Silver Ray Itinerary

What Silver Ray's Autumn Season Is Actually Like: Mediterranean Loops, an Atlantic Crossing, Then the Caribbean

The sailings list shows departures from Rome, Barcelona and Lisbon, and our region tag cheerfully says "Caribbean / Bahamas". Reader, it is lying to you a little. Let's untangle that before you book. For about the first six weeks of this season, Silver Ray stays in the western and central Mediterranean, doing her best impression of a ship with no interest in palm trees. She crosses the Atlantic at the end of November. She only reaches the Caribbean in December, fashionably late. We don't hold port lists for these sailings, so the ports below come from booking-agent listings. Check them against Silversea's own itinerary before you pay for anything. I also found no listing that calls at the Bahamas, so if "Bahamas" is the reason you clicked, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you.

Weather and sea conditions

November in the Med is shoulder season. It isn't beach season, whatever your holiday photos are hoping for. The 1991–2020 averages for the month, all from airport weather stations, put Barcelona around 64°F by day and 48°F at night, Marseille around 60°F and 46°F, and Valletta a milder 69°F and 59°F (that last pair is from the station at Luqa, just inland). The Oct 18 itinerary is the warmest because it heads south to Malta and Tunis, which is the sensible way to cheat. The crossing from Lisbon is the wildcard. The North Atlantic in late autumn can be lively, and that sailing is mostly sea days, so there's nowhere to hide from it. If you're prone to seasickness, pack your remedy.

Hurricane season, honestly

The Atlantic season officially ends November 30. Silver Ray's Caribbean sailings start December 11, after it closes, which is the kind of tidy timing we like. December storms are rare but not unheard of, and one fact-check counts only 27 on record in the Atlantic basin. Glance at the National Hurricane Center outlook a week before you fly. The December 22 sailing is a split personality. Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao (Dec 28–30) traditionally sit well south of the main storm track, but the same 14 nights also call at Grand Turk, St. Kitts, St. John (USVI) and San Juan, which don't get that southern cover. So call it part southern Caribbean, part everywhere else.

Which length suits whom

• 10–11 nights (Med): A good first Silversea sailing. Those 10-night loops are a lot of ports for the time, so expect to be doing a lot of "which country is this again?" Málaga and Palma each get a second day on some dates, which is a gift if you hate rushing.
• 13 nights (Lisbon to Miami): The crossing is for people who like sea days, lectures and a very good lunch. Bermuda is the only listed stop after Gibraltar, so it carries a lot of pressure for one little island.
• 23 nights: This is the Nov 18 Barcelona to Lisbon sailing (10 nights) joined to the Nov 28 Lisbon to Miami crossing (13 nights). The 10 and 13 add up to 23, and you stay on board in Lisbon. It's commitment, but with room service.
• 11–14 nights from Miami: Island-hopping in the eastern Caribbean for 11 nights. The 14-night Dec 22 sailing runs over Christmas and New Year and returns Jan 5, so it's the holiday-crowding pick. A 12-night Feb 7 sailing runs one way from Miami to Bridgetown.

What it costs

These are the suite "from" fares per person, taxes included, on one agent's listing. The Oct 29 loop starts at $7,502 and the Oct 18 Rome–Barcelona sailing at $9,811. That's $2,309 more per person for one extra night and a different route, which is quite the price for a Malta bonus. Prices also differ between sites. The Dec 11 sailing appears from $6,850 per person on one and $7,676 on another, a gap of $826. Compare agents and check what onboard credit is on offer.

What to pack

• Med, Oct–Nov: layers, a light rain jacket, a warm evening layer and comfortable shoes for cobbles. The Marseille and Cannes days will feel cooler than Valletta.
• Crossing: a windproof layer for deck walks. Pack a sea-sickness remedy as well. A swimsuit is optional for the Bermuda stop, which falls on Dec 8 on the agent listings. It's a December call, so treat a swim as a bonus rather than a plan.
• Caribbean: swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, and a rain shell for passing showers.

For ship facts, see our Silver Ray ship page. Her latest CDC Vessel Sanitation Program score was 100 out of 100, from the December 5, 2025 inspection. You can check how that stacks up in our CDC inspection lookup. If the Med-versus-Caribbean decision is still open, browse other ships' options in our itineraries hub.