This cruise was about the best that can be done for a package tour for 190 people. And there you have it--why it was very good and why I'll never do anything like it again. Having visited 56 countries, some repeatedly and most independently, I know the difference between superficial sightseeing and meaningful travel. The less experienced travelers loved the cruise, and the Impressionable Americans gushed, as they always do. Hence the expansion of the Viking fleet. But you can go for an entire week on Viking in France and not speak to a single French person (other than local guides). Talk about a gilded cage. The only "foreigners" were the Brits and Australians aboard the boat. A ridiculous situation. This is sightseeing, not traveling.
But Viking presents cocooning very well. The ship is extremely well designed, except for inadequate sound dampening in the dining room and the conspicuous absence of a relevant wall map at the concierge desk, and it is spotless. The hybrid engines are very quiet. The public rooms and decks, unlike cabins with balconies, afforded views on both sides of the two rivers and one estuary (the Gironde Estuary is not a river). Service staff, from waiters to housekeepers, appeared to be handpicked and must be among the best in the world. (We put our money not into an expensive cabin, where we knew we'd spend little time, but into a much, much larger crew tip than the one "suggested" at the end.) The Hotel Manager, a Viennese, combined competence in running his staff and continental charm in passing out with great flourishes the factory made croissants. The Captain was quickly presented to the assembled passengers on the first evening, and we never saw him again. (This is excusable; in his place, I would have no interest in us, either.)
The real face of Viking for us passengers, and the critical link in the management chain, was the Program Director. This Swiss of Italian extraction may well be the best in the Viking organization. His unbeatable combination of Swiss efficiency and Italian charm kept everything running smoothly. There were none of the snafus noted in other Cruise Critic reviews of this particular cruise.
We chose the cheapest level of cabin ("stateroom," in Viking parlance), because we thought we'd spend little time there. It was the right decision. The cabin was tiny but adequate (and not so very much smaller than more expensive options--the square footage differences are negligible). We relied on Swiss/Norwegian design efficiency and had enough room (tho barely) to get around and to store our belongings. The bathroom was tiny but adequate. Plenty of hot water and shower pressure. Unusually comfortable beds, the most important part and the same as the most expensive choices. One window at ceiling level--no view, but no claustrophobia, either. The best views, especially for the cruising periods, were on the outdoor Sun Deck or the indoor Lounge, where you could change sides for unobstructed scenery. We had been advised that this lowest ship's level, without public rooms, was the quietest, and that was true. Nor could we hear the hybrid engines. This level room sells out first, because of price, of course, but it is also a good choice for certain customers.