A week before departing for our cruise a bomb went off targeting tourists in Istanbul, our port of embarkation. Following the incident Viking notified us of a change in itinerary, that we would not be staying overnight in Istanbul but would instead be sailing that evening to Canakkale (Troy). After we cleared customs at the Istanbul airport, Viking staff were at hand the moment we exited and immediately guided us to our coach. There were only six of us but they did not wait to fill up the coach which usually seats between 30 to 40 passengers and quickly whisked us away. A few months later after we returned from a fantastic trip, we heard on the news that a bomb went off at the Istanbul airport. It goes to show that Viking was extremely vigilant about getting their guests out of harms way by taking the extra precautionary measures to ensuring their safety.

Once on board the Viking Sea, the ship, our stateroom, the ambience, the food and shore excursions were exceptional. Viking has set its bar high so why would we expect anything less than what is being advertised. Viking's values and how the staff work with their guests and with each other are some of the elements that distinguish them as a company and form the bedrock where Viking's reputation and business sit upon. Their competitors can attempt to copy and undertake work in a similar fashion, but they may not come close to copying their values and the Viking culture.

We have been on their river cruise and experienced their ocean cruise, they excel in both lines. Our next cruise is to the West Indies in December on Viking Star and we are eagerly looking forward to having another phenomenal time.