I finally did it and booked a river cruise. It exceeded my expectations. I chose 7 days which is perfect for me. I love the way the boats are configured to feel like you have so much space in a really limited size vessel. Loved the floor to ceiling windows. Every detail is thoughtfully executed. Great food, wine, people, entertainment. The included tours are great. You don't need to spend loads of money to have a delightful time. Well traveled folks who enjoy meeting each other. The crew work tirelessly to make the trip memorable. I will return at a future date for another cruise with Viking. I do thing you need to make sure that people are aware that when docked you may not be able to have a view from your cabin window. The ships tie up side by side and certain stops and also inside locks there is no view but concrete on those lower levels at times. It would have affected some peoples selections regarding cabin level I believe. I heard it discussed several times.