This was our first river cruise and the first time in France. We had always wanted to go to Normandy & see the D-Day sights. The experience was better than we anticipated. The food, the tours, the accommodations, and the service were all first class. We were greeted at the airport by the Viking concierge and it made the first impression a very good one. We opted for the 3 days in Paris before the cruise started, so we were supplied with a driver from the airport to the hotel - an added bonus! The highlights were - The Monet gardens and house; seeing some of the beautiful sights as we cruised the river; Palace of Versailles; going through the locks; the fabulous meals; meeting some new people and becoming friends; the Normandy cemetery was beautiful, yet emotional at the same time. Wish we could have spent a few days there. We now look forward to another river cruise.