This cruise was great. Had a nice mixture of cities, sites and culture. Went the time of year when each country had their Christmas Markets which were fun to walk around (but tended to have the majority of the same items). It was nice that each port had a tour included. I was calling this the "anti-cruise" because no one was pushing drinks (which were very reasonably priced), you didn't have to race to get to a show, no gift shop to really speak of, and there was really no clock watching. I did more physical activity by walking on the tours (we clocked 6,7,8 miles a day with our pedometers) than we would have on a cruise ship. Each stop had a tour guide that you were assigned to. Some were better than others but overall you learned a lot. Be prepared to tip the guides after when they are done. You actually had the pleasure of sitting in the large lounge and meeting and talking with other passengers. Food was overall very good. There are choices at each meal. You can order lunch off a menu and/or go to the buffet. Great breakfast with a chef making omelets if you wanted. No "midnight buffet" but there were cookies available each day by the 24-hour self-serve beverage stations. We were on the Eistla which was very nice and one of Viking's newest. Had a French Balcony which compared to a cruise ship was small but nicely appointed. Plenty of storage, great shower and I loved the heated bathroom floors. The weather precluded us from enjoying the outside deck, but it is a very nice feature. Staff was wonderful. We booked our air through the cruise line and it worked out great with our flights and transfers to and from the boat. We would definitely take another river cruise.