We've wanted to do a "sampling" cruise of the Lesser Antilles for some time to "taste" a number of islands in order to choose where to take an extended visit. We're Viking fans and sailed on Star last summer to the Nordic Capitals. We like the feel and pace of Viking. We're in their demographic and don't need casinos, dress-up nights or people showing off in the gym. The ship is beautiful not gaudy, the public spaces are calm not clamor, the cabins are quite comfortable, the food is very good. I approached seafood overload a couple of nights at the World (buffet) Café. The included wine and beer with meals was very drinkable. I'm over chasing complexity, I just want to compliment food. Because they had our data, they brought us a cake on my wife's birthday. The 'shore talks' prior to a port were informative, the shows were fun, lightweight entertainment and the background musicians in the atrium were very good. There is a nice selection of included and optional shore tours with knowledgeable, entertaining guides. We walk 2 miles a day, starting at 5000' in cold, 10% humidity air up and down hill. A few miles each day in warm, humid, sea level air is a treat. The crew, from the cruise director to the waiters and stewards, were universally helpful, pleasant and available.

Like I said, we're Viking fans. We like what they offer, how they treat us, the rhythms of their cruises. We're already booked for our 3rd ocean cruise, to Alaska, and our 5th river, to visit the native soil of my wife's ancestors, in Transylvania.