I just don't know how they do it.

Verandah Suite, Silver Shadow

When I sailed Silversea's Silver Shadow I thought the voyage and everything about the ship was perfect. OK, the weather was lousy but Silversea had nothing to do with that, and if you're going to have lousy weather on a cruise, Silversea is the cruise line you want to be with.

My idea of perfection obviously falls short, because Silversea has recently announced two enhancements to its services that makes it... more perfect.

In 2002, Silversea Cruises began offering flexible cruise options for people who might like a particular itinerary but who might not want an entire 17-day voyage, for example. They can embark at a port en route or debark earlier than the voyage's end, or even extend their cruise partway through the next listed voyage. I thought that was pretty nifty, but it wasn't enough for Silversea. No, now Silversea is offering flexible embarkation and debarkation programs as well.

Living Room, Silver Suite, Silver Shadow

"We want to ensure our guests enjoy a totally hassle-free vacation, so we're always exploring innovative ways to offer greater flexibility and convenience," said Bill Leiber, Silversea's Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing. "With our new program, we're now giving guests the option of boarding the ship as soon as possible, or remaining on board for a short time after their cruise has ended."

There is a small fee for these programs; details can be found on the Silversea Web site, with a convenient request form which can be filled out online.

The second recent innovation is being rolled out across all four of Silversea's ultra-luxury ships, but debuted on the Silver Whisper in May, 2003. Using cutting-edge technology, the cruise line has instituted what they call ISIS, for In-Suite Information System.

This new interactive television system will enable guests to view on-demand movies, send and receive e-mail, and book shore excursions in the comfort and privacy of their suite.

My experience on the Silver Whisper was extraordinary, but to be able to send and receive an e-mail while in my nighty with my morning coffee (delivered by room service, available 24 hours a day) is the stuff of dreams. Silversea also intends to eventually offer full in-suite Internet service as well.

Fresh flowers in every suite.

The size of the ships and the small passenger load means that there is rarely --if ever-- a crowd on-board, but to be able to review shore excursion options and make a selection without going to the purser's desk is wonderful.

Silversea offers complimentary in-suite first run movies, and that won't change. (The bad weather on our voyage gave us the opportunity to see almost all of the films offered at that time, a rare luxury for us.) But the cruise line is going to add on-demand movies and live events as well, for a small fee.

I didn't think that perfection could get better, but I am happy to say that I was wrong.

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