We were interested in the Paris, wine, and castles aspects of the cruise. The two nights in Paris, with the city tour, were excellent--great hotel, only a couple of block from the Eiffel Tower, so walking around the heart of Paris was very easy. The shore excursions, especially the historic sites such as the Roman ruins in Triere, were also a draw for us. This is our second Viking cruise and we knew that the ship, crew, food, shore excursions -- in short, the whole experience -- would be the best value for our money. We were able to go on short notice, so also got free air fare--another bargain. We took advantage of the shore excursions offered with the package and did one optional tour to a vineyard in the Strasbourg region, which we found to be very worthwhile and informative. We plan to return in a year or so and do the Rhone cruise.