This was the first time that my husband and I went on a cruise. The cruise itself was wonderful. I can't think of anything that could have made it better. We had a wonderful room which was much more spacious than I had imagined. And the twice daily housekeeping by Anna was excellent. My husband had a birthday while we were on the tour and Happy Birthday was spelled out in candies on the bed and a bottle of champaign left in the room. The food was excellent at very meal with enough options to keep anyone happy. The whole cruise runs like a well oil machine. Although the tours went at a faster pace than my husband and I usually travel, they were well organized and all of the local guides were well informed and kept things interesting. There were lots of fun activities and informative lectures onboard the boat. The crew was wonderful. I would not be able to think of one negative thing to say about any one of them. And of course meeting all your fellow passengers from around the world is certainly the highlight of any tour you take.

The only negative comment I will make about this trip had to do with our flights and not with the cruise itself. We did not get final flight details until very late so were unable to make any changes to them. We did not arrive at the boat until 1:00am on July 6th, missing the first day of the tour. And we had to leave the boat at 3:15am on the last day of the tour. For the amount of money we paid I truly believe that Viking ciould have arranged more convenient times for us to travel.

One helpful comment I can make is in regards to the optional tours. Unless it is something that you really have your heart set on doing, I would not sign up and pay for any of the optional tours. All of the tours that are included plus the activities onboard will keep you very busy. What free time you have left might be better spent enjoying a drink in the bar with all the new friends you will make.