We used to pride ourselves on traveling on-the-cheap. We chose Viking because we were due to travel and the Viking offer looked fair. Also, the planning of our own trip was becoming burdensome. We took a chance and soon realized that we were getting far more than we expected. We were overwhelmed with how smoothly the trip went from start to finish. We really were treated as if we were the most important people on the boat. Our room was beautiful and the dining room and meals were outstanding. We loved the long-boat with the smaller number of people. Not long into the trip we knew a good number of the other guests by first name and even more as each day passed. We loved taking our wine on the top deck after dinner as the sun set. The boat was small enough that my young son quickly learned his way around and could be found easily when I wanted him. It was big enough that walking and exploring was scenic and enjoyable... always putting us in the company of new friends. Parents drank wine while the kids played shuffle board and tackled the putting green.

We travel every two years. Since our Viking trip, we're considering going every year. I can't imaging traveling any other way.