We selected this tour to be certain that we saw as much of France as possible, while still traveling by river boat, rather than from hotel to hotel. We had seen highlights of Paris and Dijon/Beaune on TV and were very pleased to be able to see the areas in person, along with wineries and the area of Provence. Viking had included so much of what we hoped to see in this tour! Viking staff was so efficient, in every area, from cabin service to embarkation/departure to dining and bar service---we could not have been more pleased! The ship itself was beautiful; our cabin was comfortable; food was excellent and varied; wines selected by the staff for lunch and dinner were all very good. The pace of the tour was perfect for us--we never felt rushed, yet did not have time to be bored! We participated in every one of the daily tours, and were happy that we did so! The tours were all focused on history/culture, and never "pushed" participants into specific merchants to make purchases, as some other tours seem to do. Our guide for the trip, Lot, was absolutely wonderful--provided special "treats" at various spots on the tours, and was personable and extremely helpful with any special requests made of him. We particularly enjoyed sitting on our veranda in early morning and late evening, having coffee or wine (the "Silver Spirits" beverage package worked well for us, as we enjoyed selecting a bottle of wine each day, with the help of the bartender, to have while sitting on our veranda in the evening; we never repeated a wine during the entire trip!). We chose to spend the two days pre-cruise in Paris, and being able to experience the city on our own (after the introduction tour) was perfect! One of the highlights of our trip was a private evening tour of Paris in an open-topped Citroen with a very personable driver--truly a treat! My husband and I agreed that there was nothing that Viking could have done better--we were 100% pleased with our experience, and could certainly understand why so many of our fellow travelers had cruised with Viking 5 to 12 times previously!