Silversea Cruise Lines Ship Inspection

Ship Inspection December 4, 2010 – San Pedro, CA

Our ship inspection was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. for the Silversea Silver Cloud in San Pedro, CA. We left San Diego mid-morning under cloudy skies after stopping by Starbucks for a yummy and warm eggnog latte’. Yes, this is one of my favorite holiday indulgences!

Driving up I-5 was an easy commute this morning as the traffic was light with no traffic back-ups at all. After we merged onto the 405 Freeway in Orange County and proceeded north to the Long Beach Freeway, the heavy clouds above us began to drop large rain drops on our windshield. As we drove along the water’s edge, Jim commented that this was where his Dad was stationed and they lived in naval housing. What was once an active Naval Base is now redeveloped and none of the old buildings remain. Now, tall palm trees and landfills and huge cranes for loading cargo stand where the Naval Officers’ Club and other buildings used to be in the 1950’s.

We continued on over the Vincent Thomas Bridge and turned off to get to the port. The Sapphire Princess was in port and majestically took her position at the end of the inland waterway. Up a bit further, we could see the top of the Silver Cloud, but there were several tents in the parking lot that blocked our view of the entire ship. This was disappointing as I only could get a picture of the top insignia on the stack of the Silver Cloud.

It was still raining when we parked the car. We proceeded across the street and through the Port Authority security check-in to an area inside a building where folding chairs were set up in several rows. Our guide for the day, Iona, greeted us and introduced herself as the Cruise Consultant on the Silver Cloud. She guided us to the gangway where we climbed the steep, steel steps and were greeted at the top by several very well dressed crew members. They were dressed in business attire of Navy blue and off-white.

The central lobby of the Silver Cloud is a circular designed area with offices in the area housing Guest Relations, the Silver Shore Concierge available for booking your shore excursions; and the desk of the Cruise Consultant (our Ivonna). A table was set up in one area full of champagne glasses waiting to be filled from the bottles of champagne two young men had waiting on ice for the new guests when they arrived.

The décor is elegant with navy blue and gold carpeting and finished with subtle wallpaper and trimmed in brass. There is a wide variety of art work on board the Silver Cloud ranging from paintings to bronze statues and incredible, intricate tile mosaics.

The Silver Cloud carries approximately 296 guests with a crew of 222. This is a “luxury” liner with all staterooms being “suites” (not cabins or staterooms). This stop in San Pedro today was their only stop in Southern California for the rest of 2010 and 2011; so we were very lucky to have the chance to visit her while she was in port for such a short time.

Ivonna took is to a “Verandah Suite” first. It is 295 sq. ft. including the verandah. I would compare this to the size of a mini-suite on the Sapphire Princess. This suite was beautifully appointed with plush Egyptian linens on the bed and in the bath. There was a bottle of champagne on ice wrapped neatly in a white towel in an ice bucket on the coffee table along with two champagne flutes waiting to be filled. Each suite is also graced with stunning fresh orchid plants. Each bath has a tub and shower and a fabulous walk-in closet with tremendous storage space. The bath is large and had plenty of mirrors above the elegant marble counters and sinks. All suites have internet access and flat screen TV’s. You also have your own personal Butler at your service 24/7. The Butler can arrange your dining reservations as well as make your shore excursion reservations. They are also available to run any errand you may need them to such as picking up your laundry or purchasing a candy bar from the store.
Each suite has a teak verandah with nice patio furniture. The size varies depending on the type of suite you have and your location on the ship. As you can imagine, if you have booked one of the larger suites, you will also have a larger verandah.

Our next visit was to the Owner’s Suite which is mid-size with Bedroom #1 being approximately 829 sq. ft. and Bedroom #2 being approximately 587 sq. ft. With the two separate bedrooms, there is also a living area with a couch and chairs and coffee table with champagne waiting; a writing desk and mini bar with table. Again, the bath was quite large with a larger walk-in closet. This suite bath also had a toilet and bade.
The Grand Suite was the largest suite that we visited with Bedroom #1 is 1019 sq. ft. and Bedroom #2 is 1314 sq. ft. The bath in this suite had a whirlpool tub. There was a very large living room area with couch and chairs along with two other round tables, a mini-bar and an antique looking writing desk in the corner. There were two entrances out to the verandah. Every suite offers the luxurious, plus Egyptian linens in the bedrooms and baths.

We visited the handsome Library furnished with over-stuffed dark brown leather chairs and hard cover books behind the glass doors of the bookcases. There were audio listening stations. You could also find your favorite magazines or newspaper here.
The Card Room had several square tables suitable for playing card games or table games and could also be used for a conference room if necessary.

La Terraza (The Terrace Restaurant) was one of my favorite areas on the ship. It offers an ala carté menu with a buffet breakfast in the morning or al fresco dining on the outdoor patio. In the evenings, La Terraza becomes an ala carté Italian Restaurant. The outdoor patio is on the aft of the ship and would be a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the scenery as you sail along.

Another great gathering place would be The Panorama Lounge where you can enjoy the scenery as well as complimentary cocktails. There is a piano in here along with nice tables and comfortable chairs. At the Pool Bar¸¬ you can enjoy your favorite cocktail by the pool during the day; and in the evening it turns into Dining Under the Stars offering grilled steaks and fish and fresh pizza.

Le Champagne would be an intimate place where you could indulge in a six course meals including fine wines paired with every course.

We passed quickly through the Salon and Spa where you can make arrangements for facials, body wraps or massages and afterwards enjoy some quite time in the men’s or women’s steam and sauna rooms. The Casino is small, but has a roulette wheel, blackjack table and about 15 slot machines neatly placed in cubbies along the port side of the ship. We did not see the Fitness Center, but understand it is equipped with treadmills, elliptical machines and free weights. They also offer aerobics classes, as well as yoga and Pilates – which are all complimentary.

Our tour ended in The Restaurant (dining room) elegantly set with silver and crystal and candlelight. We had a fixed menu with an appetizer of a small crab cake topped with a guacamole and garnish. Our “salad” was a base of steamed spinach topped with sliced artichoke hearts and a nice piece of grilled swordfish. The main course was a serving of Polenta topped with two small slices of veal. Dessert was also served which consisted of a fluted pastry shell filled with fresh blueberries and crème freshe. Two different wines were also served during lunch – both Italian, one white and one red.
The Silver Cloud was the flagship of Silversea Cruise Lines and was launched in 1994. She was renovated in 2004 and again in 2006. This luxury liner offers personal service at every point and being “all inclusive”, a passenger feels they are receiving true value for their vacation experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Silver Cloud and thank Silversea Cruise Lines for giving us the opportunity to visit her.