Silver Spirit Live Voyage Report – Day 5

By Aaron Saunders On April 15, 2012 · 4 Comments

An Idyllic Day aboard the Silver Spirit

I’ve decided I love sea days.

It’s our second full day at sea aboard Silversea’s elegant Silver Spirit, and our crossing just seems to get better and better with each passing day. I’ve always wanted to do a crossing, but Silversea has managed to outdo even my wildest expectations of what a crossing is – and can be.

Anyone who knows me knows that I can’t sit still for long. Ever the restless wanderer, I tend to get bored easily and even when cruising I prefer rising early before the sun in order to get some spectacular photos of the ship in her natural element. Here onboard the Silver Spirit, those lofty plans have all gone by the wayside. Not only did I sleep in today until 9am (an unheard of event), but I spent the vast majority of the day doing nothing more than plunking myself in down in a deck chair all the way aft on Deck 9 and reading my new book.

Kim did likewise – she read, she napped, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. She’s still not sure about this concept of crossing the Atlantic by ocean, but I think the Silver Spirit has made a convert out of her.

During Captain Pontillo’s Noon Address over the PA system, most of our particulars remained much as they had been yesterday: both air and sea temperatures were equal at 26 degrees Celsius, and we were still thundering through the waters of the South Atlantic Ocean at a little over 16 knots.

Since noon yesterday we’ve sailed 394 nautical miles, with roughly 1,200 nautical miles left until our arrival in the port of Porto Novo in the Cape Verde Islands on Thursday morning. Silver Spirit is capable of sailing at speeds upwards of 20 knots, but our conditions on this crossing have been so good that we just don’t need the extra speed; in fact, Captain Pontillo announced that we would be slowing down slightly so as not to arrive in Porto Novo before our published anchor time (Porto Novo is a tender port.)

Here’s a look at some of the activities on offer during our second full day of crossing the Atlantic Ocean:

7:00AM – Morning Walk with Personal Trainer Rikus – Jogging Track (10)
9:00AM – Sign up for the Boat Building competition – Main Lobby (5)
9:00AM – Table Tennis and Shuffleboard will be set up for enjoyment throughout the day – Deck 10 Midship and Deck 8 Aft.
10:30AM – Spa Seminar: Nature’s Secret to Healthy-looking Skin – The Bar (5)
11:15AM – Sweet Cooking Demonstration – The Show Lounge (5)
12:15PM – Wine Auction – Panorama Lounge (9)
3:30PM – Enrichment Lecture with Guest Lecturer, Morton Dean – The Show Lounge (5)
4:45PM – Team Trivia with Cruise Director Don – Panorama Lounge (9)
6:30PM – Interdenominational Church Service – Conference Room (5)
7:15PM – Solo Travellers meet for cocktails – Panorama Lounge (9)
9:30PM – Alfredo delights you with unforgettable melodies – Panorama Lounge (9)
10:00PM – An Evening with Dian Meechai – The Show Lounge (5)
11:00PM – Disco – DJ Oskar takes your requests – Panorama Lounge (5)

How many of these scheduled events did we actually do? Three: the 11:15AM Sweet Cooking Demonstration; 9:30PM drinks and music with Alfredo in the Panorama Lounge; and the 11:00pm Disco with DJ Oskar. Other than that, today has been entirely self-directed, so for those of you reading the above list and thinking to yourself, “it’s a little Spartan”, fear not – you won’t have time to do it all anyway.

But, as I am learning, flexibility is the greatest asset of the transatlantic crossing. At this point, I’d love to double the amount of days we spend onboard sailing the Atlantic and scrap a few of the ports in their place. That may sound a touch extreme, but there is just no substitute for spending a glorious day at sea with the knowledge that another three full days of oceangoing bliss await you, not to mention five port calls and an additional three sea days after that!

Since we advanced our clocks forward tonight, it’s well after 3:30am here obnboard the Silver Spirit, but before I turn in for the night, I want to share a comment I received from a reader. He asked what made Silversea so special, and I am pleased to say that I know exactly what makes this line great: the ship and her tremendous crew. The Silver Spirit looks as spotless as when we sailed aboard her on voyages past, and it’s been a true pleasure to get to sail with friends we’ve made on our other sailings. These people aren’t just crew members; they are the true life of the ship, and a far more important asset than the food and menu items so many passengers pour over in mercurial detail.

Once again, here’s a peek at some of the beautiful public spaces aboard Silversea’s Silver Spirit:

So as I sit here in our Silver Suite aboard the Silver Spirit, I remain truly in awe that doing so little can be so rewarding.

Our Live Voyage Report from aboard Silversea’s elegant Silver Spirit continues tomorrow, as we sail the Atlantic Ocean, bound for Porto Novo, Cape Verde. Our days at sea will give us more time to report on Silver Spirit’s public spaces, with new rooms and decks highlighted each day!

4 Responses to Silver Spirit Live Voyage Report – Day 5

Terrie Jung says:

April 15, 2012 at 10:55 pm

I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading your articles and more so I think your photos are great! I look forward to the following days of your travel. Thanks for writing.

Reply
Stumblefoot says:

April 16, 2012 at 6:10 pm

Sometime during your voyage, tell us more about the wine auction. It sounds like fun! I look forward to your third day at sea report tomorrow.

Reply
Miriam S. says:

May 6, 2012 at 9:15 am

I totally agree with you. Transatlantic crossings are fascinating and with Silversea they are just amazing. My mum and I sailed more then 500 days with Silversea and we love it. Did 3 transatlantics and enjoyed these days at sea sooo much.
Love reading your blogs

Reply
- Aaron Saunders says:
  
  May 6, 2012 at 2:18 pm
  
  Thank you!! I’m glad you loved the blogs and the photos (I love taking them!)
  
  Reply