Our traveling companions had taken river cruises before and recommended Viking to us. All arrangements with the agent were handled superbly and with great care to keep us informed. From the time were met in Barcelona until disembarking in Civitavecchia, Italy, we were treated with courtesy, respect and concern for our needs minor though they may have been. There were absolutely no difficulties the entire time. The crew was dressed immaculately at all times and smiled when encountering us. We acted accordingly. The food was outstanding and we tried items for the first time. We had two special occasions to celebrate and Viking was prepared for them. My wife's birthday was November 2 and were in Marseille, France. The reservation waitress had booked us a table in the Chef's Table dining room for that evening dinner. When we returned from our shore excursion, there was a bottle of champagne, two glass, a card and a cake from the staff. The next day we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary which actually was three weeks before. Again we found the same items in our stateroom as the day before. Our cabin steward always addressed us by name and took great care in maintaining our room. The included shore excursions were wonderful and we walked more than we ever had before. Monaco was spectacular and I added 13, 724 steps to my StepTracker! The nightly shows was very entertaining and enjoyable. It was a pleasure to meet the four vocalists after their performances. Overall, the Viking Ocean cruise was a once in a lifetime adventure. We do look forward to sailing with Viking again in the future but cannot commit to a specific cruise at this time. Well done to all!