Sailing away on the Silver Ray

May 18th

Barcelona

We arrived early at the embarkation point, laden with luggage and feeling travel weary. We were greeted by big smiles, our luggage was whisked away and we were shown to an inviting and relaxing dining room to lunch whilst our room was made ready for us.

After we had enjoyed our meal we made our way to our cabin where we were introduced to our butler and our room attendant.  The butler offered to unpack for us, which we declined, and then outlined his duties which basically consisted of meeting all our wishes however large or small.  The room attendant’s duties, as far as I could ascertain, were to keep the cabin immaculate and keep up a supply of fresh towels.

The beauty of unpacking when there is lots of space and hangers😊! 

We are now in the lounge sipping on a gin and tonic and facing the biggest decision of the day – which of the restaurants will we dine in? We settled on La Terrazia with its Italian influence for dinner and then an early night.

19th May

We woke the next morning to a glorious sunrise as we sailed into Le Palma.  Last night we watched as we slipped quietly away from Barcelona and headed out to sea. We had enjoyed our time there and would happily go back. Today’s decision was whether we did a walking tour of La Palma or an explore of what the ship had to offer.  We noticed another cruise ship had entered the port at the same time as us and disgorged about 3,000 passengers. By now we had done a number of walking tours so decided that the second option was preferable.

We tried the Pool Bar then the SALT bar and were heading for the Dolce Vita bar when we were sidetracked by the Observation Lounge. With a fabulous 270 degree view of what lies ahead and comfortable chairs, there is a small library, comfortable chairs to read, tables set up for bridge, chess, scrabble and at the end – jigsaws.  There was one in progress, about three quarter finished, with a sign saying ‘JIGSAW IN PROGRESS.  DO NOT REMOVE’.  Needless to say we couldn’t go passed and not progress the puzzle, so we added our bit and moved on to continue our ship exploration.

Apart from the 10 bars and lounges, there are 8 restaurants covering a variety of cuisines.  We discovered that if you overindulge you can go for a swim in the pool, walk the exercise track, detox in the steam room, unwind in the hot tub, or work out in the fitness centre.  If you are concerned about overindulging, Silversea offers a holistic approach to wellness that fully integrates exercise, fitness and spa therapies with health lectures and nutritious diningto help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, even while away from home. 😏

If you just want to indulge yourself there are a wide range of treatments offered at the Beauty Salon that will leave you relaxed and your hair and body in top condition or you can visit the two boutiques which offer a selection of cutting-edge fashions, jewellery, accessories, fine perfumes and cosmetics, all at duty-free prices. 🤩

In the evening there is live music in the lounges and as the night progresses you can do some gambling at the casino and rock the night away in the Panorama Lounge Night Club.  Then there is the Venetian Lounge, a place where the arts of theatre and music meet with full-scale productions and feature films. Paying tribute to a golden age of glamour, the Venetian Lounge offers cabaret seating, with tables and chairs placed between the rows of tiered banquettes. As the stage lights are dimmed you can soak up the atmosphere, relax, and enjoy a night of dazzling sights and sounds whilst you dine.

As if this was not enough, there were a choice of three to four shore excursions to choose from each day

 Will twelve days be enough?

Not wanting to waste time checking things out we decided to dine at the outdoor restaurant The Marquee tonight. This casual dining restaurant serves a range of burgers and salads by day and turns into a Hot Rocks table BBQ concept by night. The Grill is quite simply the best place to eat if you like flavoursome meals cooked to perfection, a casual, laid-back atmosphere, and fabulous views.  There is a selection of meats and seafood that you can either cook yourself on the hot rocks or have cooked for you.  With a choice of fully loaded baked potatoes, fries or sweet potato  fries and either vegetables or salads as a side it makes a very satisfying meal.  A selection of desserts rounds off the meal.

20th May

Valencia

Today’s excursion was titled ‘The Art of Paella and Wine Tasting” and was a very light hearted and entertaining couple of hours as our rather motley crew attempted to produce the one and only authentic Paella Valenciana. From the very beginning we were left in no doubt that all the other paellas in all the other regions were a poor imitation of the real thing, which was only produced here in Valencia at the Valencia Club Cocina.

We spent two hours cooking up authentic paella, making a classic Spanish Tortilla, and baking a simple sweet cake. The chef was enthusiastic and exuberant, sharing tips and secrets, from picking the freshest ingredients at the market to perfecting our cooking techniques. It was fun, informative, and super delicious. Perfect way to spend a couple of hours together and dive into some amazing Spanish cuisine.

