To me, part of the experience is meeting other people on the tour. What made this experience so special was getting to know the crew in a way that was comfortable and fun. It certainly made a difference with our cruise. We were delighting in the wonderful food, beautiful vistas and the fascination of going through the locks on the Seine. Each port was delightful and we felt we had enough time to see everything of interest. Three days out, we got the terrible news that my husband's brother had had a massive heart attack and died. I was not able to reach my son at home or anyone of my husbands family to get details. I only found out about the even by a remark my son had made on Facebook. I was frustrated and anxious to learn what had happened. When I finally thought maybe someone at the desk could help (it was night time) and told her of my dilemma she dropped everything and assisted me in a way I'll forever be grateful. I still had to tell my husband what happened but I knew I had support from the Staff who were outstanding. I'll never forget it. Although we had this terrible sadness we were able to enjoy the fantastic hospitality of your ship. The crews kindness and thoughtfulness turned an awful event into something we could deal without pressure. Because of this experience, we would not hesitate to recommend a Viking Cruise to our friends. In fact, we already have.