We chose Viking on the recommendation of family and friends who have taken many Viking cruises. They all gave Viking terrific grades on everything from the Tour Director to the Dining & Stateroom staff. They weren't wrong!! The cruise was spectacular and we even had some snow flurries during our visits to the many Christmas markets in Germany, Austria and Hungary which made my wife very happy. Taking in the historic scenery and understanding the local "way of life" was educational. Hiking up Marksburg Castle, the scenic cruise up the historic middle Rhine Valley, optional excursion to Rothenburg and the windmill visit to Kinderdyke in the Netherlands were highlites for me. The staff was extremely attentive to all the details that made this a stress free vacation (short of normal air travel challenges that were out of Vikings Control). I would highly recommend selecting Viking for your Cruise adventures. We are planning to take another one next year...destination TBD. Maybe we will see you on our next cruise. Cheers.