3rd

On the sail away from Killybegs, TSH and Diva saw a large group of dolphins around the Silver Spirit. Perhaps not quite as spectacular as seeing orcas.

At the Venetian night on the 4^th and final leg of their cruise, TSH and Diva dropped down the league to 3^rd place. There are about 380 guests on board Silver Spirit, including 204 Venetians, which is a much lower proportion than on most voyages in the past. Dinner was with the Guest Relations Manager and the Reception Manager.

On the way into the cocktail party, Diva reassured Captain Ivo, who greeted her by name and was concerned about her welfare in the light of her failure to take a poncho and an umbrella.

In Galway, they cancelled the planned excursion and walked around the city on their own. The tender journey was a little rough at the end and they were pleased that it was driven by an experienced seaman and it was not an Officer Training Day (as has occasionally happened before).

5th

Dinner in Indochine was not looking good when the waiter handed TSH and Diva menu folders which turned out to be empty. No food? Fortunately it was a mistake and Diva was able to order sweet and sour prawns, and TSH a Thai curry.

Venetian night is when anybody who has travelled with Silversea before is invited to a cocktail party where achievements are lauded. Achievements take the form of ‘days spent on board’. On this occasion, TSH and Diva were 5^th in the league table with 685. The ‘winners’ had over 2000 days!! At a dinner table hosted by the Guest Relations Manager, TSH and Diva were able to join with two other British guests to take the opportunity to explain that there was a large market for UK-UK cruises, as many people no longer wish to fly at the beginning or end of a cruise.

The highlight of the short excursion in Kirkwall, Orkney, was the Italian Chapel, built by Italian Prisoners of War during the 2^nd World War. The weather was extremely cold and partly wet – difficult even for the hardy Northern British like TSH and Diva. They were also disappointed in having to tender ashore – on previous occasions they have docked in Kirkwall, which is far more convenient.