That night we had booked into Silver Note for dinner. Harkening back to the old days of dinner and dancing, this is an intimate venue that embodies a sense of glamour and fun. Jazz bands and soul singers play live music as you sample delicate tapas style dishes with a gourmet twist. You choose your dishes and they keep coming until you call a halt. The meal ends when you have had enough.  Dancing is encouraged on the small dance floor. Ed and I took to the floor, the only ones who did,  and received a round of applause for our efforts.

21st May

Cartagena

A leisurely start to the day as our chosen tour wasn’t until the afternoon. This was one of the tours that we were most looking forward to – a visit to one of the top Andalusian Spanish Horse ranches.

Just a couple of miles from the Port of Cartagena the ranch is known for its educational programs about the horses and breeding practices. The Conesa family focuses on Pura Raza Española (PRE) horses, which are highly valued for their beauty, intelligence, and versatility. Their carefully bred horses, with fine bloodlines and a graceful appearance, are exported to horse lovers all over the world.

We were greeted at their hacienda and sampled some of the local produce whilst one of the sons talked about the history, training and talents of purebred Spanish horses The PRE breed originated in Spain and is one of the oldest and purest lines of Spanish Horses in Europe. Some of the mares on the ranch are believed to be descendants of the Carthusian line, which is a bloodline group within the PRE, with documented lineage tracing back to the 15th century. This lineage has been bred and preserved by Carthusian monks since at least 1476 and represents only a small percentage of the overall Andalusian horse population.

The Conesa family is also involved in showcasing Spanish horsemanship, including demonstrations of the “Spanish walk” and other skills. The family’s ranch is a place where visitors can experience Spanish horsemanship and the daily life of the ranch. We were introduced to some of the stallions, were able to look at and touch the brood mares who roam with their foals, watch the impressive mare and foal stampede and learn about the art of managing stallions. After a tapas lunch, including wine and an olive oil tasting, we were treated to a stallion performance coordinated with an Andalusian dancer.

Our guide was excellent and the general feeling on the coach was that this was one of the best tours that many of them have been on – and this was a very well traveled group.

22nd May

Our first day at sea with nothing to do but relax. After a leisurely breakfast we went up to the pool area and settled down with a book but it was a bit cold and a bit early to start drinking and we had only just finished eating. We wandered into the observation lounge and noted that the previous jigsaw was still there. No sign. So we packed it away and chose another more challenging one.

We soon found out there are two very social places on the ship – the laundry and the jigsaw corner. We were ideally located for the laundry, it being opposite us, and we made our mark the first day by inadvertently putting our wash on a 3 hour cycle tying up two machines for half a day. Rosanna, a fellow Australian gave us a lesson on the intricacies of the marine washing machine and dryer which we repeated to an endless stream of confused passengers, thus becoming experts in the laundry community.

Our jigsaw efforts resulted in us meeting a number of fellow passengers- some who stopped with words of encouragement and some who came and assisted.  The jigsaw evolved over a number of days. Whenever we returned to it it was more complete and occasionally there would be someone sitting there with a furrowed brow slowly progressing it. In our final push we were assisted by a young girl who was a whiz at fitting in those most difficult pieces.

Whilst dining at most restaurants on the Silver Ray are included in the price, there are three speciality restaurants which attract an additional charge, La Dame, Kaiseki and S.A.L.T. Chef’s Table. We had booked into all three and tonight was the first – La Dame.

Relais & Châteaux is an association of 580 exclusive independent hotels and restaurants in 65 countries. Its members strive to cherish and promote the joys and diversity of the world’s cuisines and strengthen the traditions of good hospitality. The association is also committed to cultivating and preserving local heritage and the environment.

In 2009, Relais & Châteaux signed the Ethic Ocean charter to commit to serving sustainable seafood. It includes commitment to stop serving bluefin tuna, helping prevent the collapse of the stock in the North-East Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, allowing them to replenish.

In 2019, a petition, signed by Relais & Châteaux chefs, and in partnership with nonprofit BLOOM association, was presented to the European Parliament ahead of a crucial vote to ban the controversial electric pulse trawling fishing technique. A ban was introduced in mid-2021.

In 2020, Relais & Châteaux chefs pledged to participate in ‘le bar en hiver’ (seabass in winter), and decided to stop serving seabass in February and March. The initiative, in partnership with Ethic Ocean, protected the threatened species during its critical breeding season, allowing stocks to replenish.

 In November 2024, UNESCO and the Relais & Châteaux Association announced the signature of a partnership agreement to develop and implement joint projects supporting the sustainable conservation and use of biological diversity through the world’s hospitality and culinary traditions and savoir-faire.

Relais & Chateaux is known for its strict admission standards. In addition to complying with the commitments of the organisation it must offer unique luxurious facilities and exquisite cuisine.  

