Silver Nova: Venice to Athens down the Adriatic
Silversea's brightest ship through Croatia, Montenegro and the Ionian, with a butler in every suite.
Cruise line
Silversea
Butler-served suites, serious destinations, and one of the strongest expedition fleets afloat.
Silversea runs intimate classic ships, the larger new Nova class, and a dedicated expedition fleet, all with butler service in every suite and an optional door-to-door fare that includes flights and transfers.
Silversea is the line we suggest when the destination matters as much as the ship. The itineraries are ambitious, the expedition fleet goes properly remote, and the classic ships are small enough to slip into harbours the big fleets cannot. Every suite has a butler, and the door-to-door fare option takes care of flights, transfers and a hotel night so the trip starts at your front door.
The newest ships, Silver Nova and Silver Ray, are larger, brighter and more relaxed than the classic fleet, with an asymmetric design that opens the ship to the sea. The classic ships feel more traditional and a little more formal in the evening.
Silversea is not a children's line. Children are welcome and well looked after, but there is no kids' club on most sailings. For couples, well-travelled grandparents and expedition-minded families with older teenagers, it is hard to beat.
What's included
- Butler service in every suite
- Drinks and dining
- Gratuities and Wi-Fi
- Door-to-door option with flights and transfers
- Expedition activities on expedition ships
Ships
- Silver Nova
- Silver Ray
- Silver Moon
- Silver Muse
- Silver Dawn
- Silver Spirit
- Silver Shadow
- Silver Whisper
- Silver Endeavour
- Silver Cloud
- Silver Wind
- Silver Origin
The ships
Silversea at sea
Licensed photographs of the actual ships, not brochure renders.
Silversea's Silver Wind sailing the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, with mountains rising behind the town Photo: Gzzz · CC BY-SA 4.0
On board
What Silversea is actually like
Four honest notes, in our words, on the things people ask us about most.
- Suites
- All-suite with butler service in every category; Silver Nova and Silver Ray have the largest and most contemporary suites, the classic ships the most intimate.
- Dining
- Up to eight venues on the newest ships, La Dame for the occasion dinner; on the classic ships expect four, all good, with an elegant evening feel.
- Facilities
- A pool, a serious spa, a small gym and the quiet library-and-lounge atmosphere Silversea is known for; the expedition ships add zodiacs and a mudroom.
- Children
- No children's club on the classic fleet; a modest programme on some school-holiday sailings on the larger ships. Adult families and teenagers do well; under-tens less so.
Who it's for
- Couples who want intimacy and ambitious itineraries
- Grandparents with older grandchildren who are curious travellers
- Expedition travellers who want comfort on the way to Antarctica or the Arctic
- Anyone who wants flights and transfers bundled into one price
Who it isn't for
- Families with young children looking for a kids' club
- Travellers who want a casual, resort atmosphere on the classic ships
- Anyone for whom a smaller pool deck is a deal-breaker
Cruise ideas
Sailings we'd consider with Silversea
Planning figures per person; the final price depends on date, suite and availability.
Silver Endeavour: Antarctica in comfort
The trip of a lifetime with a butler, zodiac landings twice a day and a fly-cruise option across the Drake.
Not sure Silversea is the right fit?
Tell us who's travelling and what matters most. We'll say honestly whether we'd book this line for you, or which one we'd choose instead.
Where they sail
Destinations
Mediterranean
The easiest great cruise there is: short flights, famous ports, and a ship for every kind of family.
Greek Islands
Small ships, island overnights, and a late season that runs into October.
Adriatic & Croatia
Venice, Dubrovnik and Kotor in a week, on ships small enough for the old harbours.
Caribbean
Winter sun for the whole family, on ships that make Christmas and half-term easy.
Norwegian Fjords
No long flight, dramatic scenery from your terrace, and a season made for grandparents.
Baltic & Northern Capitals
Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn and Helsinki in a week, with culture the whole way.
Compared
Silversea against the alternatives
Explora Journeys vs Silversea: which is right for your family?
Explora and Silversea are both luxury, both largely inclusive, and suit quite different parties. We compare ship size, formality, children, food, destinations and price, then say which we would choose for whom.
The best luxury cruises for first-time cruisers
Which ships change the mind of someone who thinks they would hate cruising: relaxed modern ships, yachts and one all-inclusive line, and the itinerary we suggest for a first week at sea.
The best luxury cruises for over-60s
Luxury cruise lines that suit travellers in their sixties and seventies: pacing, comfort, inclusive fares, accessibility, no-fly options and the ships we recommend most.
Good to know
Silversea: questions we're asked
What is Silversea's door-to-door fare?
A fare option that bundles flights, private transfers, and where needed a hotel night with the cruise, so the whole trip is one price from your home. We compare it against a port-to-port fare with our own flights for every proposal; it is not always the better value.
Is Silversea suitable for children?
Children are welcome and the crew are kind to them, but most sailings do not run a children's club. We suggest Silversea for families with teenagers, particularly on expedition itineraries, rather than for young children.
Further reading
Before you decide on Silversea
Our own planning notes: who a ship suits, how many cabins to book, when to go.
The best cruises to take with your grandchildren
Which ships work when the party spans seventy years, what to look for in a children's programme, and the itineraries we would start with.
Seven luxury cruise myths, dispelled by people who sail them
Crowds, buffets, seasickness, feeling trapped, dressing for dinner, children underfoot and the price. What is true of a 3,000-guest ship is mostly untrue of a 300-guest one. Here is what we tell first-time guests.
How many cabins should a family book?
The configurations that work for parties of four to twelve, why connecting suites matter more than cabin grade, and what to do when they are gone.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us who's travelling, where you'd like to go and what matters most. A cruise specialist shortlists the two or three ships we'd actually recommend.