Review: Silversea’s Silver Nova

Admittedly, when I first saw renderings for Silversea Cruises’ newest ship, Silver Nova, I thought, “That looks like quite a departure for the brand.” Its asymmetrical architecture and layout were decidedly different from the luxury line’s previous vessels. 

But upon boarding the finished ship, I quickly came to understand and admire the updated approach; at the same time, it was clear that the heart of the brand — its high level of service and fine dining — has very much remained the same.

With a gross tonnage of 54,700 and a guest capacity of 728, Nova is the largest of the Silversea fleet. At 75.14, its passenger-space ratio (the amount of ship volume available per passenger) is larger than its predecessor, Silver Dawn, which had a passenger-space ratio of 68.29. What this meant in practice: I found that Nova never felt crowded, and there were always plenty of seats (and breathing room) at all the lounges, the pool and the sundecks.

Unique Design

Brand loyalists will notice that Nova differs most significantly from other Silversea ships in its distribution of public space and private suites. On earlier vessels, venues available to everyone were largely situated in the back half of the ship, while individual accommodations were placed toward the forward half, mixing both on each deck. On Nova, however, the arrangement follows that of a more traditional cruise ship, with levels consisting of public rooms, from stem to stern, separate from suite floors.

But even more radically modified is the asymmetrical deck plan. The smokestack is not in the center of the ship but, rather, on the port side, as is the forward glass-enclosed elevator bank. The aft elevator bank faces the starboard side, as does the offset pool. In practice, this forms a unique meandering layout, carving out lovely pockets of space that alternate from left to right.

RELATED: A Full Ship Overview of Silver Nova 

This design is best illustrated on the two uppermost decks. The refreshing, infinity-style pool is positioned just shy of the starboard edge and a narrow walking path, and loungers are set between the bar on the opposite side. Just above, and also offset, is a sundeck with a large whirlpool tub overlooking the pool below. Across both levels are sunbathing spaces and shaded alcoves, which provide a resort-style feel that’s different from other, more rigidly conforming, cruise ships.

Onboard Dining

Nestled behind the pool is The Marquee, a new alfresco dining venue that hosts The Grill — great for daytime burgers and nighttime self-prepared “hot rock” steaks — and Spaccanapoli, an Italian pizzeria open for lunch and dinner that serves what I find to be some of the best pies on any cruise ship. The double-decker, trellis-shaded venue makes for one of the most architecturally welcoming spaces at sea. Alternately, La Terrazza downstairs offers a tasty midday buffet and evening a la carte Italian fare.

Further highlighting the pool deck is a classic forward observation lounge and speakeasy-style hidden library, which connects to S.A.L.T. Bar, S.A.L.T. Lab and S.A.L.T. Chef’s Table. Unlike before, the destination-inspired venues have views of the ocean and surrounding destination, setting the scene for engaging cooking classes and custom cocktails. S.A.L.T. Kitchen is located on a lower deck, but its regional cuisine is just as excellent as before.

RELATED: Culinary Journalist Adam Sachs on Directing Silversea Cruises' S.A.L.T. Program 

S.A.L.T. Kitchen and Atlantide — best described as Nova’s other main dining room — offer included luxury meals on par with the best surcharge specialty restaurants on standard cruises. The only extra costs onboard Nova are at its returning La Dame French fine-dining eatery and Kaiseki Japanese restaurant. Silver Note rounds out the ship’s dining with a complimentary supper club experience that combines creative tapas with live piano and jazz music.

Entertainment and Wellness

The culinary prowess onboard Nova is equal to what I’ve come to expect from Silversea, and its entertainment has been newly elevated to match. Yet another off-center venue is The Venetian Lounge, which has been expanded to two levels and stages performances with a larger appeal. In the past, Silversea production casts have consisted mostly of a half-dozen operatic singers stretching to cover pop hits, as well. Nova’s cast, on the other hand, was composed of four vocalists and five dancers that I found were better at performing a wider array of musical genres, from Broadway to Latin. I was pleasantly surprised, for instance, to hear a number from the less known musical “Come from Away.”

Meanwhile, Otium Spa offers a series of treatment rooms, changing areas, steam rooms, dry saunas and a therapy pool overlooking the ocean, along with a beauty salon and a fitness center. My sublime massage treatment was customized with a combination of hot stones and bamboo.

The Otium concept, first introduced on Dawn, expands well beyond the spa — to in-suite sleeping, bathing, comfort food and balcony experiences. A nice touch I’ve never seen before was an Otium-branded bathrobe that was pre-delivered to my room the night before my massage.

That kind of exceptional butler service extends to the delivery of a pillow menu and scented bath options to a guest’s room. A choice of fragrant tablets — I chose the soothing “deep sleep” lavender — crafted the kind of experience clients might otherwise find at a spa. Moody (yet safely electric) candles, a Bluetooth speaker and a non-alcoholic cocktail completed the relaxing ritual. My selection of comfort food was truffle popcorn for a luxurious in-room movie night, and I’ll have to return again to try some of the other in-suite wellness offerings.

My Medallion Suite was comfortable to begin with, thanks to a sizable shower and bathtub, along with a separate toilet and sink. I also enjoyed a full walk-in closet and vanity desk, as well as separate bedroom and living areas, each with their own large flat-panel television. 

As for the rest of the ship, customers used to Silversea’s more intimate predecessors will likely notice how much longer it is. Familiar venues are distributed across a physically larger vessel, from the aft art-deco Panorama Lounge and adjacent Connoisseur's Corner to Arts Cafe and Dolce Vita. Fellow passengers I spoke with said they didn’t mind the slight size increase and loved how Arts Cafe and Dolce Vita feature centrally showcased bars rather than ones relegated to dark recesses.

And that’s another takeaway: Nova is bright, with plenty of natural light coming in. In fact, The Shelter bar lets in far more light than past Silversea ships — quite apt for a ship name that represents a new shining star.