This was a great first impression of France and Viking River Cruises! As a gay couple, I was concerned about the atmosphere and how we would be received, but it was absolutely wonderful! The Heimdal was lovely, warm, and welcoming! There was one minor hiccup while we were cruising with a lock gate that was closed due to a France national holiday, but it led us to a charming small town (La Voute) we would have never seen otherwise, and the locals met us with open arms- some local shop owners even opened on the holiday just for us! I can't speak highly enough of Viking, everyone was so welcoming and made us feel like family. The cruise director was hilarious and really helped us find local spots to see after hours. Each port held its own unique charm and local flare, but I have to say my favorite stop on the Rhone River was in Lyon. The city was full of energy and had so many great shops, sights, and transportation was a breeze (outside of rush hour). We extended our stay with a 3 night stay in Paris, and we are so glad we did! We had a full time Viking host that helped us find local sights, and the hotel staff were amazing and treated us wonderfully- they even helped us make dinner reservations, given we are not fluent in French. Viking gets an A+ from us!!