Aboard Silver Shadow with Silversea
Cruise Overview
The capital of Dutch St.
Maarten stretches about a mile (1½ km) along an isthmus between Great Bay and the Salt Pond and has five parallel streets.
Most of the village's dozens of shops and restaurants are on Front Street, narrow and cobblestone, closest to Great Bay.
It's generally congested when cruise ships are in port, because of its many duty-free shops and several casinos.
Little lanes called steegjes connect Front Street with Back Street, which has fewer shops and considerably less congestion.
Along the beach is a ½-mile-long (1-km-long) boardwalk with restaurants and several Wi-Fi hot spots.Wathey Square (pronounced watty) is in the heart of the village.
Directly across from the square are the town hall and the courthouse, in a striking white building with cupola.
The structure was built in 1793 and has served as the commander's home, a fire station, a jail, and a post office.
The streets surrounding the square are lined with hotels, duty-free shops, restaurants, and cafés.
The Captain Hodge Pier, just off the square, is a good spot to view Great Bay and the beach that stretches alongside.
With its superb beaches, historical attractions and beautiful coral reefs, Antigua provides a host of diversions.
It is said that the island contains 365 beaches, one for every day of the year.
Antigua maintains its traditional West Indian character, with gingerbread-house style architecture, calypso music and carnival festivities.
St John’s has been the administrative capital since the island’s colonisation in 1632, and has been the seat of government since it gained independence in 1981.
From the port you can explore the colourful Redcliffe district, with its restored wooden houses, and Heritage Quay with its shopping mall and craft shops.
The city has some fine examples of Colonial architecture, including the twin-towered cathedral, built in 1845 and considered one of the finest church buildings in the Caribbean.
All coaches in Antigua are operated by smaller vehicles, and commentary will be given by a driver/guide.
If you fly to the 32-square-mile (83-square-km) island of St.
Thomas, you land at its western end; if you arrive by cruise ship, you come into one of the world's most beautiful harbors.
Either way, one of your first sights is the town of Charlotte Amalie.
From the harbor you see an idyllic-looking village that spreads into the lower hills.
If you were expecting a quiet hamlet with its inhabitants hanging out under palm trees, you've missed that era by about 300 years.
Although other islands in the USVI developed plantation economies, St.
Thomas cultivated its harbor, and it became a thriving seaport soon after it was settled by the Danish in the 1600s.
The success of the naturally perfect harbor was enhanced by the fact that the Danes—who ruled St.
Thomas with only a couple of short interruptions from 1666 to 1917—avoided involvement in some 100 years' worth of European wars.
Denmark was the only European country with colonies in the Caribbean to stay neutral during the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 1700s.
Thus, products of the Dutch, English, and French islands—sugar, cotton, and indigo—were traded through Charlotte Amalie, along with the regular shipments of slaves.
When the Spanish wars ended, trade fell off, but by the end of the 1700s Europe was at war again, Denmark again remained neutral, and St.
Thomas continued to prosper.
Even into the 1800s, while the economies of St.
Croix and St.
John foundered with the market for sugarcane, St.
Thomas's economy remained vigorous.
This prosperity led to the development of shipyards, a well-organized banking system, and a large merchant class.
In 1845 Charlotte Amalie had 101 large importing houses owned by the English, French, Germans, Haitians, Spaniards, Americans, Sephardim, and Danes.
Charlotte Amalie is still one of the world's most active cruise-ship ports.
On almost any day at least one and sometimes as many as eight cruise ships are tied to the docks or anchored outside the harbor.
Gently rocking in the shadows of these giant floating hotels are just about every other kind of vessel imaginable: sleek sailing catamarans that will take you on a sunset cruise complete with rum punch and a Jimmy Buffett soundtrack, private megayachts for billionaires, and barnacle-bottom sloops—with laundry draped over the lifelines—that are home to world-cruising gypsies.
Huge container ships pull up in Sub Base, west of the harbor, bringing in everything from breakfast cereals to tires.
Anchored right along the waterfront are down-island barges that ply the waters between the Greater Antilles and the Leeward Islands, transporting goods such as refrigerators, VCRs, and disposable diapers.
The waterfront road through Charlotte Amalie was once part of the harbor.
Before it was filled in to build the highway, the beach came right up to the back door of the warehouses that now line the thoroughfare.
Two hundred years ago those warehouses were filled with indigo, tobacco, and cotton.
Today the stone buildings house silk, crystal, and diamonds.
Exotic fragrances are still traded, but by island beauty queens in air-conditioned perfume palaces instead of through open market stalls.
The pirates of old used St.
