We are huge fans of Viking River Cruises, so we decided to try a Viking Ocean Cruise. We were not disappointed. The Viking Star is a beautiful ship -- elegantly appointed without feeling stuffy. It's not a monster cruise ship, but it feels spacious and not crowded.

When Viking emailed us a few weeks before the cruise to say that we had been upgraded to the owner's suite, we had no idea how luxurious and comfortable it would be. And service was superb. Free laundry is a useful perk that comes with all of the suites.

We tried the specialty restaurants, but our favorite place to eat was the World Cafe because we could eat outside, weather permitting. Read more