My wife and I were really concerned. We loved cruising. This was our annual trip that served as our winter getaway, even though Tennessee weather is not all that harsh.

Friends had found an interesting voyage and invited us along. We had heard of Viking (River and Ocean) but had never sailed with them. We have sailed on several others. Princess had become our favorite, and we had reached elite status with all its perks. Did we want to give up the familiarity, the wi-fi minutes, laundry, mini bar not to mention sailing with 2,000 or more of our closest friends?

The Viking reviews were reassuring, so we were eagerly on board with this. This was the South America and Caribbean itinerary leaving from San Juan. We had done most of the ports previously, so the purpose of the cruise was not to explore new horizons, but to relax and enjoy. Boy, did we ever! Read more