It was our first-ever cruise experience to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. As two history majors, we wanted to experience the history and understand the culture. I wanted something easy, and Viking didn't disappoint. From reservations to arriving at the boat to getting back to the airport–we didn't have to do a thing except decide what I wanted to do while docked. Viking took care of everything else so we didn't have to research and plan. I loved the views from our room and the intimate environment as big ships with thousands of people just did not appeal to us. We met terrific people and enjoyed the meals and lounge areas very much. Viking created a very high bar for us based on our experience cruising from Amsterdam to Basel. We're hoping to take a Viking Ocean Cruise next - 900 people seems very manageable and not as overwhelming as other cruise lines.