We were looking for a small ship, river tour in Europe and this Viking Cruise seemed to be ideal. I had always wanted to see the tulip gardens when they were in full bloom as well as to spend time in Amsterdam, Vienna and Budapest. (Although 2 days in each place is hardly enough time to do them justice, it was a good introduction!) We were pleased that there was no casino, no pressure to buy anything, open dining and no loud music. The on-board evening presentations were informative but not lengthy. It was nice to have beverages such as wine, beer and sodas included with every meal and refills were generous. The food was excellent and the serving sizes were not excessive. In addition to standard fare available at every meal, there were specialty selections based on the various regions we were passing through. It was possible to mix and match from the menu and the wait-staff were very accommodating. All of the Viking staff were friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. The included shore tours were well organized, informative and generally great introductions to each of the various cities and towns along the rivers. We chose to do a few optional (paid) shore tours and they were nice additions and worth the investment. There was also a good allowance for time to explore on our own at most stops. All in all our experience was wonderful and we are planning to take another Viking Cruise in the near future! I highly recommend Viking to anyone interested in a cruise.