We chose this cruise based on a) the itinerary's final port of call to Troy and b) the fun time we experienced with Viking on our East Europe River Cruise. The ship was as elegant and huge as any ship of its class with which we have sailed on numerous other cruise lines. Plenty of beautiful, quiet and very comfy seating areas. The staff onboard were very approachable, and always respond with a smile toward us. I received a chocolate cake and bottle of sparkling wine for my birthday. Unfortunately, I do not like chocolate cake, lol. But the wine was very good. The 1st round of minibar snacks was free which was really nice. Meals were good, and we could always get a table for 2 at the restaurant. We opted for buffet dining on 2 or 3 nights for more variety. Breakfasts were nice with no wait for omelets, but service was often lacking as staff would congregate at one end chatting together.

We enjoyed the free tours offered at every port. We have been on Med cruises before with RC (twice) and had seen Ephesus which is always a new thrill. Due to unforeseen difficulty, we were diverted to a port on southern side of Crete, so we missed out on Heraklion. Then, due to high winds and currents we were forced to skip Troy altogether. This REALLY bummed me out, as I have wanted to visit Troy for like 54 years. Instead, the cruise director said there would be additional activities onboard ... really ? As if that is going to compensate for such a huge GIP or soothe the "bummed out" feeling. I didn't ever discover what these activities actually were ... so. The next stop was in Istanbul, and I was sort of happy to hear our local tour guide put "my loss" into perspective. He stated we didn't "miss much" regarding Troy in as much as there are no ruins or ancient standing edifices, etc., as to be seen in Ephesus or Athens. Still, as this was the major reason for this cruise with Viking, I must admit that I felt a huge disappointment in not stopping at Troy. Next time, we will probably go back to RC or another cruise line which might have a better PLAN B for missed ports. Overall, I must say I expected more from Viking.