This was our 6th river cruise with Viking. So, we have found them to provide excellent cruises. Because I have a particular interest in medieval European history, I chose this tour because it provided an opportunity to see the Abbey at Cluny and the Papal Palace at Avignon. (In addition to being huge, the Abbey exercised nearly as much influence in its time as Rome. The Papal Palace was the home of seven Popes during the so-called "Babylonian Captivity" of the Papacy.) My wife and I found the excursions to both locations to be well-conducted and interesting. The Abbey visit is the only added cost option we chose. The other shore excursions were much as expected with the exception of the Timeless Town of Perouges. Perouges felt too much like a tourist creation.

As usual, the food aboard the ship was excellent and the staff attentive. Although Viking includes wine with meals, we opted for the premium wine package and feel this to have been money well-spent. (We're not "wine snobs", but we do enjoy both a better wine and a broader selection.)

At the tour's conclusion, we chose to add a couple of nights in Avignon. It's a charming town and the Papal Palace was well-worth a second visit. If you choose to stay, check out the laser light show in the Palace courtyard. The later showing is offered with English narrative on some nights. It's impressive! Read more