Travelcat - this is simply anecdotal information, but I'd say 'yes' to more smokers. The pool deck has lots of ash trays, and I was walking by folks snuffing their cigarettes before they boarded the elevators. That said, I haven't been bothered by smoke at all, either in the cabin or public areas. The balconies are separated by full metal dividers, so no problem for us on that front. Is the ship too small? I miss the fourth restaurant on mariner/voyager. That said, I found myself really liking Explorer II in Antarctica. My best take is there's a different rhythm on Silversea than Regent. I'm still adapting to it. Some parts of the service are items that make lots of sense vs. Regent; others seem out of phase. I'll let you know what I think after the full trip is complete. Has anyone else aboard had a different experience re: Travelcat's questions?

Today was our second sea day. We set the alarm to put the laundry out prior to 9 am; then slept til close to 10. We had the ‘what do you think of xxx’ questionnaire waiting when we returned. We got an immediate response from the hotel director. That’s a plus with Silversea – they are on top of guest needs and comments

We had the camel races today. There was no shortage of costume dressing. Egyptian, Nubian, O – Man –ia, Saudi, UAE, you name it, we wore it. Seven camel jockeys lined up on a track for King’s Cup contestants. No No Suzette riding ‘Big and Rich’; Maria Sheila Del Bra riding ‘Catch me if you ken’ Tassie from Australia; Camel Liz Marilyn riding ‘Silver Seabiscuit Steve’s Desert Destroyer’; Leggy Peggy riding ‘Jerry Jamel’; Gobaad Gail riding ‘Turkamon Eugene’; Senorita Evita Michelita riding ‘Sheik Yerbouti Don’; and Luxor Linda riding ‘RonJon Sand Surfer’. Luxor Linda had illegally scratched in China, so the authorities pulled her riding rights.

It was a spirited race, with the crowd alternately roaring and moaning according to their camel’s progress (or lack thereof). In the end, our favorite No No Suzette pulled it out in a photo finish over Leggy Peggy. Luxor Linda won ‘Miss Congeniality”, scoring a decayed camel tooth from the back canyons of Petra. No No Suzette got the paper poppy blanket, the ‘winner’ cup, the Godiva Chocolates and a $1 bill tucked into her bosom by an unnamed admirer.

We moved on to trivia, where we fluffed our answers. In the words of Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi, ‘No tokens for us!; As Scarlett from ‘Gone With The Wind’ counsels, ‘Tomorrow is Another Day’. We enjoyed Giselle’s songs from Barbara Streisand et al, then moved on to a turkey and Minnesota wild rice dinner in The Restaurant with Michele and Don. Now it’s bedtime. Tomorrow? Good question, but we are gunning for more triple tokens at trivia. Marc, we NEED you.

We are rounding the narrows shortly between Yemen and Somolia, a/k/a Pirate Alley. Assuming all goes well, we may think about a Pirates of the Carribean party .. and then again, maybe not. May the force be with us.

Cheers, Cleo