We chose Viking Ocean cruises because of the itinerary it provided. We also chose Viking because of the ships size. We had no desire to be on a mega ship with thousands, nor did we want to use a GPS to navigate our way around. Viking did not disappoint. The ship had many areas for those who want to meet and socialize with fellow travelers as well as areas for people who want to quietly sit and reflect on whatever they desired. One caveat I noticed was that the swimming pools were difficult to enter and exit and were not really utilized by the passengers. I include myself in this, as I found it difficult to navigate the ladders that are installed, there are no stairs.

As far as entertainment goes, Viking gets it right. The after dinner shows were wonderful, and ranged from entertainers performing tributes to Abba, Broadway musicals, the Beatles and even a beautiful rendition of Puccini. We did not venture into th nightclub, but acquaintances professed it to be great.

We are experienced ocean cruisers, and have traveled worldwide on large and small ships, but we found ourselves asking "How can we ever go back to the other lines?" That's how much we enjoyed Viking Ocean. While onboard we booked two separate River cruises for September 2020 and 2021. Beware though, we had to make an adjustment on one of the river cruise travel dates when we got home, and even though we did not change the destination; , Viking removed the On Board credit that was originally afforded us for that cruise.