Live from the Silver Nova 8-21-23 to 9-1-23 Venice to Rome!!

[Dolcevita Diva]

Looks terrific!   Alas, this means that one will now need to board early to sign up before all the slots are taken. 
 

@Tucson Guy This may be an odd question, but are the stools in there really comfortable enough for a 3+ hour dinner?  

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

Looks terrific!   Alas, this means that one will now need to board early to sign up before all the slots are taken. 
 

@Tucson Guy This may be an odd question, but are the stools in there really comfortable enough for a 3+ hour dinner?  

Not an odd question at all. Seems like a very reasonable one to me.

And did they say if this menu stays the same for every sailing? Or does the Chef have the option to change things?

[RetiredandTravel]

On 8/22/2023 at 1:59 AM, A Tucson Guy said:

Last night was dinner in LaDame. I went into dinner thinking that since the menus were similar to Dawn and Moon last year, it was not going to be a good value at $160 pp. I left the dinner feeling like it might be worth the new up charge. First the "house" wines were way above what is served in the other restaurants. We had a great dessert wine also better than before. I ordered caviar and it was way better than the stock caviar. Since we normally order a nice bottle of wine in La Dame which is usually $100 to $150. We did not feel the need to order a special wine. Food was similar but a few new nice touches. The butter dish was topped with olive oil infused with garlic, truffles and another spice. We had them drizzle the truffle infused olive oil and the taste was subtle but you could taste the truffles. It was a magnificent meal and we felt the new up charge was OK. Restaurant was 3/4 full on the first night of the cruise. We then went to the Venetian show lounge and sat in the upper story. It felt like a concert hall and we loved it. Time to get ready for excursions and  will be back.

 

 

Thank you for the trip report.  We would probably prefer to buy our wines off the connoisseur list at LaDame.  Is the $160 mandatory or is there a discount if you prefer to buy wines?  

 

 

[CruiserFromMaine]

@A Tucson Guy thanks for your reporting on this cruise! I’m particularly glad you got to try the “new” La Dame and I’m glad you enjoyed it. 

[ronrick1943]

On 8/22/2023 at 11:18 PM, A Tucson Guy said:

I will post here regarding dress codes on the Nova. I think The Nova is what will be the SS future. Last night was optional formal and hardly any tux's at all. Many men did not wear jackets in the evening in Salt or Atlantide. Take it or leave as we still had a great evening. The show called Broadway in the Venetian lounge was just fabulous. A far cry from past entertainment.

I think hardly any tux’s tells you what people want.  Great to hear about the entertainment, that is one thing that has been lacking.  Everything sounds great looking forward to boarding her in December.

[ronrick1943]

On 8/24/2023 at 8:37 AM, A Tucson Guy said:

I probably missed at least four other courses. Ya might want to try it, you'll probably like it. This is all for now.

Thanks, looks great and even though we don’t drink I think we’re going to try it.

[A Tucson Guy]

12 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Thank you for the trip report.  We would probably prefer to buy our wines off the connoisseur list at LaDame.  Is the $160 mandatory or is there a discount if you prefer to buy wines?  

 

 

Mandatory on Nova and Ray whether you buy wine or not.

[A Tucson Guy]

9 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

I think hardly any tux’s tells you what people want.  Great to hear about the entertainment, that is one thing that has been lacking.  Everything sounds great looking forward to boarding her in December.

You will NOT be disappointed as it is far and above the older ships.

[A Tucson Guy]

21 hours ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

Looks terrific!   Alas, this means that one will now need to board early to sign up before all the slots are taken. 
 

@Tucson Guy This may be an odd question, but are the stools in there really comfortable enough for a 3+ hour dinner?  

Yes but the wine may have helped.

[A Tucson Guy]

20 hours ago, Lois R said:

Not an odd question at all. Seems like a very reasonable one to me.

And did they say if this menu stays the same for every sailing? Or does the Chef have the option to change things?

In the Chef's Table, the menu is the same for the cruise segment.

[A Tucson Guy]

Random comments on our fifth day on the Nova-

The ship is full and we have never seen a crowded restaurant, bar or the pool deck. On the pool deck, there are lounge chairs all over and many in the shade so no need to worry about pool lounge hogs!! There is always plenty of seats in the Arts Cafe which is a far cry from the Dawn and Moon. A real treat is the way larger Salt Bar. No need to arrive at 6PM to get a seat. Had lunch today at La Veranda and plenty of outdoor seats. Again, I love the basic veranda cabin floor plan with so much store and a huge bathroom. The only area that was 90% full was the two-story Venetian Lounge. Final thought for now- everything is bigger in Texas (wife was raised in Texas) and on the Silver Nova!! That's my story and I am sticking to it.

[toseaornottosea]

You obviously didn’t try to dine in Salt Kitchen or Atlantide last night. Long line at Salt Kitchen at 8. Suggested we wait in the Shelter and have a drink which we did. 45 minutes later hostess from Salt Kitchen came to say no luck but she would make sure to get us in tomorrow. So went to Atlantide. Shortish line but seated fairly quickly.  That was the last quick thing that happened.  The place was jammed with many large groups. Didn’t get out of there until 10:30. 

[A Tucson Guy]

34 minutes ago, toseaornottosea said:

You obviously didn’t try to dine in Salt Kitchen or Atlantide last night. Long line at Salt Kitchen at 8. Suggested we wait in the Shelter and have a drink which we did. 45 minutes later hostess from Salt Kitchen came to say no luck but she would make sure to get us in tomorrow. So went to Atlantide. Shortish line but seated fairly quickly.  That was the last quick thing that happened.  The place was jammed with many large groups. Didn’t get out of there until 10:30. 

