Ship is GORGEOUS! We were in Explorer Suite 5000 at the very bow of the ship and it was perfect. A small bit of trouble with the AC in the living room, but that is the only complaint. The gentlemen taking care of us were great. Free laundry and pressing a super feature. The staff service was wonderful and very personal, especially the Guest Services manager. Food in the specialty restaurants was wonderful and we were able to go there whenever we wished; main restaurant was about normal for a good ship....nothing special. Included wine in every restaurant was quite good. Guest lecturers were excellent and added much to the port stops. Entertainment was surprisingly good for a ship this size. Decor everywhere was extremely tasteful with subtle touches everywhere....nothing gaudy. Had to cancel one port because of weather, but you always take that chance when cruising. Included excursions were average at best, but the fairly expensive optional excursions were great. I needed a small mobility scooter for excursions and they were most helpful to me. Going one day to Omaha Beach in Normandy in pouring rain, wind and cold (just like it was on D Day), to Giverny and Monet's gardens the next day in the sun was an unbelievable contrast .... one I'll never forget. We have cruised mostly Oceania, Regent and Silversea until now, liking Oceania the best. I can honestly say that Viking Ocean is right up there with Oceania, though quite different. They do need to get the shore staff up to par. They made tons of mistakes ....everyone agreed. But once on board all was great. Embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze. They even let us keep all our luggage with us, then sent someone to get it and us at 9:00 and straight to a cab they had arranged. The whole experience is VERY Scandinavian. We will definitely be back.