I have travelled to many countries, taken cruises, both river and ocean, and this trip on the Viking Star was a true stand-out. I found the ship to be the perfect size for an ocean cruise. It was large enough to contain all the amenities of a large liner, but without the crowds and tedious waiting caused by thousands of people. And it was beautiful. I really felt pampered from the size of the verandah state room, the 24 hour room service (they even delivered popcorn the night we decided to watch a movie in the room) to the truly helpful, fun and dedicated staff - I do believe that Viking must be a good company to work for because of the consistently fine attitudes of the employees, from the deck hands and waiters to the managers and directors. Although we were very lucky with the weather, there was no luck involved in making the experience aboard ship and on the ground a special and memorable one.

The itinerary of the Viking Homelands was just the right mix of ports and travel for us, and the variety of excursions offered covered many interests - from high art to high hikes. I enjoyed many of the included trips, as well as some of the optionals - my personal favorite being the fjord small boat ride combined with a hike to a summer goat farm of a local resident of Flam, who prepared and shared a lovely local lunch with the 10 of us.

I also was most impressed with the quality and variety of the ship's food - it was by far the best. The speciality restaurants were fun and the staff was friendly and accommodating beyond expectation at all venues. I have never before been on an ocean cruise where any of the waiters remembered my name and I was often met with my favorite drink (a glass of sparkling wine) without needing to order it. Viking even cancelled the busses for the long ride to Berlin in the included tour, and instead chartered a whole train for the trip, complete with wine and snacks on the late afternoon return! Yes, there were occasional glitches, but very few, and all were quickly and sincerely resolved. I'm sure I'll take another ocean cruise, and because of this great trip, it will again be with Viking.