Chose Viking because I had seen many commercials and thought it a relaxing way to see Germany again. From the get-go, we were impressed with Viking: our phone contact when we made reservations, Landon Martinez, was wonderful. Staff on the ship could not have been more accommodating and friendly -- nothing was too difficult for them to do for you. The food was wonderful -- like eating in a fine restaurant. Many healthy options unlike cruising years ago. Including wine and beer with meals was much appreciated. The idea of having an included shore excursion at every port was great. They were informative and then there was time for roaming the location by yourself. The cabin was quite spacious and innovative: with little nooks and places for everything. Bathroom/shower had a heated floor which I didn't use because it was summer, but in cooler weather that would have been quite lovely. The only thing I missed was a magnifying mirror in the bathroom. Let's face it: most of the women on these cruises are "mature" and we need that type of mirror to see when applying make-up! My husband and I enjoyed this cruise so much that we are going on another Viking Cruise next summer: and we invited friends to come with us.