Luxury Travel Advisor is cruising in Asia this week between Tokyo and Singapore on Silversea’s 728-passenger, ultra-luxury Silver Nova. Here are a few of our first-hand impressions from our pre-cruise stay and the first two days aboard.
Pre-Cruise Stay
Upon arriving in Japan, we stayed for one night at Silversea's pre-cruise hotel, the Conrad Tokyo. Overall, it was an excellent choice, based on our personal experience as well as feedback from other Silversea guests. While the physical “hardware”—the hotel furnishings, public space design, accommodations, restaurants and so on—were wonderful, we particularly liked this luxurious property for its “dynamic people factor.”
Most notably, Neil McInnes, Conrad Tokyo's general manager, was highly visible in public spaces and at multiple times during our stay. He chatted with guests at reception, proactively asked travelers how their stay was going and always kept a friendly demeanor in answering questions or stepping in to assist if need be. It was refreshing to watch. He wasn’t alone in that regard, though. Overall, we found the entire Conrad Tokyo staff exceptionally friendly, professional and proactively helpful. When one guest asked where the ladies' restroom was located, a restaurant team member simply didn’t point the guest in the right direction, she actually led her to it.
Yes, our room was spacious and comfortable. We loved the wall of glass offering breathtaking skyline views of Tokyo, particularly at night. But after a long flight, perhaps most appealing was the bathroom’s large soaking tub with a glass window between the bathroom and bedroom/living area. Of course, a shade can be lowered if privacy is desired. But a guest who wants a good hot bath soaking while peering into the rest of the suite and out to the skyline can easily have that.
Near the hotel’s front-desk reception area, Silversea operated a ground services desk to assist its luxury guests. Four friendly team members answered questions and offered suggestions and information about what to see and do in Tokyo. They also provided all Silversea cruise guests with a letter outlining the pre-cruise stay details, transfer information and embarkation procedures.
Transfer, Check In, Boarding
On embarkation day, we boarded the Silversea-provided motorcoach transfer in front of the Conrad Tokyo. The coach was comfortable, clean and not crowded. It was approximately 35 minutes by road to Tokyo’s cruise terminal. Once at the port terminal, we identified our luggage, which was then taken away for handling and delivery to the ship.
Heading inside the terminal for passport inspection and the Silversea check-in, we navigated an easy process that only took 15 to 20 minutes. Soon, we were boarding Silver Nova near the Arts Café area. Ship officers, managers and other crew members greeted arriving guests. Servers nicely offered guests flutes of sparkling alcoholic or nonalcoholic drinks.
We headed for No. 6092, our Premium Veranda Suite to drop off our carry-on bag. Taking an elevator from Deck 4 to Deck 6, we admired the views of Tokyo’s harbor area through the elevator's outward facing glass wall. The elevators are just one indication of Silver Nova's unique horizontal layout that affords “vast expanses of glass."
The Butler Did It!
Reaching our suite, we were surprised to find our luggage already waiting, given that it had been offloaded from the coach just a short time before. Within minutes, Marites, our friendly butler from the Philippines, arrived to introduce herself, explain the suite's features and assist us in unpacking.
Normally, we unpack our own bags but after a trans-Pacific journey, many time zone changes and only a few hours of sleep in Tokyo, we opted to take her up on her offer to assist. That proved a blessing. She quickly placed everything exactly where we wanted it, hung up our clothes and stored the luggage under the bed. Her assistance with a smile made our arrival day an easy, pleasant experience.
Butler and suite attendant services are provided twice daily—in the morning and at turn-down. But if a guest has any needs during other periods, they can press the butler button on the phone to reach their butler or someone else who can assist.
On the day of arrival, all guests must watch a required safety video on their in-suite HDTV system. Then they can proceed to their muster station to check in. Once that's complete, they're ready to explore the ship.
