Boutique cruise finds adventure in Key West
Walking around Key West with a cup of strong, sweet Cuban coffee from a kiosk along the pier, I was beguiled by the island’s charm.
On a January day, tropical blooms peeked from the gardens of Victorian mansions and pastel bungalows alike. Flowering orchids hung from a tree, bougainvillea clambered over a picket fence and a mimosa with feathery pink blossoms shaded the sidewalk. Rocking chairs beckoned from inviting verandas.
“This would be a great place to hole up and write a book, “I said to my friend. But, oh, wait. That’s been done before.
That afternoon we would head to Ernest Hemingway’s famous compound to check out just how it’s done: Set up a typewriter in a sunny library next to your veranda with a view of the lighthouse, overlooking a swimming pool shaded by eucalyptus trees. And surround yourself with a herd of six-toed cats. Hemingway wrote most of his life’s work in the 10 years that he lived in Key West in the 1930s. It was the perfect launching point for his adventures at sea.
I was looking forward to my own voyage. After our excursion at the Hemingway museum, it was back to the ship for us. Key West was one stop on our minicruise from Fort Lauderdale to Cozumel, Mexico.
This was the christening voyage of the Silver Nova, a boutique luxury ship in the Silversea fleet. Many of the 728 guests had embarked on the Grand Voyage, a 71-day trip around South America: five routes, 38 ports, 17 countries. The price tag: $51,000. That includes transportation, food and beverages. Once you’re on the ship, you don’t have to worry about anything.
At lunch during our Key West excursion, we met a couple who were sailing the full 71 days on the ship, which travels through the Panama Canal and all the way around Cape Horn. It was their second time on a Grand Voyage, they told us over Key lime pie. Last year they sailed around Asia and Australia. Another passenger said he would be getting off in Lima, Peru, to hike Machu Pichu. The allure of cruising? Waking up in a different port each day. Plus spending time in the spa, the pool or a cooking class while at sea.
Luxury cruises on smaller ships offer more space to fewer passengers. Silversea, Viking and Oceania are among the top lines in the luxury cruise category, which carried an estimated 1 million travelers last year, according to Cruise Industry News. Next year, both the RitzCarlton and Four Seasons will offer luxury cruising, and the Orient Express will began sailing in 2026.
Barbara Muckermann, president and CEO of Silversea Cruises, called 2023 a milestone year for the brand, with the summer introduction of the Silver Nova. The chic CEO greeted her guests warmly, and her enthusiasm for the elegant Super Nova was contagious with her staff. The ship is a “game changer” with its asymmetric design. “There are views everywhere. Every elevator faces the sea,” she said.
The pool also overlooks the ocean. And the ship has no inside cabins; every room opens to a balcony.
Silversea is perhaps most famous for its S.A.L.T. culinary experiences. Shore excursions often focus on food and wine, and menus in S.A.L.T. Kitchen, one of the ship’s eight restaurants, reflect the area the ship is sailing through. So do cooking classes in the ship’s beautiful S.A.L.T Lab. Super Nova boasts “the sexiest test kitchen you can find anywhere in the world,” Muckermann said.
Guest chefs are invited onboard to give cooking classes and lectures. New York chef Ralston Williams, who is originally from the Caribbean Island of Bequia, was on hand to help make johnny cakes in the S.A.L.T. Lab. Williams’ restaurant, The Food Sermon, opened in 2015 and was hailed by the New York Times. Like many restaurants, it closed during the pandemic, so he was excited about the opportunity to work with Silversea. “It’s been a serendipitous journey,” he said.
Having eight restaurants and 10 bars at your disposal is tempting, but there’s a gym with expansive views and the Silver Nova’s horizontal layout makes it easy to walk the length of the ship through public areas. So there should be no guilt sitting down to enjoy the 12-course dinner at the chef’s table in the S.A.L.T. Lab kitchen, a highlight for guests. The intimate experience seats 28. Our Caribbean-influenced feast started with Williams’ delicate white fish sashimi and Scotch Bonnet sorbet. It ended with a decadent Lucuma flan, spiced dark chocolate and amaranth. In between, there were tapas-size plates of lobster, pork belly, octopus and duck. We learned about caju fruit, which produces the cashew, and the subtle, caramel flavor of Peru’s lucuma.
Silversea’s mantra, Muckermann said, is to allow guests to “travel deeper,” immerse themselves in culture and connect with the world.
As Hemingway put it, “In order to write about life first you must live it.”