Everything about this cruise was excellent. I am used to the embarkation process on a large cruise ship as a major hassle. On this trip my friend and I got out of the taxi and 4 cruise assistants greeted us with warm wash clothes (in case we needed a refresher from the plane ride), took our luggage and that was it. We walked on the longship, showed our passports, and we were escorted to our room where our luggage awaited us! After lunch it was announced if anyone onboard wanted to take an escorted walk around Lyon, we could meet at the main desk (which was right by the gangway) and off we went for an enjoyable and unexpected walking tour of Lyon. The included tours were wonderful and lots of fun. They were varied and included a train ride, visits to a winery, museums,outdoor relics, palaces, arenas, etc. Dining was fun, sit wherever you want, the tables were for 6 or 8 (I forgot) and larger long tables. Wine was flowing, after one sip someone came around to fill up the glass! Food was delicious. Breakfast and lunch included a small buffet along with the menu. Everything was presented in French style, even the food at the buffet, i.e., no huge bowls of fruit, there was fruit on small plates presented beautifully. Cabin was small but everything was new so it was gorgeous. We had a veranda and that was a plus. I was worried about two women in a cabin both wanting the bathroom amenities. Not to worry. Plenty of stuff for both of us! No entertainment to speak of but we didn't go for that reason. One night we took a walk (after checking if it was safe to do that) and we had fun walking over bridges and seeing castles at night). There was a piano player in the lounge every night in which we didn't participate. Umbrellas were given out on rainy days on the shore excursions, service was excellent. It was all so good. My friend was not happy with the WiFi which was free but so spotty it was almost non-existent but I didn't blame the ship for that. I just can't rave about Viking enough.