We had wanted to return to Europe and do a Rhine cruise since our son & his wife had lived in Düsseldorf for 18 months. After lots of looking, we selected this Basel to Amsterdam cruise. We thoroughly enjoyed all of the included excursions. We're both history minors and we totally loved all of the historical stops! Our favorite day was the 5th day when we cruised by the quaint towns & castles, toured Marksburg Castle (it has never been destroyed - what you experience is the way it was 100s of years ago) and enjoyed an authentic German dinner prepared by the wonderful chef & staff of the Vidar. Every tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and provided us with many insights and extra pieces of information. We had visited Cologne before with our son but had not known the long history of the city and it's cathedral. It was extra special shopping in a market square that had been around since Medieval times when the boats had been unloaded. The staff was extraordinary - ready to pamper us in any way they could!! We loved our Viking experience and hope we have the opportunity to take another river cruise in the future!