Thomas as a base from which to raid merchant ships of every nation, though they were particularly fond of the gold- and silver-laden treasure ships heading to Spain.
Pirates are still around, but today's versions use St.
Thomas as a drop-off for their contraband: illegal immigrants and drugs.
To explore outside Charlotte Amalie, rent a car or hire a taxi.
Your rental car should come with a good map; if not, pick up the pocket-size "St.
Thomas–St.
John Road Map" at a tourist information center.
Roads are marked with route numbers, but they're confusing and seem to switch numbers suddenly.
Roads are also identified by signs bearing the St.
Thomas–St.
John Hotel and Tourism Association's mascot, Tommy the Starfish.
More than 100 of these color-coded signs line the island's main routes.
Orange signs trace the route from the airport to Red Hook, green signs identify the road from town to Magens Bay, Tommy's face on a yellow background points from Mafolie to Crown Bay through the north side, red signs lead from Smith Bay to Four Corners via Skyline Drive, and blue signs mark the route from the cruise-ship dock at Havensight to Red Hook.
These color-coded routes are not marked on most visitor maps, however.
Allow yourself a day to explore, especially if you want to stop to take pictures or to enjoy a light bite or refreshing swim.
Most gas stations are on the island's more populated eastern end, so fill up before heading to the north side.
And remember to drive on the left!
Maarten stretches about a mile (1½ km) along an isthmus between Great Bay and the Salt Pond and has five parallel streets.
Most of the village's dozens of shops and restaurants are on Front Street, narrow and cobblestone, closest to Great Bay.
It's generally congested when cruise ships are in port, because of its many duty-free shops and several casinos.
Little lanes called steegjes connect Front Street with Back Street, which has fewer shops and considerably less congestion.
Along the beach is a ½-mile-long (1-km-long) boardwalk with restaurants and several Wi-Fi hot spots.Wathey Square (pronounced watty) is in the heart of the village.
Directly across from the square are the town hall and the courthouse, in a striking white building with cupola.
The structure was built in 1793 and has served as the commander's home, a fire station, a jail, and a post office.
The streets surrounding the square are lined with hotels, duty-free shops, restaurants, and cafés.
The Captain Hodge Pier, just off the square, is a good spot to view Great Bay and the beach that stretches alongside.
With its superb beaches, historical attractions and beautiful coral reefs, Antigua provides a host of diversions.
It is said that the island contains 365 beaches, one for every day of the year.
Antigua maintains its traditional West Indian character, with gingerbread-house style architecture, calypso music and carnival festivities.
St John’s has been the administrative capital since the island’s colonisation in 1632, and has been the seat of government since it gained independence in 1981.
From the port you can explore the colourful Redcliffe district, with its restored wooden houses, and Heritage Quay with its shopping mall and craft shops.
The city has some fine examples of Colonial architecture, including the twin-towered cathedral, built in 1845 and considered one of the finest church buildings in the Caribbean.
All coaches in Antigua are operated by smaller vehicles, and commentary will be given by a driver/guide.
If you fly to the 32-square-mile (83-square-km) island of St.
Thomas, you land at its western end; if you arrive by cruise ship, you come into one of the world's most beautiful harbors.
Either way, one of your first sights is the town of Charlotte Amalie.
From the harbor you see an idyllic-looking village that spreads into the lower hills.
If you were expecting a quiet hamlet with its inhabitants hanging out under palm trees, you've missed that era by about 300 years.
Although other islands in the USVI developed plantation economies, St.
Thomas cultivated its harbor, and it became a thriving seaport soon after it was settled by the Danish in the 1600s.
The success of the naturally perfect harbor was enhanced by the fact that the Danes—who ruled St.
Thomas with only a couple of short interruptions from 1666 to 1917—avoided involvement in some 100 years' worth of European wars.
Denmark was the only European country with colonies in the Caribbean to stay neutral during the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 1700s.
Thus, products of the Dutch, English, and French islands—sugar, cotton, and indigo—were traded through Charlotte Amalie, along with the regular shipments of slaves.
When the Spanish wars ended, trade fell off, but by the end of the 1700s Europe was at war again, Denmark again remained neutral, and St.
Thomas continued to prosper.
Even into the 1800s, while the economies of St.
Croix and St.
John foundered with the market for sugarcane, St.
Thomas's economy remained vigorous.
This prosperity led to the development of shipyards, a well-organized banking system, and a large merchant class.
In 1845 Charlotte Amalie had 101 large importing houses owned by the English, French, Germans, Haitians, Spaniards, Americans, Sephardim, and Danes.
Charlotte Amalie is still one of the world's most active cruise-ship ports.
