Where Pimms and Pyramids top the menu

Where Pimms and Pyramids top the menu

Vivien Devlin takes to the high seas with a 10-day cruise on Silversea’s Silver Wind

Sitting on deck at sunset on our first night with an ice-chilled flute of Moet Chandon in hand, I slipped all too easily into the luxurious lifestyle on board Silver Cloud.

It was the perfect introduction to the 10-day maiden cruise circulating the Arabian peninsular, with shore excursions in Oman, Aden, Yemen and Egypt.

As we set sail from Dubai on our journey, the only decision to take was what to do the following day – lounge by the pool, sit at the pool bar or enjoy the quiet privacy of my suite and verandah offering unparalleled ocean view.

With a temperature of around 40C, sitting in the shade for part of the day is a sensible option. Reading on the verandah or a mid-morning National Geographic lecture or film on the Pyramids, would lead effortlessly to a Pimms at the pool bar around noon.

I was envious to hear that a fair number of guests had been on board for several months, having joined Silver Cloud in Auckland, Singapore or Bombay, cruising on to Athens.

On day three I took a shore excursion to Salalah, Oman, our first venture into the desert. We visited Job’s tomb and toured the mountainside trail of Frankincense trees.

A further two days at sea and I settled into a routine. Computer courses, dance classes, water volley ball, bridge, beauty treatments are all available. In the evenings there is piano bar, dance bands and cabaret shows.

There are two restaurants for lunch and dinner, the Terrace and the Restaurant. The Restaurant dinner offers a wide menu of appetisers, salads, soup, followed by fresh lobster, veal, rib-eye steak or pasta dishes. On certain nights dinner is a formal glitzy, black tie affair – a glamourous contrast to the daytime dress code of cool and casual sportswear.

And the highlights of the cruise? Watching a school of grey dolphins leap through the waves beside the ship; daydreaming, staring out on the glassy-calm sea; enjoying blazing blood-red sunsets.

A flight across the desert to visit the ancient city of Sana’a, with its Moorish architecture was another highlight. Our last night was spent in Cairo, riding horses across the desert to see the pyramids at sunrise.

In summary our cruise on the Silver Cloud was like a private house-party on a friend’s oversized yacht. Guests mingled and chatted at the bar over complimentary drinks. It was my first cruise, but Ihope it’s not the last.

&#42 Go to www.silversea.com or telephone 0870 333 7030. Silversea offers a similar journey on Silver Cloud in October next year. The 16-day itinerary sails from Athens to Dubai via Egypt, Yemen and Oman and costs £6,695. A 14-day Haifu-Dubai itinerary costs £5,195.

Silversea

Silver Cloud: once on-board visitors can choose from a range of activities to keep them entertained