My wife and I cruised on the second to last sailing of the season for the Viking Forseti. It was our first Viking river cruise(Uniworld previously) and was a pleasant experience, especially since the weather couldn't have been better: sunny and mid to high 50's every day. That was important because the itinerary's shore excursions were not exciting and would have been a real trudge in the cold or rain.

The emphasis of the cruise is on wine and there were plenty of opportunities to visit vineyards as well as taste wine on board. With the exceptions of Bordeaux and St. Emilion, the small towns were not very exciting, mainly serving as a gateway to the chateaux and wine tasting excursions. There were always regional dishes on the menu. We actually preferred breakfast and lunch over dinner. It helps if you are fond of duck, which appeared almost daily.

The cruise director, Susie, was a hoot. Very efficient and organized yet entertaining. Cabins were cleaned every morning by the time we returned from breakfast. Most of the passengers we spoke with were returning Viking cruisers.