Space, Glorious Space
While No. 6092 is a Premium Veranda Suite that spans 357 square feet, it’s actually the lead-in suite category on Silver Nova. That said, for guests who’ve stayed in veranda suites on many other lines, it’s quite spacious.
Just inside the door is a hallway that extends about eight feet straight into the suite. On one side is a make-up desk area with a large wall mirror. Nearby is a vertical, elongated drawer that pulls out and reveals a nifty hanging laundry bag. On the shelf above are laundry forms. We provided our laundry to the butler prior to 9 a.m. and it was returned freshly laundered later that same day.
The suite’s spacious marble bathroom is also within the entry hall area. It consists of a large walk-in shower, vanity with an elongated sink and two faucets (so two people can get ready at once), humongous mirror, toilet, shelves with towels and two wastebaskets. Guests will discover Otium (the onboard spa concept's) bath products—shampoo, conditioner, body wash and so on. But our butler explained that we could also choose Bvlgari or Sebamed (hypoallergenic) products.
One special perk? Our butler Marites told us about the complimentary Otium shower experiences available to guests. She showed us glass containers displaying lemon, eucalyptus or lavender ingredients. We chose eucalyptus, and she put that ingredient under the shower’s floor. Presto, when the water turns on, then it engages whatever ingredient the guest has selected—filling the room with a lovely scent. Also, as part of this special Otium shower experience, the butler will place a robe on the bathroom door, slippers on the floor and realistic-looking (but flameless) candles and a soothing music player on the bathroom vanity to help set the shower mood.
All in all, it's a luxurious, pampering experience in the comfort of one's own suite.
Main Section of Suite
So, what's in the main area of the suite? Just past the entry corridor is a door to a large walk-in closet with very good hanging space, a personal safe in a drawer, umbrella, and several shelves and drawers. Also, a lovely cashmere throw is provided there for guest use, along with two terrycloth robes and slippers.
Just beyond that walk-in closet is this suite’s bedroom area. The queen-sized bed can be converted to two twins, if desired. Comfortable bedding nicely includes a sheet under the duvet, perfect for those who want the duvet but may get hot later on. This way, they can simply throw off the duvet for a time and yet retain a thin cover at night. Often, we have to ask lines to do this, so it was nice to see it done automatically.
In addition, both our butler and Feli, our friendly housekeeper from the Philippines, offered other pillow choices beyond the ones already positioned on the bed. So, we tried one small, memory foam pillow just to see if that worked better for us. But after trying it, we opted to keep the feather pillows. That said, it was certainly pampering to have the luxury of choice.
Guests will find two small end tables—each with a small lamp and three open shelves—on both sides of the bed. Just above those are two USB outlets as well as one U.S. and one European plug outlet. We'd suggest bringing an adaptor so you can use more of the plugs. The bedroom area also has a floor-to-ceiling curtain that can be pulled across the full width of the suite; this can both block light and provide a sense of separation between the bedroom and living area.
Within that living room, guests will find a humongous, flat-screen HDTV, which also pulls out and slides on an angle to face the bed, if desired. Using this robust “info-entertainment” system, we could peruse the daily program, look at what we’d booked for shore excursions, watch news or movies, check out taped versions of some of the enrichment talks, or make shore excursion or restaurant reservations, just to name a few options. We could also see our onboard account, whether our request for a restaurant reservation was confirmed or still waitlisted, and much more. And by heading to Channel 2 and clicking on "bridge camera" not only can guests see what's ahead but also hear the PA announcements made in public corridors.
Shelves adjacent to the TV hold glassware and an ice bucket, then below is an elongated space with a lengthy top surface space. A handy electronic tablet is placed here for guest use. So, people can sit on the couch or in bed, use the tablet and see all the daily programming, movies, news, account information and reservations.
The desk/credenza area also is home to two refillable water bottles, which are refilled by the butler. Desk area connectivity includes two USB ports and EU and U.S. plugs. Below the credenza surface is a mini refrigerator stocked prior to arrival with sodas, beer and wine. The butler will handle refilling those as needed and any special requests. For instance, the guest might desire a particular type of white wine or soda.
