I had not wanted to go on a cruise, but the "Viking Homelands" trip won me over. The crew was always attentive and friendly. Our cabin steward was absolutely the best ever! We enjoyed dining in all the restaurants and I was particularly impressed with the creativity of the "Chef's Table" offerings. The activities were varied so that there was something for everyone, my favorite being the Chef's cooking demonstration. Of course, the spa experiences were heavenly with excellently trained staff.

There were a variety of shore excursions with excellent guides. We particularly enjoyed the visits to the homes of Sibelius and Grieg with the concerts that followed. Those were experiences that we wouldn't have been able to have done easily on our own. We prefer to go on shore at our own pace and in most cases that was possible. The daily newsletter was extremely helpful in helping us to plan the day's events and will be an excellent memory of the locations we visited.

The ship itself is beautifully designed in outstanding Scandinavian minimalist style and was created in such a way that there was always a place to gather with friends or be by myself if I chose. I loved the woodland birdsongs in the public restrooms, too! So very Finnish! Our two weeks on the "Viking Homelands" cruise spoiled me forever, and that's the way a cruise should be.