We had always taken ocean cruises and a friend told us about the Rhine River cruise. We enjoyed it so much more because the ship was smaller, it had less people and was more relaxed. We enjoyed each of the shore excursions because each one helped us see the important things in each city. Also the staff helped to make everything enjoyable. They were all very helpful in many ways, especially the waiters in the dining room. We decided to stay in Lucerne for a couple days before our cruise which was truly a wonderful experience. What a beautiful town! The excursions there were great. We also stayed in Amsterdam after the cruise. It is a beautiful city and we enjoyed visiting the Van Gogh and Rijks museums. We had been warned about the pickpockets which caused us to be wary of our surroundings and all the bike riders made it difficult to walk around. We are looking forward to our next Viking cruise.