We wanted to do something really special and very low stress for our 25th anniversary. The all inclusive nature of Viking cruises made it a good choice. Neither of us had ever been in the Caribbean so we chose it so that we'd be on a equal footing for tourism and for the weather -- getting out of the Oregon winter to someplace warm and sunny.

Our embarkation was exceptional because we were about 10 hours late -- arriving at the airport in San Juan at 1:30 a.m. or so. Viking sent a car and driver to bring us and one other couple to the ship where we were checked in by lovely people, in uniform, who acted like they hadn't been checking in a shipload for 15 hours already... wonderful service. The cabin stewards were as helpful and charming at 3 a.m. as they were when we were shocked to see them again the next morning! Viking's 24 hour room service meant we were able to enjoy a very late dinner in our cabin -- they even rustled up a couple of glasses of red wine.

The cruise continued to be wonderful, in large part because of the crew. They were unfailingly patient, helpful and gave the impression that they were glad to be there. We chatted with many of them from many countries and found them interesting and sociable too! We enjoyed the other people we met aboard as well, especially the British guests. Read more