Love Viking, have done 2 ocean & a river. This cruise did not disappoint. Friendly staff, lovely ship, great food. Exactly what we've always experienced on Viking. Not a fan of the Chef's Table menu, but that's a personal thing. The included excursions were good, if not exceptional. If you like visiting botanical gardens in every city, you'll love these excursions, but not a lot of variety. That said, we opted for mostly optional excursions. The port talks were enriching & usually entertaining. Did not partake of evening entertainment as we were usually tired after busy days. Some of our best times onboard were watching Chiefs playoff games - thanks for streaming Viking. The best part of this cruise however, was not the cruise, but the optional extension "Best of Australia". The 6 days took us inland to parts of the country cruisers would never see. Our guide Ronald & all of the drivers (one a native Maori) were exceptional. Knowledgeable, entertaining, creative & so organized. Even with 2 glitches, that they had could not have foreseen, they adjusted in ways that made the trip even better. So glad we opted for this extension, highly recommend it.