We chose this cruise because of Viking Cruise’s reputation for excellent customer experiences & we were not disappointed. In fact, we booked our first Viking River Cruise during this ocean cruise. One important factor that affected nearly every facet of the overall experience was the smaller number passengers onboard. Therefore there were no long waits, lines or crowds for embarkation, disembarkation, dining, shore excursions, entertainment, bar service or other ship facilities. Other comparable cruises we’ve experienced had two and a half to three times as many passengers aboard similar sized ships.
The ship was beautiful in its Scandinavian design with many different areas for relaxing, dining & entertainment and was spotlessly maintained. There was no earl or late seating assigned. It wasn’t necessary. You simply dined when you desired. There were two special restaurants on board: one Italian and one seafood. Reservations were required, but weren’t difficult to obtain & there was no extra charge for using them as with other cruise lines. In fact there was no extra charge for house wines, soft drinks, coffees, mixed drinks or beer up to a certain amount.
There were four things the cruise did not have that were positives for us: no casino; no annoying staff photographers; no inside cabins; and no children!
Comfortable, well-designed with efficient use of space without feeling crowded. Excellent temperature control with comfortable airflow. Nice balcony.