had previously done Viking river cruise and wanted to try Viking Oceans at least once - we had been on 25+ ocean cruises but this this was our first Viking and hope to return for others - great price for the cruise - loved the Penthouse cabin, overall ambiance of all the public spaces - Living Room never felt crowded - outstanding service in all areas of the ship - embarkation and disembarkation went well - Italian cuisine was yummy - dinner both nights in the Chef's Table consisted of cuisine not to our liking, but we saw another night's menu that looked like we would have enjoyed - breakfast and lunch at buffet was always bit crowded - had some great meals in the Dining Room and a couple just "so-so" - complimentary excursions were bit disappointing overall, but maybe it was due to the ports we visited - we were given non-stop, direct airline flights each way which a big plus