We chose to go with Viking based the recommendations from friends. We are not typically cruiseship people; however, the limited number of passengers (900) appealed to us. We were not disappointed. The Viking Sun is a floating masterpiece of design and function. We booked a Penthouse Veranda Suite on Deck 6. I would book the same type of room on a lower level as the rough seas one whole day made it difficult to maneuver in the room. We had exceptional housekeepers. Both women were friendly and helpful for the entire experience. No need to twist a towel into an animal shape. The bar on the bow of the ship on the 7th Floor was wonderful. The view was always peaceful. The service was exceptional. We would also say that prices for alcoholic drinks were more than reasonable. We heard many people talking about other cruise lines and their exorbitant prices for drinks.

We ate most of our meals in the buffet. The food was delicious, creative, gourmet worthy. We enjoyed having so many choices at each meal. We ate twice at Manifred's which was excellent. We dined once at the Chef's Table. We think that the space should feature a specific cuisine and not the "strange" combination of items that we experienced one evening.

As for the excursions, I would concur with other Viking passengers: some of the excursions were merely large tour buses driving around congested streets. One glaring problem is that the excursions are NOT handicap accessible. There are no accommodations for getting off the ship and into a tour bus or van. In one instance, a gentleman in a wheelchair was lifted into the bus by the guide as NO Viking personnel were on hand to help him on or off the bus. The disembarkation ramps or steps were sometimes difficult for able bodied passengers. In addition, there are some very long treks from the ship to ground transportation. All of this information should be clear to people before they book the cruise. We felt that the paid excursions offered a much better experience than the included ones. With the price of a Viking cruise, we had hoped that some of the included excursions would be more interesting. Read more