This was a trip of a lifetime! All we had to do was to get ourselves to St. Petersburg. The flight there on Russian Airlines was an unexpected treat! At the airport, Viking Cruise personnel with warm greetings, took charge of our luggage and travel-tired bodies. Goodbye travel anxiety! We were shuttled to our ship and graciously ushered to our lovely, comfortable cabin. The cruise had begun! Dinner that night confirmed our expectations of a fabulous cruise. Our friendly, conversational fellow passengers, from all parts of the world, were great fun and the dinner and the service first class! The tours of St. Petersburg before we set sail were well-organized and informative, providing us with a well-informed introduction to Russian culture and history. Along the cruise, each port excursion was a new experience. The tours were well-coordinated and conducted by an expert guide who spoke excellent English and to our delight, exhibited that excellent Russian sense of humor. As a result, we returned with lots of Russian jokes and stories that entertained our friends and also sparked their interest in visiting Russia. A treasured souvenir of our travel was the very professional, surprise video provided at our journey's end. We were unaware of the recording of the highlights of the cruise and memorable moments of our fellow passengers having fun. This we have also shared with friends at home. The cabin crew all bear special mention. Without exception, every member of the friendly, well-trained crew went out of their way to ensure that our cruise experience was first class! In retrospect, it all seems like a wonderful dream that all too soon has come to an end. It was an incredible introduction to Russia and her friendly, kindly people - it's the new Russia about which most Americans are sadly uninformed.