We chose Viking for this cruise because we had enjoyed both the river and ocean cruises in Europe that we have taken with Viking. The friendly staff and crew made this trip memorable. It is exciting to go new places and meet new people and Viking makes this possible for us. Coming back to the ship after a day of exploring new places is always fun because there is so much going on, you can never get bored! Love the afternoon tea! We particularly enjoyed the Enrichment Lectures. We went to every one we could attend after our shore excursions and on the two days at sea. Our favorite lecturer was the friendly spy, Jon Wiant. He joined us for breakfast one morning (before we knew he was on the ship's program) and later he asked us to join him at the Captains Table for dinner on Thanksgiving. We also enjoyed visiting with Ian Rumley-Dawson and his wife during an afternoon tea. Both of their lecture series during the cruise were interesting, informing and entertaining! If we missed a lecture, we could find it on the television later and catch up. The Viking Daily newspaper that was delivered to our cabin each evening kept us informed on entertainment and lectures as well as the events of the next day and most important where to meet for the shore excursions. The chef even gave us a cooking demonstration and recipe for Ratatouille and we later found it on the buffet in the World Cafe. For breakfast every day I enjoyed an omelet prepared just for me by the friendly 'omelet man'. By the end of the cruise he would give me a big smile and guess what I would select today.