Delivered on May 14 by the German manufacturer Meyer Werft, the Silver Ray was officially baptized on June 12 in Lisbon, Portugal, by its godmother María Josefina Olascoaga, professor of oceanography. The ceremony took place in the presence of numerous officials, including Jason Liberty, the president of Royal Caribbean, of which Silversea Cruises is a subsidiary. A shipowner who had a busy week since in addition to the delivery of this ship, the American group took delivery the next day, in Saint-Nazaire, of the giant liner Utopia of the Seas and celebrated the same day the laying on the dock of the Celebrity Xcel.
The Silver Ray in Lisbon.
The Silver Ray ready to be christened on June 12 in Lisbon.
During the Silver Ray’s naming ceremony.
Alessandro Zanello, captain of the Silver Ray, Jason Liberty, president of Royal Caribbean Group, María Josefina Olascoaga, godmother of the ship and Bert Hernandez, president of Silversea Cruises during the ship’s naming ceremony on June 12 in Lisbon.
The inauguration of the Silver Ray was the opportunity to discover this new luxury unit thanks to our colleague Michael Wolf from the Enapress agency, notably producing the German magazine an Bord.
244 meters long and 29.6 meters wide, this ship has a tonnage of 54,700 tonnes and is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). It has 363 cabins and suites, with a capacity of 728 passengers, served by 556 crew members.
Crew members of the Silver Ray.
Cabins and suites on the Silver Ray.
Cabins and suites on the Silver Ray.
Cabins and suites on the Silver Ray.
Cabins and suites on the Silver Ray.
Like the Silver Nova, the Silver Ray has the particularity of being asymmetrical in the layout of its decks, which is not only found inside, but is also seen outside, notably in the positioning of the chimneys, elevators glazed on the sides (front port and rear starboard) of the central swimming pool deck which opens onto the sea on one side and is overlooked by a mezzanine on the other side… This architecture makes it possible to offer spaces with well-adapted surfaces but also very different and original.
The Silver Ray’s swimming pool deck opens to starboard.
The Silver Ray atrium.
The Silver Ray atrium.
Offering very high-end equipment, service and gastronomy, these ships are presented by their owner as being among the most spacious in the cruise industry (in tonnage/passenger ratio). On 11 decks, they have around ten catering options, numerous bars and lounges, a performance hall, a casino, a wellness center, a fitness room and shops.
View of the bow of the Silver Ray from the ship’s bridge.
The Silver Ray performance hall.
The Silver Ray performance hall.
The Silver Ray performance hall.
The Silver Ray performance hall.
The Atlantide restaurant at the Silver Ray.
The SALT Lab culinary laboratory aboard the Silver Ray.
Lunch at sea aboard the Silver Ray.
The Marquee restaurant area.
Aboard the Silver Ray.
The entrance to the wellness center on board the Silver Ray.
Aboard the Silver Ray.
Atmosphere on the exterior decks in the evening.
Atmosphere on the exterior decks in the evening.
Atmosphere on the exterior decks in the evening.
For its inaugural season, the Silver Ray is operating in the Mediterranean, with cruises to the Adriatic and Greece departing from Venice and Athens. Then, at the end of the year, it will be repositioned in Florida for voyages to the Gulf of Mexico and Latin America, including some via the Panama Canal.
© An article from the editorial staff of Mer et Marine. Reproduction prohibited without consent of the author(s).
