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I suggest you use the Search function within this Silversea board and search for each of your topics.
You will find many posts on each of your questions.
I can’t answer your question but I am curious to see any answers. We love aft cabins and have one booked on Nova for 2024 and another on Ray for 2025, both on deck 8.
We are on the Silver Explorer in the Kimberley now. Passports were collected when we boarded in Fremantle and will be returned when we disembark in Darwin. The entire cruise is in Australia, no other country or customs involved. Go figure!
And don’t forget that the customs reps who come aboard in the morning always like to enjoy a nice breakfast on board before getting down to their work.
We stated at the Oro Verde after our Silver Origin cruise last year. Very nice hotel although not as nice as the Marriott we stayed at pre-cruise in Quito. Nor was the neighborhood as nice.