We had taken a similar cruise about ten years ago with one of the major cruise lines and enjoyed the itinerary vey much. However, one of our cruising couples couldn't make the trip so when they suggested that we accompany them on tis cruise we decided why not. Although Viking cost more I think the extra money is worth it. The smaller ship (although not tiny) was very enjoyable. Everything was accessible, we didn't have to fight for lounge chairs around the pool, the food was very good and the free tours at each stops (the ones we took) were all very good. I especially enjoyed not being hounded by ship photographer's and then pressured into buying overpriced photos as there were none on board. I was amazed at how much difference only 980 passenger's made over the usual 3000. Didn't have t wait in the theatre for 30 minutes before a tour group was escorted ashore ( we were merely given a specific time to meet on the pier). The gym was smaller, but state of the art and I used it daily without having to wait on any machine. Never had t wait too long for dining and the staff were all very friendly an after a few days seemed to recognize us on sight. As I sit here writing this review I am trying to thank of something negative to say about this cruise but can only think of one suggestion that might have improved our experience. We have taken several of Vikings river cruises and they have done away with local tips for tour guides. This would have been great for this cruise as we stopped at six different countries and with no local currency options aboard ship it was a hassle to get a small amount of local currency for tips. Finally, the free beer, wine and soda at meals and the free mini bar option of one item per day was a great savings. As I mentioned earlier Viking Ocean Cruises run higher than the big Ocean lines but we felt it was well worth the extra money for this enjoyable cruise.