This cruise was terrific. It was my second Viking, although my first was China which is a joint Chinese govt and Viking endeavor. We really lucked out on the weather. We were upgraded to a verandah suite which was really fantastic. All service was very friendly although a bit challenging at times. The Aquavit Terrace could really be improved for use at dinner. After a full day we did not always want to go through a two-hour long dinner with others at our table. Aquavit offered one meal choice which was rotated every 6 days. The same appetizer and salad was served throughout the whole cruise. No dessert is offered there. We did not like the appetizer at all, the salad was just OK and 3 of the meal choices were not to our liking. Room service is not offered. A couple days we bought things during the day to bring back to have a snack in our room. Lunch at Aquavit was fantastic! Breakfast (continental only) was very sparse but at least you could get a coffee and fruit.The little alcove outside the lounge offered coffee and rolls in the morning and the same cookies (that were not great) every single day. A savory snack choice would be nice. We found several of the bar and restaurant staff to be quite rude and a few also lacked understanding of basic service. The excursions and the entertainment was good. The front desk and housekeeping staff was very good! The China cruise had a small work out space, the Lif had nothing.