Silversea Cruises’ Silver Nova – Goldring Travel Checks Her Out: Brilliant in Most Respects…Plus Pisco & Paracas, Peru

My cruise on Silversea’s Silver Nova has finally become a cruise!

We thankfully departed Callao, Peru after two days there. The first thing I noticed is Silver Nova provides an exceptionally smooth cruising experience, even in two-to-three-meter swells. And I haven’t noticed any shaking when docking early in the morning or interfering with my cocktails upon departure.

Our first port was Pisco, Peru.  This visit was not for the alcoholic spirit named for the place, but rather what the neighboring town of Paracas, Peru had to offer: The Ballestas Islands on one side and the beginning of the Atacama Desert (the driest place on earth) on the other. It is the kind of place that gets this science and nature nerd excited.

I arranged a private tour rather than taking one of Silversea’s included tours, as I wanted a more personalized and flexible experience. I am glad I did.  My guide was kind and knowledgeable and got me through the chaos at the dock for the boats heading out to the Ballestas Islands to see Humbolt Penguins, Peruvian Boobies, and Inca Terns in addition to Sea Lions.

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As we headed out we stopped at a presumed to be prehistoric geoglyph from about 200 BCE based on pottery found nearby. This candelabra-looking geoglyph’s purposes and origin are actually unknown, and it may even be less than 200 years old. Regardless we saw it.

Then a highlight…at least for me.  Unfortunately, this was not a boat that spent the time you would need to truly observe the penguins, boobies, and terns – as you would on an expedition. Rather it slowly cruised by them.  

As many were higher on the rocks, I was happy I brought my large camera lens so I could shoot then and look later. (This was not a “put the camera down” situation and was, actually – and admittedly – more of a “tick it off my birding life list kinda thing!)

I was struck by the lack of birds other than the terns. I had thought it was mostly because it was past breeding season as the Humbolt penguins were actively molting, and it being a bit of an El Nino year, but I didn’t see that many penguins.  And then I saw a few boobie chicks, but nothing to match the guano on the rocks.  

I was later advised by an expedition friend of mine that the colonies here are suffering terribly from avian flu. Ugh. (There used to be a very active guano harvesting business on these isolated islands, but now they have been required to cut back to one short “harvest” every five years.)

My visit was short but enjoyable. And let’s face it: Penguinos!

After a cold beer, we headed to our car and driver to visit the Paracas Desert, also known as the beginning of the Atacama Desert – The Driest Place on Earth. It was magical and breathtaking. With ever-changing views, the contrasts between the crashing ocean on the beaches and the dry desert, along with the magnitude of the place, were amazing. Words and photographs just can’t do it justice, so here are a few photos that need no explanation. (Yes, this was a “put the camera down” kinda place.)

With the tour over, it was time for lunch and, well, you know me: I gotta find “the” place for local cuisine. I walked past the more touristy restaurants with a view of the beach and down a sort of locals’ restaurant row. And there was Rincon Marino, a family-run restaurant with most of its dozen small tables filled and smiles from the server.  Perfect! 

I ordered a few pisco sours, seafood rice – which was basically a simple and delicious paella – and fried corvina (a white speckled trout or seabass) with some wonderful spices. (And in the end, the pisco sours cost more than the food!)  Dinner was not on the schedule after that meal!

The next day was a sea/work day, eventually winding up on deck and figuring out where to relax. Silver Nova has a tremendous number of places to enjoy the sea. While the main focus is on Deck 10 around the pool and aft of The Marquee – the casual all-day dining venue and The Grill at night – near the Dusk Bar, you really need to explore the ship to find all the options…And those options have a wide variety of seating choices from different types of chairs, to sofas, to lounges, to tables.

There is one main pool and one hot tub that is tucked away up high and overlooking the water, as well.  I would have liked to see more water-related options. However, neither was subject to being crowded during my cruise. And it is worthy of note that with Silver Nova’s asymmetrical pool deck layout, whether facing the pool or away from it, you have a pretty much unobstructed view of the ocean…in the sun or in the shade. Nice!

One thing that has irked me – because the service and cocktail quality around the Silver Nova has been excellent – is the Pool Bar. It is an anomaly on this ship…but I have to call it like I see it!  I have nothing against the Pool Deck being a bit informal, but if the staff is going to have fun among themselves, the service and beverage quality better be spot-on and consistently at the same excellent level as the Dusk Bar, the S.A.L.T. Bar, Dolce Vita, etc.  

Each time I was on the Pool Deck I watched the bar servers either make themselves “disappear” or slow-walk their service. And the cocktails were inconsistent (six different versions of the same standard cocktail.)

On the other side of the coin, is the S.A.L.T. Bar located just feet away just off Silver Nova’s pool deck. It is a warm, classy, comfortable venue with great service and cocktails accompanied by either a violinist or saxophonist before and after dinner. If you want a craft cocktail focused on local spirits – including ones with a smoke bubble atop – this is the place.

Speaking of favorites, The Chef’s Table was one of the most enjoyable dining “experiences” I have had a sea.  To begin with, I and another person were the only two to sign up for that evening. Rather than canceling it and requiring me to do it on another night, in typical Silversea fashion, the chefs put the full show on for just two of us.

I was greeted with a cocktail and the two chefs, head sommelier, and server as I entered the S.A.L.T. Kitchen. After the main chef, German (no German blood in him. lol) discussed the concept, the sommelier described the two selected wines which, overall, were secondary to a number of cocktails offered throughout the experience.

The chefs were charming, allowed for a bit of participation, and talked about food, culture, and more. Time flew by as creative and delicious cuisine from Mexico to Chile were prepared ala minute right in front of us…and the wine and cocktails flowed. It wasn’t my culinary experience at Central in Lima, Peru, but honestly, it was enjoyably flavorful and memorable. Highly Recommended!

Next up more desert, more culinary experiences, and more Silver Nova!