This was my first river cruise and I loved it. The ship was clean and the staff was wonderful, friendly waiters and a fun cruise director. The food was excellent. It was a very smooth ride, no need to worry about too much rocking like you do on an ocean cruise. The ports were very interesting and the guides were excellent, very knowledgeable and informative. You were always kept very busy as almost every day there were 2 shore excursions but you always have the option of staying on board. I really enjoyed that there was a wide variety of food and that the food would match the port we were going to. It was a nice way to try different foods from different cultures. Even the casual lunches were great and always different with great presentation. I would recommend a river cruise and I would definitely do it again!