We travelled on Viking 3 years ago and our friends have heard all the stories. 2 of them asked if we wanted to go again with them from Budapest to Amsterdam and there was no hesitation, we accepted. Our only problem was getting to Budapest, we were delayed leaving by 2 hours due to weather, and so missed our connection but we were rebooked on 2 new connections and arrived only 4 hours later than scheduled, though our luggage didn’t make it. No problem, the front desk was on it, I was on it from another angle and by morning we had our bags. The crew was fantastic. They got us robes, slippers, and toiletries as we didn’t know if/when the bags would show up. They also threw in free laundry while the bags were missing, though we didn’t need it in the end.

Viking cabins are small, even the “larger” cabins, but that's OK because you are not in there except to sleep, change clothes, and shower. The lounge and sun deck are where most time is spent when on board and are more than adequate for the 190 or so guests on a full cruise. We had 178 on ours, which included a crew from Discovery Channel doing a show on our ship, to be aired in the fall. We were on the top deck of rooms and had a balcony, barely wide enough for a chair but still useable.

We tried to sit at the same table every night or close by so that our wait staff could get to know us, and they did. Always friendly, efficient, and eager to get something for us. The food was very good and reasonable portions, though our chef tended to make dry cakes and other baked desserts. A fellow passenger mentioned it to him and he ignored her, blamed it on the recipes, yeah right. The bartenders in the lounge were also excellent. The waiters in the lounge were mixed. One lady and one guy were good but the others were hit or miss, frequently miss. Get to know your bartenders, you might find free wine/beer times with lunch and dinner get extended a bit and if you get them to join in late night dancing, they can be really fun and generous on your next pour of a drink at the bar. Read more