My husband and I signed up for the Viking Homeland cruise over two years ago. We had just been on a Viking River cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam and loved it. We have been on many cruises with other lines before. Viking was our first river cruise.

For the Viking Homeland cruise we opted for the Iceland pre-tour and it was excellent. The first day we were on our own, which was perfect given that our flight was overnight and we hadn't slept on the plane. Many other people were in the same boat. All we wanted to do was go to bed and get some sleep. The Hilton Hotel was first rate and the two days of tours fabulous. The first day was the Golden Horseshoe and the second day was a city tour in the morning followed by a trip to the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa in the afternoon. The second day we ate at a restaurant called the Kjallarinn Kitchen Bar. It was one of the best dinners we have ever had and we are international travelers. Note that prices in Iceland are not cheap compared to Canada.

From Reykjavik, we flew to Copenhagen and then changed planes for Bergen. When we landed in Bergen Viking staff were there to meet us at the airport and check us in. So, when we arrived at the ship all we did was show them the documentation we had been given and we walked on board. We had a minimal wait at the airport. Our luggage was loaded immediately and within a few minutes off we went in a Mercedes van. Read more