After a three-flight trip and navigating the "maze" (otherwise known as Frankfurt Airport), it was comforting to be met at Lisbon by a Viking representative, who took us to Lisbon's Hotel Tivoli. This hotel is fine and well located. My only critique was the rather primitive bath/shower plumbing. The briefing and Lisbon tour were very good.

The bus ride to Porto , with an interesting lunch and rest stop in Coimbra, was very pleasant. Boarding the "Torgil" was easy and a crew member escorted us to our cabin (323). Our baggage soon joined us. The cabin was fine and well-appointed, but I have a couple of critiques. First, the king-sized bed filled the cabin, leaving little room to as much as bend down to tie your shoes. A queen-sized bed would have done nicely. And, second, for old folks like me, a small bench in the shower would have made it easier to wash one's feet.

Meals on the "Torgil" were excellent, as was the wine. Entertainment wasn't as interesting as one finds on a Viking Rhine, Moselle or Danube cruise, where locals board the ship along the way and perform, but the piano player in the Torgil's lounge was very good. The crew, in general, were first class. They left the impression that they genuinely enjoyed taking care of us. Read more