I selected the trip because friends were going-I hadn't been to many of the ports for many years and I had heard great things about Viking.I have traveled on many cruises from Seaborn to Princess including Regent and Oceania which is why I placed Viking in the middle. Many aspects were good- it is a lovely vessel- spa is wonderful- while many aspects of the trip were poor. If you didn't take an excursion, there was NOTHING to do on the ship; the food was erratic- some meals were excellent and some awful (my chicken was too dry to swallow); the music was good; two of the three enrichment lecturers were excellent but the third was a shill for products she had brought on board for sale.

The excursions were alright- don't expect much from the free included ones- they are mainly walking tours. The others are alright and of course they varied but in general the guides were good. Problem is that they push tours and there is nothing to do on board if you don't take a tour.

No large tables for dining so you sat with your companion and didn't get to meet anyone else. Fine for couples but not good for singles and there was only one singles mixer which wasn't enough. Staff was gracious and of course differed in experience level; customer service desks were excellent but there was no purser. Just a litany of small issues caused me to rate them only average. With all I had heard, I wish I could do better, but I can't. I won't travel with them again because there are many better options on the water-ways.