We chose Viking because of friends and family that have taken this cruise or a river cruise and shared their experience with us. Our cabin was always clean with excellent service and Ronell took care of our cabin, remembered our names and treated us like family. He is an amazing employee. The dining on the ship is top shelf. The only problem I had was that I could not make a reservation at Manfredi's after our first dinner due to unavailabiity. Entertainment was great. Service on the ship is unbelievable. Everyone went above and beyond to provide us with excellent service. Most of our shore excursions were fantastic. A couple of them could have used some help. This was our first cruise so I'm not sure I have a good basis for judgment on the tours. I like Viking because the cruise ships are smaller than most and because there were no children. We are looking forward to taking a Viking river cruise and hope to have many more unforgettable experiences with Viking.