We had taken several Viking river cruises and wanted to see if they could match that experience with their ocean cruise. They did. The onboard educational lectures were terrific. Who would expect a lecture on Beowulf and other sagas to draw a stranding room only crowd. The entertainment- singers, musicians, magician was great too. Viking always has one included tour for each port. When we took it, it was excellent and a great introduction to the port. Where we chose a specialized excursion, it was always worth the cost. We found Edinburgh, the Orkneys and all the stops in Norway fascinating. Everything was aimed at an intelligent, adult tourist. We are also very impressed with Viking's no children policy. It compares favorably (from our viewpoint) with how all of the other lines we have cruised on do it. They include Nat Geo, North Holland, Carnival, Princess. The ship itself was new and well designed for the cruise. The crew was friendly and efficient. The dining was excellent and managed our food issues very effectively. We will definitely rely primarily on Viking in the future.