This was our first ocean cruise, and we chose Viking as we had been on several of their river cruises plus the itinerary and ports-of-call would all be new to us as we had never been to Scandinavia. We spent several days in Stockholm before the cruise, exploring on our own and trying to adjust to the time change. There was more security during embarkation than I had imagined but that was a good thing!! Our first impression of the ship was how spacious it was, and all the beautiful decorations added to our enjoyment of the spaces. There was so many places on the ship that you could sit and enjoy the scenery or read a book. The Explorer's Suite that we were in was spacious and well-appointed. It was a splurge, but IMHO, well worth it. The food served was outstanding-we never ate in The Restaurant as we loved the World Cafe, and basically it served what was being offered in The Restaurant. Plus who could miss the gelato bar and the dessert buffet???? The Chef's Table was amazing. We had 2 Asian-inspired meals there, which according to the menu "your taste buds will jump up and down"!!!We did seveal of the included excursions but we enjoy exploring on our own, and it was easy to do as Viking provides shuttle buses in ports that are not close to town. Norway and the fjords were breathtaking. We did the optional excurions to Pulpit Rock in Stavanger and the Flam Railway in Flam, and the scenery was just so beautiful. I have never seen so many amazing waterfalls, and the ride back on the road with the hair-pin turns was interesting........We were so fortunate as we had unusually

warm weather for the whole trip with virtually no rain. The service onboard the Viking Star was exceptional, from our room attendants to the people in the restaurants and everyone else that we came in contact with. There certainly is entertainment on board for those wanting to partake-The Abba concert was very enjoyable. Disembarkation went as smoothly as it could, trying to take care of 930 passengers and their luggage. We spent several extra days in Bergen, Norway after the trip. The city was much bigger that I thought it wouild be and very enjoyable to roam around, enjoying food at the Fish market and browsing through all the stores. The Scandinavian countries have a very relaxed atmosphere and attitude which was a welcome change.