My wife and I traveled with 16 friends on the Hermod. Our experience was a tale of two trips. During the time we were cruising and on the ship, our experience met expectations: a handsome ship, comfortable cabins, a choice of wonderful dishes, pleasant service and a helpful staff. But as described below, the trip turned into a mediocre experience at best. Therefore, I must give the cruise a terrible rating for the failure of Viking to deal appropriately with the problems detailed below.

To give some context as to our expectations for the trip, the Viking brochure describes the "Portraits of Southern France" trip as follows:

"With its ancient towns, beautiful scenery and incredible food and wine, there is no place quite as evocative as southern France. On this magical 8-day voyage, sail the scenic Saone and Rhone Rivers, alongside some of France's most picturesque scenery. With its fabulous food and wine, you can look forward to a memorable journey of discovery." Read more