We wanted to cruise the Baltics and saw that Viking had a cruise on a date that would work for us. We had done a Viking river cruise a few years ago and were curious about the ocean cruise, so decided to give it a try. There were a few glitches, but we were not disappointed overall. I have to say the staff is remarkable. They are polite, intelligent, humble, and very accommodating. Our cabin stewards made our day with their cheerfulness and greetings each morning and evening. They actually learned our names. We have been on other cruises where the level of enthusiasm among the staff is greatly diminished toward the end of the cruise. Not so on Viking. Everyone was just as helpful and nice as in the beginning. They are eager to share stories and connect with the passengers. We have heard wonderful stories, and Viking definitely has a system for hiring the best. I do like that they are from all over the world.

Susanne Gayle, our cruise director, should receive extra kudos for her singing after taking a pretty serious-looking fall on our end-of-cruise gala. We hope she is okay and not too badly bruised. Susanne is very talented and sang a beautiful rendition of "Crazy."

A few glitches--the shower ran hot & cold, even after pressing the red button to seal in the temperature. The bed was a little hard, but I am picky when it comes to beds! I like down or feather pillows. Every thing else was pretty perfect!