My husband and I were drawn to Viking because of their emphasis on the cultural experience, and we weren't disappointed. Our cruise began with being able to explore Bergen the day before our cruise on our own and with a guide provided by Viking. We appreciated that flexibility. Embarkation and disembarkation were well executed and almost ridiculous in how easy it was compared to other cruise lines.

The ship itself is a work of art, and the crew does an impeccable job in keeping it clean and tidy. The staff were very friendly and responsive, and seemed to very much enjoy their work. The food was always A+ and we appreciated that the World Cafe was available for delicious breakfasts. We never went to the restaurant for breakfast due to early morning excursions, but we liked to mix it up anyway, and prefer the World Cafe casual style for breakfast and lunch anyway. No complaint there. In fact, we have none, and were amused when the rare someone would complain, but then they appeared to complain consistently about everything, and what they were complaining about usually was based on perspective, not fact. Most of the passengers we encountered couldn't rave enough about their experience onboard, and in fact, quite a few were repeat customers, having been won over from Regence, Oceania, and Cunard. We liked our deluxe veranda and would stay in it again. In summary, for the experience and the price tag, we would book Viking again and again. In fact, we just booked a river cruise with them, as many of the passengers we met also recommended that.