The New Wellness Progam Inspired By Italy and Indulgence
Wellness travel isn’t just detoxes and yoga retreats anymore. And here at The Suitest, we’re keen on exploring all the different ways people are indulging in self-care. We’ve already explored hotel spas going deeper than just massages, and now, we’re looking to the high seas where a luxury cruise is taking their wellness inspiration from the art of Roman indulgence.
Wellness is top of mind for many travelers as we emerge from the pandemic, but Silversea Cruises' new OTIUM wellness programming, debuting Spring 2022 on their newest ship Silver Dawn, is an exceptionally indulgent interpretation.
OTIUM is inspired by the ancient Roman lifestyle of leisure, extending beyond the spa to an array of new in-suite amenities that embrace the philosophy that living well and being well are not mutually exclusive. When you're sailing with Silversea, wellness is pleasure and comfort. It's less about fitness classes and more about elaborate bathtime rituals, pillow menus and new mattresses that are softer than ever, with Soft Touch spring technology. To be fair, I found nothing lacking with the current hypoallergenic Myform Memory Air mattresses. It's hard to imagine them making it even harder to get out of bed in the morning.
There certainly aren't any nutritional facts and calorie counts included with the new in-suite dining menu, which includes elevated comfort food like foie gras burgers, truffle fries and caviar lobster brioche sandwiches along with lighter options like a lightly dressed king crab cucumber roll. There's boozy ice cream for dessert and truffled popcorn available at any hour. The new menu pairs beautifully with Heidsieck & Co. Monopole champagne, free flowing all day and night with the mere lift of a finger.
New OTIUM balcony amenities include sunscreen, aloe vera gel and Evian facial mist for warm weather destinations and made-to-order hot chocolate and cashmere blankets on cold weather sailings. Silversea is proud of their spacious terraces and these sensory experiences make them even more enjoyable.
I was especially enamored with the new bath time ritual. Just inform your butler when you'd like your bath prepared and select your favorite Sicilian bath salts by Ortigia. I opted for orange blossom and returned from dinner to mood lighting and classical music playing, the tub filled just so with warm but not scalding water and a salted caramel macaron and glass of chilled champagne tempting me from the wooden bath caddy. The new adjustable pillow is the luxurious crowning touch, one that's more often than not missing even at five-star properties with soaking tubs. It's this attention to detail that sets Silvesea apart
Wellness surely encompasses eating well, and here Silversea is also upping the ante with new S.A.L.T. programming that aims to connect the onboard dining experience more directly with local foodways.
S.A.L.T. Kitchen is a new restaurant with a daily changing menu that highlights local specialties representing each port of call, from fava croquettes and karaboloi snails in Mykonos to fanouropita walnut cake with honey ice cream in Rhodes. Next door, the well-appointed S.A.L.T. Lab test kitchen looks like a Food Network set, hosting cooking classes on mezze, moussaka and the versatility of phyllo dough. Sign up for these complimentary on-board cooking classes well in advance, and foodies can also book S.A.L.T. shore excursions to explore more of local food culture and meeting food artisans like passionate third-generation farmer and cheesemaker George Syrianos in Mykonos.
If you work with Mother Nature, you are rich,” Syrianos says. “Simplicity is sometimes the most pure and tasty.” Life is about balance, and Silversea balances indulgent luxury and authentic simplicity for a different kind of cruise experience.
