Our accommodations were incredibly comfortable and the ship, along with its crew, made the whole experience a week-long welcome. Each meal was a new experience and the service was both gracious and friendly. Our travels in Europe had never taken us to the ports that we visited, so every shore excursion was a first.
We have taken cruises before, but always on large, ocean going ships with hundreds to thousands of passengers. This was our first river cruise and we were pleasantly surprised to find fewer than 200 passengers. Viking's smaller capacity makes the entire experience a lot more personal and individual.
Every port embarkation and disembarkation went off exactly as scheduled, with plenty of time ashore to visit the high points of the larger cities or take a long wander through the smaller towns and villages.