Explored Barcelona on our own before the cruise (have been there before) and still love the city. Smooth embarkation and well treated by the ship's staff. Since this was our first Viking Ocean cruise, we explored the ship from top to bottom, fore and aft. It is a very beautiful ship, very modern and luxurious. Got a lunch at the poolside bar and grill, which was excellent. Our cabin was very nice with a veranda and a great view to compliment the nice furnishings and the arrangement of the living/bedroom is very efficient and comfortable. The bath facilities were exceedingly nice and well appointed. Great shower and vanity areas and a heated floor were well appreciated. The dining options were very nice with several selections and with no "standing-in-line" with mobs of other passengers like larger cruise vessels. The offerings in the restaurants were were limited in choice but all were outstanding with great service by the staff. Wine was included with all lunch and evening meals. We did not partake of the entertainment or activities on board, wanting to reserve our energy for the on shore activities. Service from the staff was superior to other cruises we have been on and the room stewards were particularly caring and efficient.

As with Viking River cruises, we like the exceptionally good land excursions. We planned for tours and excursions in all ports-of-call, (including Monte Carlo), which we loved. Guides were outstanding and the sites visited could not be better. We enjoyed our tours and exhausted ourselves doing as much as we could to make this a memorable vacation. And It was always nice to return to our beautiful ship after exploring the Mediterranean Riviera coast. Last stop was in Rome, to enjoy one of the classic cities of the world.

We did not travel with children and would not recommend taking children less that teenagers of this cruise, as they would likely be bored. This is not Disney. We would definitely go again on a Viking Ocean cruise and have one planned in the Baltic for 2019.