We’ve been on two previous Viking River cruises and this was the first Viking Ocean cruise – we have trusted and been happy with all aspects of Viking – we wanted to cruise the Baltics and our favorite stops were Tallin, Estonia – Gdansk, Poland – Aalborg, Denmark and all of Norway - all ports were easy to navigate on to shore (no tethering) most by bus but several were walk right off into the community like Aalborg, Denmark and Eidfjorde, Norway - after several free excursions by bus and the general 2-3 hour tour we started to appreciate some of the paid excursions that had around 20-30 people - more personable and enjoyable - we weren’t impressed with larger cities like St. Petersburg as tours to landmarks and museums were rushed and crowded - we are on vacation and do enjoy relaxation and that's what the ship offers in all areas - it's OK to skip a port and just relax on board as there is so much to do - the spa and fitness area offered programs and the top deck had the best fitness equipment and activities like shuffleboard - movie theatres provided themed movies in connection to the areas we cruised - on board musical entertainment was fun and vibrant from lounge shows to pool parties and the dining offerings ranged from great lasgna and an Italian menu at Manfredi’s to a wonderful wine and food pairing at the Chef’s Table – the Restaurant offered a wide range of choices from fish to steak and local favorites – the World Café offered a smorgasbord of main entrees – desserts and snacks – Mamsen’s served a wonderful daily breakfast with fresh pastries and fruit plus waffles and breakfast platters made to order - the lounge choices were fun – warm and friendly – relaxing views of the sea and countryside from the Explorer’s Lounge listening to a guitarist or pianist - to night time entertainment at Torshavn with shows like The Rat Pack – the Viking Bar and Living Room was a great place to hear music from highly skilled musicians and entertainers – we will be cruising another itinerary with Viking Ocean in the future and we highly recommend connecting with Cruise Critic through their Meet & Mingle on board – we have many friends just from that connection – we like the smaller ship with 930 cruisers and no casinos or themed gimmicks – this allowed us to meet so many great people - fun ship and wonderful staff !!!