As the cruising industry keeps making ships bigger, we abandoned that venue. It couldn't deliver the experience we needed. We started river cruising and found that smaller ships, smaller number of passengers, more focus on the educational experience matched our needs. Now Viking has re-invented the ocean cruise experience and delivered beyond our expectations. The ship is perfect. It had the right number of passengers. The open areas were spectacular. The food was terrific. The room was luxurious. The ability to be with a group balanced with being in a quiet one on one area was perfect. The crew addressed our every need. In conversations with them you know that Viking was treating them well and they were loyal to the company. The educational programs was outstanding. Dr Laurie gave us unbelievable insights. The cruise director was informative, engaging and funny. Matching the route to historical events was enlightening and enriching. It seems that every attention to detail really made a difference. We highly recommend this ship and diving back to the ocean cruising experience. Now we can go beyond the rivers and venture back to the seas.