My wife and I took our first river cruise with Viking last July. The cruise was from Prague to Berlin and we added extensions in both cities which I highly recommend. Simply put, the staff and crew were amazing throughout the trip. The meals were excellent and varied. The excursions were interesting and informative with options available for different interests. The Astrild is a new ship and the cabins were as nice as any we've had with prior cruises. Our cabin was a lower level one without a balcony. This was our first cabin without a balcony and we didn't miss it. The downside with this itinerary is the Elbe River is prone to lower levels which negated our ability to cruise through some of the more scenic areas near the Chek/Germany border. I wouldn't hesitate to travel with Viking again and am already looking forward to our next experience with Viking.