All of my life I have wanted to visit Europe. But the idea of navigating public transportation, which is nearly non-existent at home in Indiana, felt so daunting. Having only a decades old smattering of college French, I was a bit worried about finding my way in non-English speaking counties. But my determination to see the continent was strong. My partner, Jeff, agreed to indulge my travel bug. He wanted no part in the planning, just tell him what to pack and where to show up. He left all the research and details to me. As I researched, I came across two ways to travel in a group, bus tours and river cruises. The advantage to river cruising was unpacking once and the time flexibility. One can hardly choose a morning to sleep in and have a late breakfast if hotel checkout is missed and one's bus is kilometers down the road by then! After I settled on river cruising I looked into the major players. I was somewhat familiar with Viking as it sponsors what I consider the best thing on TV, Masterpiece Theater. To be through, I checked into a few other lines as well, watching some You Tube videos as well as reading reviews. I kept coming back to Viking. And I'm so happy I did.

Our cruise was the best vacation experience I have ever had. Everything was taken care of with a feeling of pampering and opulence. The crew was one of the best parts. Everyone made us feel so welcome and the service was impeccable. The ship was really a floating luxury hotel. It was spotless. The food was extraordinary. As we made our way down the river, we were served flavors of the local cuisine. Every port had at least one tour that was included in the base price. The local guides were knowledgeable and professional. We also had time to explore on our own. We were given written directions for how to use the subway in Vienna and actually were able to do so on our own. I was able to visit the Spanish Riding School, a dream destination of mine since I was a child. I talk a lot about our trip, so much so that two strangers in a local antique shop recently asked me if I worked for Viking.