This was our first cruise with Viking and we already have another booked. Viking pays close attention to all of the details. Our cruise was 13 nights so we upgraded to a Veranda Penthouse. We would recommend this option. The stateroom was larger and there were “perks” such as being able to make dinner and spa reservations, book excursions, etc. before those in less expensive rooms. They also stock the mini-fridge with beer and wine. The dining was superb. We preferred the restaurant options, e.g. “The Restaurant” and Manfredi’s. These two venues would stand up to 5 star restaurants in the States. The food was amazing! There also are various casual options which we chose for lunch (on the rare occasion we were on the ship at lunch time). We took advantage of room service and enjoyed breakfast each morning on our private balcony. It doesn’t get better than that! We booked a wide array of optional excursions. Although the optional excursions add cost (probably $1000 per person for the trip), we were able to experience amazing places and events. There were all sorts of entertainment options in the evenings but we were usually exhausted by the excursions and only attended a couple events. The high quality lectures related to the ports of call are all available on the in-stateroom TV so we watched them in bed! We also took a post-cruise excursion to Tuscany. The excursion was fabulous however we were disappointed in the accommodations. We researched the accommodations prior to booking but the Villa was changed a month before the trip. We would recommend you discuss this with Viking before booking an extension.