Viking Rep met us at the plane and helped us navigate Heathrow. Because we had a pre-cruise package, we were handed off to a limo driver, who was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed the stay in London at the Conrad St. James.

The ship was all we hoped for, and more, We usually had breakfast and lunch at the World Cafe, because of its convenience, variety, and quality. Food and beverages were delightful and the waitstaff was very good, often excellent. Our dinners were in the Restaurant, but we especially enjoyed visit to the Chef's Table and Manfredi's. 

Shore excursions were good-to-outstanding. One disappointment was that, because of the docking requirements, getting to the city or attraction could be time-consuming, thereby detracting from the time we had to explore the attraction, and sometimes a little stressful -- as, for example, imprecise directions for shuttle pickup in Dublin. Guides were generally excellent, with good communication skills and knowledge of the attraction. An inevitable disappointment was that, unlike the river cruise we took in 2014, the "included" excursion didn't always provide a comprehensive overview, and time in port was short enough that many "optional tours" overlapped with the included ones. Read more