 La Dame is the only Relais & Chateaux restaurant at sea. According to the write up, it offers

“an extraordinary dining experience celebrating the world’s most distinguished wine regions and featuring the freshest locally sourced ingredients and finest artisan products available. This chic contemporary restaurant represents the highest expression of excellence, with crisp white table linens and impeccable white gloved service.”

It was with great anticipation that we presented ourselves, attired in our best bib and tucker, at the restaurant to partake of this culinary feast. We were shown to a beautiful table by the window, set with the finest crystal and silver and with a stunning Lalique rose as a centrepiece.

We sipped on Bollinger champagne whilst we perused the menu trying to decide which of the dishes we would try. All of them looked interesting and it was a hard choice as you could order as many as you wanted, only limited by your capacity! We finally made our decision, and the sommelier was called over to assist us in selecting wines to go with our meal.

The next four hours past in gastronomical bliss ending with a range of liqueurs and a selection of petit fours.

23rd May.
Marseille

Up bright and early for our 8.30 departure on a tour titled Marseille Highlights. The write up advised us that Marseille is the second largest city in France and is among the most beautiful and historic locales on the Mediterranean coast. Our excursion will explore the panoramic beauty during visits to famous landmarks such as Notre-Dame de La Garde. Degree of Difficulty: Extensive activity.

You’d think I would have learned by now!  Perched atop the city’s highest hill, the magnificent Notre-Dame de la Garde, or “la Bonne Mère” (the Good Mother), as it is called in Marseille, is visible from all over the Marseille, is one of the city’s most striking landmarks and is practically inaccessible except by foot or Le Petit Train, which is often overcrowded or simply doesn’t run to schedule.

I’ve got to hand it to the driver of the coach. He drove his coach through impossibly narrow streets and around corners that required three point turns in order to get us as close as possible, but the remaining walk was a steep track with many steps that went  for hundreds of metres –  and the only toilets were up near the top!

I didn’t even attempt it.  The sides of the path were strewn with collapsed tourists clutching their chests and gasping for breath and I wasn’t planning to be one of them.    I found a nice comfortable rock with a stunning view and Edgar went on ahead to see what was up there.

Emblem of the city of Marseille, Notre-Dame watches over sailors, fishermen, and the people of Marseille. Because of its external and internal architectural beauty, and magnificent 360 degrees view all over the city, the basilica is the most visited monument of the city of Marseille.

It was built on the foundations of an ancient fort at the highest natural point in Marseille, a 149 m (489 ft) limestone outcropping on the south side of the Old Port of Marseille.It is best known for its grand bell tower, which is capped with a gleaming gold statue of the Virgin Mary.  The golden statue of Mary dominating the basilica is 11.20 metres long and weighs nearly 9,796 kg! It was made by the Christofle company and needs to be gilded with 500 grams of gold every quarter century.

The basilica was built based on a Roman-Byzantine style (with domes, stones polychromy, golds, mosaics). Under the basilica, the crypt was dug directly into the rock. It was completed before the basilica. The difference in style between the crypt and the basilica is quite striking: on the one hand the basilica with its very rich and golden decoration, on the other hand the crypt and its very sober decoration, without paintings or ornaments.

One steps inside the basilica and the alternating bands of red and white marble (Byzantine style) strike the eye. It is bold and breathtaking. Thousands of tiny tiles make up beautiful mosaic works – shimmering in hues of gold. In the apse, one of these mosaics depicts a ship sailing under the monogram of Mary. Birds and foliage surround the ship. The celestial guardianship of sailors is everywhere present here. 

Suspended from the vaulted ceilings are mobiles of ships – models meticulously crafted and hanging in a line. The walls of the basilica are lined with paintings depicting scenes of perilous sea journeys, storms, rescues…stories of survival and faith. There are also plaques in tribute to Mary representing various eras and times in history. 

Once everyone had made it back to the coach we headed down to the Marina and the central shopping area.  Our mission was to find and purchase one of Marseilles most popular souvenirs, Marseille Olive Oil soap, which has magical powers when it comes to moisturising your skin and hair and also removes stains from clothes. It certainly does the former and when I tried it on an oil-stained silk blouse when the laundry failed to remove the stain it took it away completely! We have now used up all our supplies and are buying it online. Magic for removing makeup and stains on collars etc.

Back on the boat for a late lunch/ early dinner we decided to try the Arts Café as we were not very hungry after our feast the night before.

The Arts Café offers a casual lounge and bar setting for eating, drinking, and socialising, as well as a chance to lose yourself while reading up on all your favourite artists and art. Enjoy healthy snacks and smoothies plus hot and cold drinks, juices, pastries, and sandwiches in a light and airy space. Pop in for a late breakfast or afternoon snack, along with real Italian espresso plus a great range of teas.

We had a gin and tonic, followed by a light snack before going for a walk around the deck and retiring to bed to read and rest up for the next day.