We had originally selected Amsterdam to Budapest, and the day our flights were booked they told my wife she had cancer. We had to cancel. The day they told her she was clear we called Viking and found Budapest to Amsterdam had one billet left. We took it. The rivers were at flood stage, and so on the rivers when we passed under bridges the top deck was unavailable. The lock at the Czech Republic was broken, but the crew transferred us to a Viking ship on the other side of the lock seamlessly. Even these are fond memories. The food and service were of a class higher than I expected. The tours off the boat were knowledgeable and entertaining. The guides toured us with great efficiency and yet we didn't feel hurried or that we had missed anything. I felt that the value received far exceeded our expectations. It isn't that we had a perfect cruise, but the bumps in the road were handled so well the passengers were oblivious. We were on the lower deck, but the cabin is for sleeping which was marvelous. The TV news and information were more than acceptable.

The on board entertainment was both entertaining and informational. To the crew and staff, no question or inquiry was to small or unimportant. At the end of the cruise we felt like one of the family.

We had taken a Viking cruise before in France, Lyon to Avignon, and one since Berlin to Prague. I cannot think of a single thing to complain about or feel that it wasn't up to our expectations. We are anticipating taking another cruise in the very near future.