Champagne’son tapaboardthis swankynewvessel
THERE’S a new queen of the seas. Silver Muse — the ninth ship in the fleet of high-end cruise line Silversea — made its maiden voyage in April, bringing with it serious levels of luxury.
Guests enjoy the A-list lifestyle from the minute the ship casts off. The cabins (sorry, ‘suites’) are spacious and swish, each with private balconies and bathrooms, Bvlgari toiletries, plus pillow menu — your choice will be delivered by your butler.
Cool off on deck in the swimming pool or in one of the whirlpools while sipping a glass of free-flowing and allinclusive champagne. A fair few opt to do just that as we set sail from Genoa to Barcelona via Marseilles.
Taking a break from the bubbly and the views of the French Riviera, I head below deck to the Zagara Spa, which
offers everything from healing crystal sound baths to rub-downs using aromatic Thai herbs.
Living the high life is hungry work. But forget the bland buffets that plague other liners — the Silver Muse has more dining choices than any other luxury vessel: eight options overseen by chef Rudi Scholdis, formerly of the Dorchester hotel in
London. Tuck into an Italian feast at La Terrazza or cook your own filet mignon atop lava stones at al fresco restaurant Hot Rocks on deck.
With its state-of-the-art theatre, cigar lounge and shopping boutique, it’s almost a pity to disembark. But with the Silver Muse cruising into 34 countries, 130 ports and 52 Unesco World Heritage Sites during its first season, the call of adventure will be hard to resist.
TRAVEL FACTS
A SEVEN-DAY all-inclusive Mediterranean cruise on the Silver Muse ( silversea.
com, 0844 251 0837) departing May 29, 2018 from Rome to Venice starts from £3,900pp. Excludes flights.