This was my first Viking cruise, and it was a huge expense for me -- but it was worth every dollar. The boat was beautiful, the staff was incredible, the scenery was gorgeous, and the excursions were mostly perfect. I loved every part of this journey. I'm sure there were people on the boat who expected something more luxurious, but I will say it was every bit as luxurious as anything I would have expected. I was particularly impressed with the crew, every one of them -- Claudia the cruise director, and all the other staff. I have never seen a staff work so well together. Claudia actually commented on how fun this group was. Lucky us!!!