This was the first cruise for my husband and my first on a river cruise. He was most pleasantly surprised on how much room there was on the boat and in the cabin. Additionally, he was worried that he could not keep up with the pace of activities or enjoy the volume of food offered in the dining spaces. Rather both were not issues. In fact, he added two optional programs at the desk and enjoyed all of them. The guides were informative, the pace was great and there was always time to visit on your own in the different cities. They were also helpful if someone forgot their headphones or needed directions to a particular store or site to visit. (Actually a time for Schnecken and Caffe, per Viennese custom.) We both enjoyed the food and programs on the boat as well, with the Program Director giving information about each stop and suggestions for places to visit when in the cities. I have cruised before, but this was one of the best as far as friendliness from the staff and the other passengers. Not being assigned to a particular table allowed for more integration with passengers, whether at meals or on the buses. Overall, we have spoken very highly of our cruise experience with Viking and look forward to traveling with you again.