Right onw, I am booked on 3830 on Silversea, but will either change to 3831 or move to the Voyager. I really wanted to be on for Christmas and New Year's both, and we surely cannot do the back-to-back. However with that expensive SS May, 09 to Vietnam/Japan, saving $8000 would be attractive.

In the last 20 months, I have been on Whisper twice, Wind once and on Voyager and Navigator once each. Wind's service blew them all away, followed closely by Whisper. Service on Voyager was far from exceptional, and on Navigator is was MUCH better, but still in a party of 6 on the pool deck for 4 hours, we got all our own drinks, and I even bussed our table. In addition, they can't seem to figure out their in-room liquor policy, and if I am to go 11 days and have 1 bottle of wine in the room the entire time, I am not going to be happy.

SS has itineraries and service all over Regent, and that is why they are filling up the ships, but Regent has good itineraries and decent service and is more fun at night, and they certainly seem to be cheaper on some of the key sailings.

You won't be sorry you took that Dubai trip on SS. They know what they are doing in that part of the world. We were in very good hands with them a couple of weeks ago. I am sure your group will have a good time.