We chose this cruise because of the trip through the locks, the Mackinac Island visit and wanting to see the Great Lakes. The ship itself was excellent, with plenty of seating for dining, plenty of public places to relax in and have a drink. It has a large promenade deck for walking, and the spa pool was very nice. We never felt crowded in any public area of the ship. The quality and quantity of the food was excellent and for the most part so was the service. The staff throughout the ship was very pleasant and friendly. The included excursions were the only area that we would give a three or four star ratings to. Some of the ones we chose had glitches through no fault of Viking, others we would not recommend (the train ride in Duluth) Overall the excursions were unorganized from Vikings standpoint. We were never told what group we were in and no announcements as to when a tender was departing for our excursions, only what time the excursions departed from the port. A more detailed description of the excursions would have been nice.