We have gone on river cruises with Viking before and always enjoyed them. I was interested in the towns along the Elbe, as well as our pre-cruise to Berlin and out post-cruise to the Czech Republic and Poland. The daily included excursions were interesting, entertaining, and educational. Meals on board were delicious--varied and well prepared. The Viking staff was wonderful, as always. They are very helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. The local guides on the stops along the Elbe River, as well as in Berlin, Prague, Krakow, Czestahova, and Warsaw were all very good. Since the Beyla is a smaller, new boat designed specifically for the Elbe (which can be shallow at times), there were under 100 guests. We got to know most of them very well, including on our pre and post-cruise stops. That experience added to the enjoyment of our cruise. This was our fourth Viking River cruise, and we would definitely go on another one.