On almost any day at least one and sometimes as many as eight cruise ships are tied to the docks or anchored outside the harbor.
Gently rocking in the shadows of these giant floating hotels are just about every other kind of vessel imaginable: sleek sailing catamarans that will take you on a sunset cruise complete with rum punch and a Jimmy Buffett soundtrack, private megayachts for billionaires, and barnacle-bottom sloops—with laundry draped over the lifelines—that are home to world-cruising gypsies.
Huge container ships pull up in Sub Base, west of the harbor, bringing in everything from breakfast cereals to tires.
Anchored right along the waterfront are down-island barges that ply the waters between the Greater Antilles and the Leeward Islands, transporting goods such as refrigerators, VCRs, and disposable diapers.
The waterfront road through Charlotte Amalie was once part of the harbor.
Before it was filled in to build the highway, the beach came right up to the back door of the warehouses that now line the thoroughfare.
Two hundred years ago those warehouses were filled with indigo, tobacco, and cotton.
Today the stone buildings house silk, crystal, and diamonds.
Exotic fragrances are still traded, but by island beauty queens in air-conditioned perfume palaces instead of through open market stalls.
The pirates of old used St.
Thomas as a base from which to raid merchant ships of every nation, though they were particularly fond of the gold- and silver-laden treasure ships heading to Spain.
Pirates are still around, but today's versions use St.
Thomas as a drop-off for their contraband: illegal immigrants and drugs.
To explore outside Charlotte Amalie, rent a car or hire a taxi.
Your rental car should come with a good map; if not, pick up the pocket-size "St.
Thomas–St.
John Road Map" at a tourist information center.
Roads are marked with route numbers, but they're confusing and seem to switch numbers suddenly.
Roads are also identified by signs bearing the St.
Thomas–St.
John Hotel and Tourism Association's mascot, Tommy the Starfish.
More than 100 of these color-coded signs line the island's main routes.
Orange signs trace the route from the airport to Red Hook, green signs identify the road from town to Magens Bay, Tommy's face on a yellow background points from Mafolie to Crown Bay through the north side, red signs lead from Smith Bay to Four Corners via Skyline Drive, and blue signs mark the route from the cruise-ship dock at Havensight to Red Hook.
These color-coded routes are not marked on most visitor maps, however.
Allow yourself a day to explore, especially if you want to stop to take pictures or to enjoy a light bite or refreshing swim.
Most gas stations are on the island's more populated eastern end, so fill up before heading to the north side.
And remember to drive on the left!
Cruise Itinerary
Aboard Silver Shadow
Launch Year: 2000 Length: 186 Width: 24 Currency: USD Capacity: 392 Crew Count: 302 Deck Count: 7 Cabin Count: 194
Award-winning Silver Shadow is a firm favourite in the Silversea fleet. With one of the highest space-to-guest ratios at sea she offers authentic experiences, simple pleasures and shared moments.
Silversea’s Millennium Class luxury cruise ships Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper offer you freedom and space to design your day. Silver Shadow retains Silversea’s essence – spacious suites, a complement of only 388 guests, and superior service – paired with a lively cosmopolitan atmosphere and enhanced amenities. Energise body and mind in the upgraded spa and fitness centre. Savour fine wines and French gastronomy in La Dame and enjoy authentic Italian cuisine in La Terrazza, endless ocean views from The Grill and internationally-inspired The Restaurant. From delectable dining to relaxation in ultra-luxury, cruising has never felt so good.
Our cruisers’ favourite ship! Silver Shadow has one of the highest space-to-guest ratios at sea making her a firm favourite in the Silversea fleet. With just 388 guests, sailing aboard Silver Shadow is one of the most intimate Silversea experiences there is. View her deck plan here.
Silver Shadow Facilities
Silver Shadow Includes
Cabin Details
Silversea’s suites offer one of the highest space-per-guest ratios of any luxury cruise accommodations. All Silversea suites have ocean views, and most include a private teak veranda so that you can breathe in the fresh sea air simply by stepping outside your door. And regardless of the ship or suite category, all guests will be pampered with the personalised services of an attentive butler.
For a truly personal experience, customise your suite with an abundance of thoughtful options and luxurious amenities from Bulgari toiletries and personalised stationery to a bar with your favourite wines and spirits. Settle in with a complimentary movie or choose instead to simply watch the ocean swim by. You can even have dinner in-suite served course by course by your butler. Then, when it’s time to retire, curl up beneath Egyptian cotton linens and a fluffy duvet, with your choice of nine different pillow types. The ultimate in luxury cruise accommodations, Silversea’s suites are your home away from home.
