We chose this cruise with two other couples because the ports included, from Stockholm to Bergen, were of interest to all of us. We enjoyed all the ports, and wish we had had more time in Stockholm. A highlight of our trip was a two day personal tour of St. Petersburg. This was our first trip on the larger ship, the Viking Star, and we were very impressed by the ship and the personnel who worked on this ship. We thought that the talks that were given before arrival at each port were extremely helpful. We especially enjoyed the series on The Romanovs, given by a guest lecturer. We were able to try the specialty restaurants, at no extra cost. We loved the afternoon tea, and took advantage of that if we came back on the ship in the afternoon. We also liked the fact that the ship, although carrying approximately 900 people, never seemed crowded, and if you wanted a quiet spot to relax and read, you could always find one, usually with a view of the water and surroundings. We are going on a second European Viking River cruise in October 2017, and a Viking Caribbean cruise in February 2018 on the Viking Sky. We will be extending our stay in both port cities as part of the Viking experience.

The only problem with being on one of the bigger ships is that you can be closed out of a tour or restaurant, depending on your cabin, because your date for selecting options is based on your cabin level. I don't believe that anyone should be told that an "included" tour is already full.