We chose this cruise, having been on Viking previously, to see places we had not been before. There seemed so much breadth in history and culture to see, and we were so very right. Simply riding the Danube on one of the wonderful Viking longships is worth it all by itself. But the opportunities to experience the areas through which we were passing has made lifetime memories, wonderful ones. Viking is absolutely wonderful at seamless movement from cruising to touring and back to cruising. We were able to see and do things with Viking that we would never have managed by ourselves, such as the 'just for Viking' concert of the largest pipe organ in the world at Passau. But were also free to 'do our own thing when we wanted, such as in Vienna, where we had been more than once. We did our own tour of favorite places, such as the Cafe Schwartzenberg, our favorite coffee house in Vienna. However, the joys of simply causing the river and watching new worlds go by tops my list.