From the moment we embarked we felt right at home. The staff were excellent and nothing was a bother to them. We chose this cruise because as Christians we wanted to experience the places that Jesus had visited and where he was crucified. The cruise did not disappoint. Very knowledgeable tour guides on our excursions made for a great visit to Jerusalem, Nazareth and Galilee. We were the only New Zealanders on the cruise along with a handful of Australians and British. Most of the others were made up of American and Canadian. We had a great time at meals and on excursions getting to know our fellow cruisers. Everything is included, meals, wine, beer and soft drinks at mealtimes. One excursion is included at every port. It was great not to have to think about any more costs other than some excursions we chose to take and had to pay. There was lots of lovely quiet places to sit and read a book, so peaceful. I would recommend Viking cruises to everyone