MJ Rabbit hopped onboard to celebrate this ultra-luxury
vessel, which has capacity for 596 passengers. Like a small city on the high seas,
Silver Muse seeks to offer comfort,
culture – and plenty of retail therapy. Silversea has an agreement with
LVMH-owned Starboard for its product selection. Fittingly for an Italian cruise
company, passengers can find Bulgari branded beauty products both in their
spacious cabins and in the large stores. Silversea logoed items are also a highlight
of the mix.
Other brand names onboard include Joseph Ribkoff fashion apparel, Roberto Coin jewellery, Burberry handbags, and TAG Heuer watches. Interestingly, the company also offers handmade sandals from Capri, while renowned Italian fabrics supplier Faliero Sarti has created a selection of exclusive scarves to celebrate the launch of Silver Muse. The exclusive prints on each scarf have been designed to reflect the Silversea core values of exploration, luxury and uniqueness.
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| Silversea Cruises' new Silver Muse cruise ship |
Connoisseur lounge for cigar aficionados
Cruising is all about offering an experience, according to Silversea’s
Chief Marketing Officer Barbara Muckermann. To this end, artworks line the ship’s walls,
spanning paintings, sculptures and installations. It took me a long time to walk
through the plush corridors as I paused to admire these amazing pieces, many of which
were created by up-and-coming artists. Silversea prides itself on hosting
exhibitions, shows and other events onboard.
Silversea’s passionate and dedicated team have thought of
everything. Silver Muse aims to cater
to connoisseurs with a special lounge where cigars, Cognac and whisky can be savoured
in luxurious, Armani Casa-esque surroundings. Do you love jazz? There’s a
lounge created just for you. Love coffee? There’s a café serving Italian-style
coffees and gourmet treats. And don’t get me started on the eight restaurants,
as there are 26 different food offerings onboard… Japanese, Italian, French…
Lefebvre d’Ovidio cites “top comfort” and “top quality food”
as among the priorities for his passengers. His definition of luxury is
“unique, rare, and difficult to achieve”. Crucially, he wants to offer unique
places to visit, and he quotes Monte-Carlo, where he’s lived for 40 years, as
one example, reeling off the city’s evening entertainment, restaurants and
shops as key features.
In a bid to specialise in experiential travel beyond luxury
cruising, Silversea has expedition ships that visit far-flung locations such as
the Antarctic, the Arctic and the Galapagos Islands. The list of unusual destinations
also spans Bangladesh – Silversea was the first luxury cruise specialist to go
to Bangladesh, according to Lefebvre d’Ovidio.
Muckermann reports that Silversea’s annual revenue was up
10% this year, and I foresee buoyant years ahead for this ultra-luxury
operator.
