We had taken 9 cruises in the past but this was our first river cruise and we both think it was the best. The Captain, crew and staff really paid attention to detail an kept everything ship/shape. The food was excellent and I loved that we didn't feel plagued by alternative dining. The tours were well managed and interesting. We felt all of the employees were doing their best to see we had an excellent experience and even seem to know our names so it was also a personal feeling of welcome. We are looking forward to being able to take another cruise with Viking in a few years. PS We arrived back in the US a couple of days before the Paris terrorist attacks. All of our tours to the different ports we both felt very safe. I am glad that we had Viking experience behind the tours.