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.

Perhaps the most enviable accommodations are the large new suites at corners of the stern, with wraparound balconies offering enviable 270-degree views. But all 364 cabins are spacious, starting at a large 357 square feet, and all come with balconies, sumptuous marble baths and eager-to-please butlers. Ours welcomed us with Champagne and chocolates, offered to unpack our bags, made restaurant reservations and more. Given all that, I definitely didn’t feel second-class in our entry-level Classic Veranda Suite. Luxurious Pratesi bed linens, plush Tebro bath towels and Bulgari toiletries (provided on request) made it all the lovelier. If I had to come up with a quibble, a heated bathroom floor would have been nice.

Attentive staffers, who often greeted us by name, were unfailingly friendly and efficient. One evening, a room-service butler brought caviar and Champagne to our suite after midnight, serving the indulgence on a white tablecloth he spread over a coffee table.

The Ray has no fewer than eight restaurants, including the Marquee, an impressive new outdoor dining venue open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The space looks striking with its blue-and-white tile flooring, sculptural louvers for partial shading, faux cherry trees rising tall beneath a pergola, comfy couch seating and sea views. I enjoyed cooking my dinner — slices of prime rib-eye steak — on a hot rock at our table, but strong breezes and chilly temperatures revealed the Marquee’s Achilles’ heel.

Most food and drink on board is included, but three dining options charge an extra fee. Of those, the SALT Chef’s Table was an unequivocal wow. The 11-course tasting menu (with wine pairings), open to just 28 guests nightly in the SALT Lab demonstration kitchen, showcased delicious and elegantly presented Mediterranean-inspired dishes. I especially liked the sweet red prawn crudo with artichoke, the nutty Venere black rice with fresh monkfish and savory chorizo and the juicy, tender lamb en croute.

With its SALT program, short for Sea and Land Taste, Silversea features dishes from the region in which each ship is sailing. (The Ray oscillates between the Mediterranean and Caribbean.) Besides the Chef’s Table, there’s SALT Kitchen restaurant, SALT Lab offering cooking classes and SALT Bar. Not-to-be-missed SALT excursions have a culinary focus, such as our visit to a winery in Mallorca, set on a family-owned estate dating back to the 1500s. A chef demonstrated how to prepare arroz meloso, a traditional Spanish rice dish, which made for a tasty alfresco lunch under a canopy of holm oak trees. 

Back on board, the Otium Spa gave me a middling first impression. The check-in was lackluster, and management had overlooked certain small but important details. For example, the men’s changing room had no men’s toiletries, only manicure sets, shower caps and wipes for removing makeup. And my spa robe lacked pockets, leaving me no place to put my locker key. However, the signature Otium treatment was one of the best I’ve received at sea. A soothing 30-minute soak in warm water infused with fragrant oils preceded a deep-tissue massage with bamboo sticks, hot stones and calabash. The 120-minute experience of pure bliss was pricey at $395 but worth every penny.

In the evenings, polished shows in the Venetian Lounge, an impressive venue with tiered cabaret-style seating, were highly entertaining. One night, the ship’s four resident singers and house band kept merrymakers dancing at a spirited pool party, where even senior officers showed off some fancy footwork.

We had great fun aboard the new Silver Ray, which balances its relatively large cabin count with ample public space and a high level of personal service. Few other ships of this size manage that trick so well.

Note: This cruise was provided to the editor on a complimentary basis.