Returned home a week ago but jet lag seemed worse this time so I am just now getting to write this review. The trip was fabulous with great experiences both pre and post cruise as well.

Pre-cruise: Silversea package--3 nights at the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok, 3 nights on the Eastern and Oriental Express train from Bangkok to Singapore, and one night in Singapore before boarding the Silver Shadow. Loved the Peninsula—the service, food, location, room, can’t say we found anything to criticize. We hired a guide for 2 half-days which was a great idea (he picked us up at 8 am and returned us to the hotel around 1 pm) so that we could have lunch and rest around the pool before going out on our own later in the day. Silversea did not give us much info before we left re the sightseeing options that their tour company offered so we found the guide on the Fodor’s board and really thought he was excellent. Will post his name in the Private Guide section.
E and O train was quite an experience for us who are used to Amtrak…the cabins are tiny unless you splurge on the larger ones (still very small), but they are luxurious and efficient in their use of space and very comfortable actually for sleeping (if you don’t mind upper and lower bunks). The steward was there at the press of a bell and brought breakfast and afternoon tea to us. Dinner (2 seatings) was a major highlight—this chef was on a level of a Michelin-starred restaurant. Very elaborate meals served beautifully. In fact the food was so extraordinary that the ship’s cuisine was a bit of a let-down in comparison. We sat with the 6 other pre-cruise people which was fun. The majority of the other passengers were European and Asian. What did we do all day? They had arranged sightseeing stops for us in the mornings (Bridge on the River Kwai etc) and then after lunch, went out to the observation car (open air) or read or napped. A very nice way to get to Singapore!

Silver Shadow—9 days, Singapore to Hong Kong. We had been on this ship last Spring so we felt very much at home when we boarded. We again had a Vista cabin on deck 5 with the shared veranda which we think is a good compromise. You can still open the door and walk out to get some fresh air and on this trip we didn’t miss a private balcony. The ship was full but never felt crowded. Having been on Crystal this past Fall, it was nice to get back to the laid-back atmosphere of Silversea—maybe not as "organized" in some ways, but no worries about dinner times or tipping, room service (which is provided by the stewardess on Crystal in addition to her regular tasks).
The passengers on this trip seemed younger (50’s and 60’s) probably due to the itinerary which included more strenuous shore excursions. We decided to skip the 2 formal nights this trip to cut down on carrying extra clothes and it worked out well—we had dinner in the Terrazza Restaurant which is the informal alternative Italian restaurant one night and in our cabin one night. The food in general was fine in the main dining room —service was excellent without being overbearing. I may be wrong but it seemed that they might be cutting back a bit—I didn’t see much in the way of caviar or lobster (except for the night we ate in the alternative restaurant). The wines served with dinner seemed better though than those on last spring’s cruise.

We don’t usually go to the shows so can’t comment on that. But one of the highlights was a complimentary excursion which involved a very elaborate dinner at a hotel in Saigon and an unbelievable show of dancing and music with native instruments.

I won’t go into descriptions of the ports now: Sihanoukville (Cambodia), Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Nha Trang—but will be glad to answer questions.

Negatives on this trip? Not many, but the most annoying thing was the Internet access. They had a new system in place which was both ridiculously expensive and almost unusable. People were complaining like mad. But if that is the worst thing that can happen on a cruise… ;)

Post-cruise: We stayed independently at the Inter-continental in Hong Kong for 2 nights. Another great hotel with the best views of the harbor. There is a sound and light show every night at 8pm in the harbor which we watched from our room and also saw the Silver Shadow sailing away.

What made this trip so different from our others was the exploration into the different cultures, even if it was just a taste. We would like to return to Thailand and do more in depth. But this was a very luxurious way to have a first experience in this part of the world.

Let me know if you have any questions about the ship or the Orient Express.

Susan