This is the perfect trip if you want to see different parts of Europe in that it is a 12-day cruisetour (8-day cruise); 5 countries; 7 ports; and adds 2 additional cities by land. The staff and crew on the Viking Hermod take exceptional care of all their guests 24/7 and are there to assist whatever your need might be. This was our first experience on a Viking River cruise and it far exceeded our expectations!! The crew works very hard, long hours, but always greeted us with a friendly smile and willing to go above and beyond to assist with whatever we needed. The crew works so well together as a team with a wonderful sense of comradery and a love for what they do. They truly made us all feel like family!! The excursions were extremely informative and well organized and the guides were all local residents who spoke very good English. They were very knowledgeable in all historical aspects of the towns and their historic landmarks giving us a wonderful overview of both the history and present day life in each city we visited. When we returned to our ship after completing our tours, the crew always met us with a wonderful smile and refreshments as we boarded our ship. Was a fabulous trip and hope to take another cruise with Viking in the future!