Viking offered the best itinerary in a small cruise ship that offered high quality amenities. From the balcony of the cabin to the spa, our experience was excellent. We had the ability to take the included tour to acquaint ourselves with the ports of call, and then wander around amazingly historical areas on our own. The optional tours we chose were excellent, and we usually ended our day in the sauna followed by the snow room, where we met some wonderful fellow travelers. We tried the specialty restaurants for which you needed reservations and they were each a culinary experience. Even the reservation process was made easy. We could sit in our cabin and make any reservations that we wanted. When we were not at the specialty restaurants, we went to the dining room or the buffet. The service and the food were excellent. We took advantage of the educational talks, movies, and entertainment, and enjoyed them all, but I was most impressed by the scope and knowledge of the professors and professionals who spoke.

Unfortunately, there was a bombing at our last port, Istanbul, 3 days before our scheduled arrival, and understandably the cruise line had to change the scheduled stop; however, they provided excellent options for excursions, and made the process, however disappointing, very easy.

We had such an excellent experience that we booked a river cruise with another couple for this summer.