Like many, my wife and I became charmed with the notion of a European river cruise thanks to Viking's exceptional marketing and tie into the Downtown Abbey series. Having been in big port cities and towns and seen large cruise vessels roll in and obliterate the charm of a setting, we were more drawn to smaller (safe) vessels that can put you in the heart of a city, but not overwhelm with a swarm of disembarking tourists. The Viking Chateaux, Rivers & Wine did not disappoint.

The Viking Forseti is a well-appointed, newer vessel that felt open, modern ... and very comfortable. We were splurging as it was my trip announcing my retirement, so we treated ourselves to the Explorer Suite which was very much like visiting a floating Waldorf Astoria suite. The attention to details of plants, fruits, and wrap around balcony made it very special. And the staff, led by the ships hotel manager (Michael, who took us personally to our suite to introduce us to the features) and the program director (Lorin) consistently impressed with their charm and helpful attitude.

The ships features are well documented in other posts and on Viking's website, so I will not reiterate them. But suffice it to say that they are quite nice. The dining was diverse and tasty, the beverages of good quality and refreshing, and the overall ambiance inspiring. A surprise to my wife and I was how much we enjoyed the company of other guests. We are in our mid-50's and admittedly the demographics skew older (at least in early April), but the minds were all very bright and the conversations lively. Truly lovely people, a lovely ship ... and made magical by a fantastic Viking staff. Read more