We had never been to the Baltic countries and have had wonderful experiences on Viking river cruises. Also, the ship has no internal guest rooms. All cabins are shipside with decks. I also have always wanted to see St Petersburg, Russia. I was not disappointed. The lectures by experts in history, foreign relations, and cultures were fascinating and created wonderful fertilizer for understanding each country. The amenities in each cabin were very good and the room service by housekeeping was beyond expectations. In fact, the staff of the ship were absolutely fantastic and seriously contributed to the enjoyment of the tour. My wife has extensive food allergies and our waiter in the restaurant(s) literally designed each meal for her with great care. I would recommend Viking to anyone. While on the surface it looks expensive, when you consider all the treatment you receive, and the quality of all the inclusions (food, tours when in port, lectures, staff, theatrical shows in the theater, etc.) outweighs expense.