Interesting because we always dine at 7PM and we have not seen any long lines. I will keep in mind not to go later. We have eaten once in Salt and it was 7PM so no problem and we have not yet dined in Atlantide but will make sure to go at 7PM. Thanks for the heads up.

[fdnycruiser]

Do they have afternoon tea on the Nova. I don’t believe they did on the Moon and Dawn. DW misses that.

[A Tucson Guy]

This point does not directly affect the passengers but then it really does affect us. We have talked to many crew members and they all rave about the crew accommodations. They have never seen such crew accommodations in any other ship.

[Mr Luxury]

3 hours ago, A Tucson Guy said:

Interesting because we always dine at 7PM and we have not seen any long lines. I will keep in mind not to go later. We have eaten once in Salt and it was 7PM so no problem and we have not yet dined in Atlantide but will make sure to go at 7PM. Thanks for the heads up.

Can you tell me how the Shelter works as the video shows premium Champagne served by the glass.

I'm assuming chargeable.

Can you buy a bottle and drink it there before dinner.

[Stumblefoot]

5 hours ago, A Tucson Guy said:

There is always plenty of seats in the Arts Cafe which is a far cry from the Dawn and Moon.

This interests me immensely ans I’ve only experienced Arts on the Muse.  Silver Queen and I loved it for its intimacy, much like a beloved neighborhood coffee shop.  We loved rolling out of bed late in the morning, donning a ball cap for the stroll down the hallway (always removed before entering Arts, Mr. Silver), and ordering some sort of a frou-frou cup of coffee along with yogurt and berries (usually a pastry for me 😁) too.  It was all so chill and a perfect place to ease into the day while reading yesterday’s NYTimes summary.  
 

It sounds as if the space is quite large now, more like a restaurant.  So, do you find it laid back and relaxing, or has it turned into the hustle-and-bustle of a city corner coffee shop or diner?

 

28 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Can you buy a bottle and drink it there before dinner.

Now THAT sounds like quite the pre-dinner cocktail!

[A Tucson Guy]

14 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Can you tell me how the Shelter works as the video shows premium Champagne served by the glass.

I'm assuming chargeable.

Can you buy a bottle and drink it there before dinner.

You can buy a bottle or have it by the glass. Lovely 3 story atrium.

[A Tucson Guy]

14 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

This interests me immensely ans I’ve only experienced Arts on the Muse.  Silver Queen and I loved it for its intimacy, much like a beloved neighborhood coffee shop.  We loved rolling out of bed late in the morning, donning a ball cap for the stroll down the hallway (always removed before entering Arts, Mr. Silver), and ordering some sort of a frou-frou cup of coffee along with yogurt and berries (usually a pastry for me 😁) too.  It was all so chill and a perfect place to ease into the day while reading yesterday’s NYTimes summary.  
 

It sounds as if the space is quite large now, more like a restaurant.  So, do you find it laid back and relaxing, or has it turned into the hustle-and-bustle of a city corner coffee shop or diner?

 

Now THAT sounds like quite the pre-dinner cocktail!

The Arts cafe is still quite and a great please for a little caffeine.

[dawntrdr]

Thanks for your updates, Tucson Guy.  If you happen to hear about it, let us know if the suites on Deck 6 are getting any noise from the Atrium or the public spaces on 5.  Particularly, I see that the piano and combo area in Dolce Vita is directly below several Deluxe Veranda suites.  The amplifiers (there are several) are attached to the ceiling.  It's hard to believe this wouldn't be heard/felt in the floor on Deck 6.

[A Tucson Guy]

3 hours ago, dawntrdr said:

Thanks for your updates, Tucson Guy.  If you happen to hear about it, let us know if the suites on Deck 6 are getting any noise from the Atrium or the public spaces on 5.  Particularly, I see that the piano and combo area in Dolce Vita is directly below several Deluxe Veranda suites.  The amplifiers (there are several) are attached to the ceiling.  It's hard to believe this wouldn't be heard/felt in the floor on Deck 6.

We are in 6011 towards the bow and no noise at all.

[forbes62]

Thanks for updates, Tucson Guy.  If you have a chance can you check if the men's steam/sauna is free after a workout or must you purchase a spa treatment to use it.  Thanks and enjoy your future cruises!

[Jloss]

Do you have to wait until you board to reserve the chef’s dinner at S.A.L.T.? We were able to book Ladame on the website but haven’t see a spot to reserve that experience. Thanks for the all the updates - super helpf!   We land in Rome on Wednesday, board Nova on Thursday!

[A Tucson Guy]

4 hours ago, Jloss said:

Do you have to wait until you board to reserve the chef’s dinner at S.A.L.T.? We were able to book Ladame on the website but haven’t see a spot to reserve that experience. Thanks for the all the updates - super helpf!   We land in Rome on Wednesday, board Nova on Thursday!

SALT and Atlantide do not and will not take reservations. The key to not waiting a long time is to show up for dinner at 7PM. 8PM gets very busy and you may have to wait. A couple of nights ago, there was an evening rainstorm and all the Not Rocks people went down to SALT and Atlantide and there was quite a wait. We ate that night at Silver Note and did not even know that it had rained.

[A Tucson Guy]

A couple of nights ago it was Formal "optional" night. We had dinner in Atlantide and we saw very few tuxedos or dinner jackets, maybe less than 10. I would say the balance was gents wearing ties at about 35% and the rest, like me, suit or sport coats with no ties. The rest of the ship looked to be about the same percentages. My crystal ball says this will be the new normal for SS going forward in the future. I did not hear one person complain about the new dress code. I think this is the wave of the future for the cruising industry.