After 25 cruises I looked forward to trying a river cruise. We enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere and exploring ports we would never see if we were on a big ship. The cabin was a bit small for my taste but we managed ok for the week. The food in the dining room was very good. One complaint was the lack of food in the afternoon. I came back from a day of sightseeing and there was nothing to eat. There should definitely be an afternoon snack available, small sandwiches etc should have been available. We enjoyed the shore excursions because they short enough to leave us time to explore on our own. If you're used to the big ships, the lack of things to do in the evening may be a bit disappointing. My biggest problem was with the total lack of security on the ship and the lack of a response from Viking. There was no one at the gangplank to check ID, bags etc. Anyone could have walked onto the ship and no one would know. The ID card they give you doesn't even have a picture and no one even looks at it. It's only used for the purpose of knowing if everyone is back on the ship. Post 9/11 this is completely inexcusable. Even after the attack in Manchester, while we were at sea, they didn't add any security measures. I've asked other people that have taken river cruises and they all said there was someone checking ID etc. All in all, I loved the cruise, but until they add security I won't be taking another Viking River Cruise.