We are not usually cruise vacationers though we have cruised to Alaska and through the South Pacific islands. This was our first river cruise. Getting to the boat was the tough part as we had some distressing travel complications (not the fault of Viking). Once on the Var all was beyond expectations. Our cabin had a small balcony that we made good use of. The storage space, the bed, the bathroom facilities were all perfectly acceptable. The shower was even spacious enough for me at 6 foot 2 and 195 pounds. All services on board were well planned and comfortable. On board entertainment was daily simple but the intent was to engage some local talent flavor. Dining was one of the major surprises. The food was varied, well prepared and professionally served. To make it even more impressive (to me) was the attention I got from the Maitre'D I had a gluten free dietary condition and I was met each morning at breakfast by him to go over my meal options and possible menu modifications to satisfy my diet.

The port and shore excursions were well chosen and excellently run by polite and knowledgeable guides. We did however choose to do some walking tours on our own and that worked out very well also.

Disembarkation was a bit early for our liking but we did need to meet an early flight from Berlin to catch our connecting flight in Rome. All in all the boat, the sights the staff were fantastic!!!