SILVER SHADOW REVISITED

Silver Shadow Rejuvenated

I was last aboard Silver Shadow five years ago, and wanted to see how well the ship is standing up. The inspection consisted of a full ship tour plus a fixed menu lunch at The Restaurant. Clearly, much effort has gone into updating this gem of a ship. From clam shell 'Bali Beds' by the pool, to new mattresses and linens in the suites, new carpeting- the soft goods were in terrific shape. The diversity of suites- vista and veranda are identical, except for the balcony, but also medallion, silver, grand, royal and owner suites mean that there is an excellent array of choices. Double sinks, separate wc's in the higher categories, but the same attention to detail and the fine marble run throughout. On another general note, the Shadow, and its twin the Whisper, are ideally sized, with perhaps the highest passenger space ratio in the industry, at well over 75 tonnes/passenger. Public spaces are generous, and there are the additional amenities- such as the Connoisseur's Corner and the upscale Le Champagne, not found on smaller ships. There is no full promenade deck, and the top deck allows no running, but these are minor deficits. I was impressed by the overall housekeeping and immaculate condition of the ship. Lunch was WAY better than my last cuisine experiences aboard Silver Cloud in 2009. Each dish was perfect- the poached king salmon was fresh, the beef tenderloin excellent. They poured very good west coast wines- a riesling from Oregon, a cabernet from California, both of which were premium varietals from known boutique vineyards. This is by no means the same as impressions that might be gathered from a week long trip, but the 'wow' factor was palpable. The crew is now quite international, and genuinely worked hard and skillfully from my observations. Guests expect the best from luxury cruises, and rightfully so. While I cannot speak to the many other aspects of a cruise aboard Silver Shadow, the ship itself is just about perfect.