We had been on one Danube cruise with Viking and liked it so much that we chose a Rhine River itinerary this time. The ALRUNA was similar to Viking's Danube ship that we had taken before and very nice in all ways. The cabin and amenities were fine and very clean and well-kept and very up-to-date as if recently refurbished. Dining was not assigned seating and reservations were not needed - the "open concept" dining model suits us. Meal service was pleasant, unobtrusive and prompt. Food was delicious, with enough "staple American" choices plus specialties (particularly Asian) as well. We loved the alfresco BBQ buffet on the deck and also the German cuisine buffet very much. Sausages were great, fresh and authentic. And the many Indonesian, Thai and other Asian offerings on the lunch and evening buffets were really tasty and seemed authentic. ROOM SERVICE WAS SPECTACULAR! Always accurate, quick and with a smile!
We did not take in all of the evening entertainment offerings because we preferred to just relax on the deck or in our cabin. But the house band and house duo were very good, as was the "crew night" entertainment with talented crew members singing, playing, and dancing, etc.
The land excursions were well-run, with excellent local experts and interpreters. We liked the pub crawls and of course the historic buildings, churches and so forth. The windmill site at Kinderdjik was probably the most unusual excursion of the whole trip and we loved it (UNESCO World Heritage site and so it should be)!