This was the year of the great French roast, Paris at 35ºC and similar to that all the cruise long. The payback was clear blue skies, no rain and great photos.The ship was 100% full, hence the service levels in the public areas were stretched. This cruise is a mixture of great French wines and cheeses (approx 450 different cheeses to be tasted), as far as scenery goes the highlights are the cities. The visit to an old hospital and nearby wine tasting at Marche aux Vin was very interesting, as was our first tasting of French nougat which is based on egg white and honey, as was the truffle farm (with charming hosts & dog). The Sundowners excursion (a walk to a nearby fortress tower) for wine/beer/nibbles with live musicians in a cool afternoon breeze was very hard to take. The itinerary was exactly as published. Compliments have to be given to all the bus drivers - they were very professional, safe drivers who helped some of our fellow passengers with their walkers. Driving through the French countryside was most enjoyable. Read Less

Definitely a top-notch cruise ship and cruise line. The pros included friendliness of all staff, ports and scenery (the light presentation at Rouen cathedral at night is a must-see!). Aquavit Terrace for dining in the evening is apparently a well-kept secret. We actually dined there almost as many nights as in the formal dining room....a fabulous experience to enjoy gourmet food al fresco on the bow of the ship while cruising at dusk.....however less than a dozen fellow passengers partook in this option on the nights we dined outside. The cons included having a few tour guides that almost ruined our experience: one on Giverny excursion who liked to hear himself talk, dragged the group along and whose French-accented English was very difficult to understand (and I even speak French). We finally broke away from group and toured garden and house on our own. The second guide on the Normandy excursion was completely offensive as she opted to use the long bus ride to get on her soapbox and offer political opinions that were clearly inappropriate. It takes a lot to offend my husband and he was livid. As much as I would like to say that I would recommend a Viking Cruise to adults over 50 I really feel that if we ever have the opportunity to experience Viking again (and we hope to), it'll be at least ten years before we do so. We're both 56 and were often frustrated by older passengers for whom we had to wait, and slowed down our excursions. I love and enjoy senior travelers but we wanted to pack as much as we could in this once-in-a-lifetime trip, and felt we could have easily done more if we hadn't felt pulled back. Read Less

Travelling as a mature couple we loved the cruise - right down the middle of France. The pace was ideal - our previous Danube cruise with Scenic was a little frenetic! We picked excursions a bit different to the usual churches, castles & grand houses -- learning to cook, olive oil, chocolate & lavender factories. Our first day we were torn between all 3 trips, wine tasting in Beaune, visiting a mustard factory or a museum of old Fiat Arbarth cars, warplanes and so much more. Wine tasting was almost obligatory, but we were shown what to look for, how to view it & smell it - but I never managed to master the 'spitting out' bit! I never realised that there could be so many vinyards & wineries, they stretched as far as the eye could see. But with names like, Beaune, Chateau neuf du Pape, Macon etc who is complaint. A very enjoyable cruise - except for the temperature on the boat - far too cold even in July! Read Less

This was our first cruise and was a 50th birthday present from my wife . The ship was fabulous with a friendly and attentive staff . The rooms were port side state rooms and were well appointed and comfortable . A generous Double bed with TV and fitted wardrobes completed a very smart space . The small but perfectly functional bathroom was clean and well appointed with shower , basin and toilet . Clean towels every day and a make and turn bed down service every day also with fresh fruit daily and chocolates at the end of each day . The entertainment was limited but very well produced with commitment from the entertainment team . The food onboard was exceptional and no matter which of the 4 diners/ restaurants you dined at the food in each was as good as the next . The only down side was we booked a package to include the Monaco Grand Prix , we felt this was miss old as the tickets were for a spot which had no view of the Grand Prix . We feel this is a con and 5000 other people were also conned . This should not be sold as a viewing point . On the other hand the remains part of the cruise was great and the ticket for the GP issue will be dealt with directly. All in all a lovely trip on a very nice friendly ship . Read Less