Silversea floats out second new Nova-class ship Silver Ray

Silversea Cruises has celebrated the float out of its new ship Silver Ray at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Silver Ray is the second vessel in the cruise line’s new Nova class, and joins sister ship Silver Nova as one of the largest and most luxurious ships in the Silversea fleet.

 The float out of Silver Ray took place on Sunday at 11.30am, with the ship’s construction dry dock flooded with water so that she could be moved out of the construction hall to a wet dock where final outfitting and finish will be conducted.

Silver Ray is scheduled for delivery this summer and will spend her inaugural cruise season in Europe, sailing a variety of itineraries visiting destinations such as Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, and Valencia, in Spain; as well as Monaco; Livorno (Florence/Pisa) in Italy; and St. Tropez, in France.

The Nova class marks a step-change in design for Silversea, as these are the first horizontally-designed vessels in the fleet, meaning staterooms and public spaces extend across entire decks, rather than being split between fore and aft.

This layout, which mirrors most conventional cruise ships, means more square footage to accommodate the plush lounges and bars and restaurants.

The Nova class are all-suite vessels, with 364 staterooms available in 13 categories, including brand new premium aft suites – a first for Silversea.

The Nova class ships’ suites range from 33 sqm (357 sq. ft.) to 123 sqm (1,324 sq. ft.). All 364 offer redesigned bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes, along with large balconies, ranging from 5 sqm to 40 sqm, with 270-degree ocean and land views from select suites.

Silver Nova, the first in the series, delivered in July last year, offers guests a variety of dining and beverage venues including The Grill, Atlantide, The Terrazza, a S.A.L.T. kitchen and Kaiseki, a restaurant specializing in Asian delicacies.

Bringing key structural elements toward the inside of the ship also allows more seamless integration between the outside elements and interior of Silver Nova. 

Floor-to-ceiling glass will form many of the structural but see-through “barriers” around the decks, which means unimpeded views.

Silver Ray will feature the same design, including the forward-facing pool and panoramic bar that debuted aboard Silver Nova.