We had never been to Portugal, so this cruise seemed like a good way to learn about the country, its people, products, and history. We were not disappointed! We especially enjoyed all of the winery visits and port wine samplings! Program Director Radim was very knowledgeable about all things Portuguese, as well as details of each port of call along the Douro River. He was also in Madrid, where we enjoyed a precruise extension of our tour. Our shore excursions tour guide, Dejan, did an excellent job of explaining every aspect of each locale, the wines, food, and history of the area, and he livened up the bus rides by telling long anecdotal jokes. On board the Viking Torgil, the food was wonderful, and Chef Michael's daily tasting menu always included local Portuguese specialties. Chef Michael had great crowd appeal, and his descriptions of each evening's tasting menu, contributed at the afternoon Port Talk, were always entertaining as well as informative.