This was our fourth Inside Passage cruise in the past 20 years and our first cruise with Viking. We loved the ship and service. The Viking Orion is well designed with plenty of space. You never feel crowded. We chose this cruise for the itinerary and for the ship. Our favorite ports were Seward where the cruise started, Sitka, Icy Straight Point and Juneau. These ports best reflect Alaska. Ketchikan is crowded and touristy with cheap souvenir shops selling "Made in China". Skagway has a lot of history, but the main attraction is the White Pass Railway. Our excursions focused on wildlife, primarily whales. We have never had much luck on cruise excursions for bear or moose.

The food was excellent on this cruise. The quality of food at the buffet is as good as the restaurant. We also enjoyed the Italian restaurant, Manfredi's. Our cabin was a PS3-Junior Suite. The perks that come with this cabin are worth the splurge. I prefer small ships, and the Viking Orion is the perfect size. The only drawback to a small ship is that you feel the motion in rough waters much more so than a larger ship. We also took the cruise pre-excursion from Fairbanks. If you are going to the expense and time to visit Alaska, you need to visit the interior. Lodging on the pre-excursion can be a little spartan, but this is Alaska. Service is outstanding. Something new on this ship is their 3-D theater in the Explorer Lounge. Be sure to check it out. Viking is oriented toward adults which suits me fine.