My wife and I chose this 8-day cruise as a way to see if we liked the Viking experience. We knew others who had traveled with Viking and had good experiences. We ended up really enjoying the cruise, between the friendly, knowledgeable, energetic staff, the high quality of the ship and its facilities, and the well-organized excursions (both the included and optional ones). The other passengers were very friendly and welcoming, given the open seating plan at meals. We weren't sure if we would like eating with strangers, since we knew Viking has no two-seat tables, but we made nice connections with other people aboard very easily. The food was very good as well. The talks each night about the stops the next day were very informative and enjoyable too. The buses, drivers and guides on the excursions were very good quality as well. We plan to travel with Viking again soon.