We had never been on a river cruise, and had seen numerous advertisements and promotions for Viking. Many of our friends and acquaintances had traveled with Viking and almost all were very complementary in their praise of Viking's river cruises. We selected the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise - on a new Viking ship - as the most entertaining and all-encompassing itinerary in their offerings.

The cruise itself was flawless: From the moment we stepped aboard the ship, every crew member seemed to be doing everything possible to make our stay and cruise as perfect and enjoyable as possible. Viking has done a great job in designing the new "Viking Longships" and the ships are very well laid-out and attractive in every detail. Recognizing that the river cruise ships are limited in size in all dimensions because of their routes, Viking has done an excellent job of utilizing every bit of space to enhance the passenger's enjoyment and comfort.

We are already booked on a Viking Ocean Cruise for next year and expect that we will find the same standards and enjoyment on the Viking Ocean ship as we did on the river cruise.