When we heard that Viking was going to do ocean cruises we wondered if they could be as good as the river cruises. We have taken three river cruises, including China, and loved them. We were not disappointed in the Mediterranean Odyssey cruise on the Viking Star.

The Viking Star is a lovely ship, with relatively-few passengers, and never felt crowded. The restaurants were fabulous, both the "ordinary" and the specialty ones.

We were a bit put off by the many, extra-cost shore excursions, since shore excursions on the river cruises are mostly included, with few options. We took the included excursions and, with one exception, found them to give a good overview of the destination. The one regret was choosing the included tour of Pisa instead of paying extra for a tour of Florence. There isn't much to see in Pisa. We have been to Florence and believe it should be the included tour. Read more