On my first cruise with Silversea, a Mediterranean jaunt aboard the Silver Cloud, I remember heading toward one of the last loungers by the pool. “The contessa is expecting another guest,” said the woman in the next chair, smiling but firm in her chunky gold jewelry and petite swimsuit. Even on luxury ships patronized by nobility, the best deck space can fill up. So on a balmy sea day during our recent cruise from Rome to Barcelona, we anticipated having to compete for prime seating on the pool deck. But though the Silver Ray can carry up to 728 passengers and was almost full, we found several secluded nooks with comfy loungers, chairs and couches and settled into a cozy spot astern for a bit of sun. Like its nearly identical sister ship, the Silver Nova, the Silver Ray has more cabins than the company’s other vessels. Yet a low passenger-to-square-footage ratio gives it an intimate feel.

Credit that to an unusual layout, in which each asymmetric deck is dedicated solely to either public areas or suites. With no guest rooms to interrupt the flow, plus floor-to-ceiling glass windows and higher ceilings, the lounges and restaurants feel more expansive. Everything seems more open, especially the pool deck that stretches from bow to stern. Glass elevators shifted to the sides further enhance the sense of space.

Launched in June 2024, the Ray is a floating beauty, too, with stylish furnishings and more than 1,700 pieces of art adorning the walls. A particularly eye-catching exhibit featured 30 images by renowned photographer Steve McCurry, taken around the world on various Silversea cruises. No labels accompanied the works, so we made a game of guessing their locations.