Silver Shadow shines in Southeast Asia excursion
Luxury comes in many forms with this liner, both on-board and onshore
I’ve just returned from a 12-day cruise around Southeast Asia aboard Silversea’s luxurious Silver Shadow, and it may very well be one of the most fascinating voyages I’ve ever taken.
Silversea has never shied away from creating unique itineraries, and this journey was no exception. Departing from Singapore, Silver Shadow took us to four ports of call in Malaysia (Port Klang, Penang, Langkawi, and Malacca), one port in Thailand (Phuket), and spent three full days docked in fabulous Yangon, Myanmar.
Though geographically similar, these ports of call couldn’t be more different from one another. There is spotlessly clean Singapore, with its mega-malls on every street corner and interesting diversions like the famous Raffles Hotel, where the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented in 1915. Phuket, on the other hand, has almost unimaginable natural beauty, as does Langkawi, Malaysia, where Silversea offered an excursion up to the top of Machincang mountain via the Langkawi Cable Car, said to be the steepest in the world with a 42-degree grade.
But by far the highlight of this unique 12-day journey was the three days we spent exploring Myanmar. Silversea likes to include overnight stays on many of its longer itineraries, and offers optional overnight shore excursions called MidVoyage Land Adventures to take guests to places they wouldn’t be otherwise able to reach. On this voyage, guests on these added-cost tours flew to see the ancient city of Bagan, which to this day still displays more than 2,000 pagodas and stupas dating back to the ninth century.
Silversea also offered a completely different set of shore excursions for each of the three days we were docked in Myanmar. Most explored the city of Yangon, famed for its glittering Shwedagon Pagoda, but others concentrated on lesser-known destinations such as the bustling port city of Thanlyin and the former capital of the Mon dynasty known as Bago. And if you don’t want to do any guided tours, Silversea offered guests a complimentary shuttle service from the ship into the heart of Yangon.
After a long, hot day of exploration ashore, it was always a pleasure to return to the Silver Shadow, where her friendly staff greeted guests with refreshing towels and cold cocktails.
On this ship, every room is a suite, the smallest of which still clock in at a generous 287 square feet. The size only increases from there up to the top-of-the-line Royal, Grand and Owner’s Suites, which feature separate living and sleeping areas, dual-vanity marble-clad bathrooms, walk-in closets, bar areas, and spacious balconies.
Unlike other luxury lines, everyone gets butler service with Silversea, and it’s far less stuffy than it sounds. Friendly and hard-working, your butler can do everything from serve up your choice of pillow (nine types are available), to your toiletry selection (Bulgari, Ferragamo or hypo-allergenic). He or she can help with your dinner reservations, shore excursion bookings, or even pack and unpack your luggage. It’s all done in the name of relaxation.
Luxury also comes in other forms. With just 382 guests aboard the Silver Shadow, you’re never going to have to fight to find an empty chair by the pool, or your favourite spot in the lounge. You can dine when you like, with whomever you like. Dinner can be taken in your suite and served course-by-course from that night’s menu in The Restaurant, if you wish. Silversea even recently introduced All Around Dining that lets you order almost anything you’d like, to be delivered to wherever you happen to be on the ship.
I also like that Silversea is inclusive. All but the most premium spirits and wines are included in the cost of the cruise, and gratuities are never expected. There’s something very relaxing about knowing that most of your vacation is already paid for when you embark — and, perhaps, that you can say “yes” to that pool drink or morning latte without having to worry about how much it’s going to cost.
If you’re intrigued, Silversea offers a whole season of diverse cruises throughout Asia during the fall and winter months aboard Silver Shadow and, in 2018, the still-under-construction Silver Muse. Silversea also operates luxury expedition cruises in Southeast Asia, with exotic voyages aboard the intimate, 120-guest Silver Discoverer.
Happy cruising.
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