In this entertainment/desk area credenza, guests will also find a good amount of storage space. Three roomy drawers include the top one that we particularly appreciated; it's split into six smaller compartments—perfect for storing and separating such personal items as adaptors, makeup, hairbrushes, medication and so on. There is also one pull-out desk drawer.
Guests can sit and relax on the living area’s comfortable couch and ottoman. It's good to know that the couch in No. 6092 isn't a pull-out one but some other suites do have that. In front of the couch is a nice-sized oval table. Upon embarkation, this table was set up with a gorgeous orchid plant, complimentary bottle of champagne and treats. It’s a nice-sized table for room service meals or a snack for movie night in one's jammies.
Adjacent floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors lead to a spacious balcony (it provides a bit more depth than typical balconies). Guests will find two all-weather balcony chairs with separate footrests. By simply moving the two pieces together, one can create a lounge chair and put up one's feet. Plus, there’s a small balcony table. As No. 6092 is fully aft, guests have superb views of the ship’s wake.
Thus far, we're very much liking our suite and the excellent service provided by the butler and cabin attendant. Overall, everyone in the crew—from managers to maintenance personnel and servers have been very friendly.
We also have had relatively good Wi-Fi reception, except for one brief period given the ship's position. We opted for the two-device premium Wi-Fi package for our two-week voyage; it cost $310 extra but we have felt that, so far, it's worth it. Guests who board and have difficulties connecting should head to the reception/purser's desk.
Between the reception agent and an IT expert who came to assist, we got connected and are now set up to get on/off as needed. It's been a relative breeze with Starlink.
Dining – Initial Time Aboard
During our first several days on board, we dined in multiple spots, including Deck 3's Atlantide and Deck 4's Kaiseki. We also ordered room service on two occasions; the latter was delivered within 30 to 40 minutes, and the food was hot and tasty. In a short time, we've grown fond of the Laksa Lemak, a Malaysian seafood and coconut broth.
Atlantide is a lovely main dining room experience and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Service was attentive during our meal there. We also liked the attractive classic red decor and the fact that the tables don’t seem overly close, providing a sense of airiness.
Located on Deck 4, the intimate Kaiseki is—in our personal view and given our penchant for Pan-Asian cuisine—a cut-above specialty dining experience. It’s complimentary for lunch and $80 per person at dinner. Reservations are truly needed. We did see one couple walk in early without reservations and get seated, but others doing the same a short time later couldn’t be accommodated. So, reserve early.
We opted for Kaiseki's six-course Omakase meal. That’s essentially a set-menu using the Japanese approach of letting the chef pick the courses. That said, our server told us that we could order individual items and also mix and match, if desired, between the Omakase menu and the other items available.
Here’s what our Omakase meal included:
- Edamame Beans – Chawanmushi: Steamed soy beans sprinkled with sea salt, plus a savory egg custard cup marinated with mirin, dashi and miso.
- Ebi Shinjo – Steamed chopped shrimp with shinjo broth and caviar.
- Enoki Mushroom Soup – Shiitake mushrooms, glass noodles and green onions seasoned with soy and sake.
- Tempura Shrimp and Vegetable Platter – Golden fried tempura (battered shrimp, pumpkin, Shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant and more). The tempura were seasoned with a light soy dripping and tentsuyu sauce.
- Lobster Onigara Yaki and Garlic Miyazakigyu Wagyu Beer – Wagyu beef steak with grilled lobster tail toasted in miso and yuzu butter with soy-infused juice, Shiitake mushrooms, braised daikon and wakame.
Worth noting? Guests also receive a pour of saki at the start of the meal, plus one can order red or white wine to accompany their meal.
Stay tuned for more from Silver Nova about our shore excursions, as well as other public spaces and activities on the ship.
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