious, and bathrooms, in particular, are well-appointed on Silver Whisper.

How To Save: Silversea Cruises isn’t known for low lead-in cruise prices, but the company does offer good value for its all-inclusive product. In fact, if you do the math, you’ll often find that Silversea compares reasonably to other cruise lines in its league. But there are at least a couple of ways to get the absolute best value for your dollar.

*Book the Terrace Suite Category. Located on Deck 5, the suites (there are nine in this category) share a veranda. The reason they share: The veranda is part of an emergency exit, so furniture and other barriers cannot be permanently placed in the area. The Terrace Suites feature glass doors that open onto the veranda, giving you all of the pleasures of a veranda-category stateroom for less. The only drawbacks are the verandas aren’t private, not a problem, however, for families or for those who don’t mind getting to know their neighbors.

*Book A Silver Sailing. Silversea discounts select cruises up to 50 percent off brochure rates. These are capacity-controlled offers, so as space sells, the percentage discount decreases correspondingly. For the best discounts, book early. The Silver Sailings program features more than 50 voyages for 2007. The Bottom Line: When you take into consideration the all-inclusive nature of Silversea, the higher rates often turn out to be a good value. You’ll seldom, if ever, have to dip into your pocket for anything once your cruise is under way. Do the math to break down the cost of the cruise on a per diem basis. It’s not unusual to pay as little as $300 per person per day on Silversea, and that includes all gratuities, shuttle service from the pier to the heart of town in most ports of call, complimentary beverages, including wine, champagne, spirits and beer. For avid cruisers looking for a luxury, small ship, all-inclusive experience offering a diverse selection of itineraries worldwide, Silver Whisper and its sister are strong contenders.