The list of pluses and minuses is very lopsided toward the positive. The ship's appointments are top notch, as are the cabins. We actually had a few empty drawers after stowing our clothes. The dining was excellent. While the meals in the specialty restaurants were great, Viking didn't skimp in the main dining room, as several other lines do. On-board activities were good, about on a par with the industry. What stood out in the plus column was the service. Everyone was friendly and efficient. The ports were well chosen and provided a good cross section of the area. The paid excursions were good, though overpriced.

There is only one item on the negative side, the included excursions. Offering excursions as part of the cruise price would seem to be a benefit, but it comes across a more of a marketing gimmick. Very few of those excursions were worth the price (free). The plan for most of these excursions seemed to be: get on a bus, drive around for two hours listening to a "guide", make one or two 10 minute photo op stops, and return to the ship. We would rather see the price of the cruise increased slightly and provide substantial included excursions.

We have one last recommendation regarding the itinerary. Stopping in Edinburgh would be a wonderful thing if the ship actually landed near Edinburgh. Apparently, the only dock large enough for the ship is on the north side of the Firth of Fourth, 14 miles from Edinburgh. Neither the line or the local tourist board provided a shuttle bus to town. There were excursions that went into Edinburgh, but they didn't provide for significant "on your own" time. One fix that was discussed by many passengers involved changing the itinerary. At present the ship boards in London then spends another full day there before sailing to Scotland. A better schedule would be to eliminate the extra day in London (most of the passengers who can afford this cruise have been to London many times and will arrive a day or two early anyway). The stop at Edinburgh would absorb the extra day (two days in port) so that passengers could spend time in town and see the surrounding area.