We chose Viking Ocean because we had a wonderful experience on their Rhine River cruise. We chose this cruise because it met both my and my wife's "want to see" list. As always, the Viking service was wonderful, from airport to ship, from room to dining, from excursions to free time. It all was wonderfully provided by Viking. The small size of the ship and guest total was another reason we chose Viking. It did not disappoint, it was much more enjoyable than our last ocean cruise on a 4000 guest cattle boat. We would and do recommend Viking Ocean Cruises to anyone wanting to travel. Truly, let the great Viking staff take care of your travel needs. You can trust them to handle it all so you can sit back and enjoy the world. Our only advise to would-be travelers is to read and understand everything and ask questions. We did not know we could sign up for excursions before others due to our cabin choice, and we were less than pleased with our post cruise experience because we didn't ask enough questions. The post cruise experience was well below our standards, and I am sure, fell below the normal Viking standards. This is the only reason I am not giving an "excellent" rating to this experience. Viking is our choice for our next cruise, unless someone else exceeds their service level and offers a lower price for it all. Probably won't happen.