I am smitten with Shanghai. It wasn’t expected.

Of course, I had heard all of the great things about this great city, but the reality of being here was much better than I had imagined.

Fortunately, Silver Shadow overnighted in Shanghai (and was small enough to dock in the city center), allowing us to fill our days with the city sights and our nights with the city lights — all within convenient reach of our vessel, only a 15-minute walk from the famous Shanghai stretch known as the Bund. Silver Shadow offered complimentary shuttle service for those who preferred the comfort of a ride.

One of the most memorable events was an evening show called Art of Acrobatics. Silversea offered this complimentary evening excursion to all guests aboard Silver Shadow, and I’ve never seen anything quite like this show.

Yes, I’ve seen Cirque, but this was something altogether different. On each side of me, I heard oohs and aahs from fellow passengers. I was mesmerized.

Also entertaining during evenings, Pudong transforms into a festival of lights, but be sure to get yourself there during the day also, when you can visit Jinmao Observatory for a bird’s-eye view of the city.

Also offered as a complimentary excursion was a visit to a local market with Silversea Executive Chef David Bilsland.

There were lots of laughs as our group of Westerners browsed items that were unfamiliar to us.

I found the Chinese people in Shanghai to be exceptionally warm and inviting. They laughed easily, loved to be photographed and were eager to practice English phrases.

Silver Shadow cruised from Shanghai at 4 p.m. today. The sky was overcast, but the mood aboard the ship was bright and cheerful after having spent two good days in this wonderful city.