We chose to take the pre-embarkation tour in Northern India - Delhi, Jaipur and Agra - which was sensational. Highly recommended. On embarkation day, we flew to Mumbai and had to conform with the Indian government's rule that all passengers must check in through a hotel before they could get on the ship. Viking was not pleased, and the passengers were not pleased, but everyone made the best of it. Like all ocean ships in the Viking fleet, the Orion is beautiful and is one of two equipped with a planetarium. Our cabin - 6th deck, mid ship, port side was lovely, comfortable and convenient. Our steward and his aide were excellent and treated us royally. We did a mix of included and optional shore excursions - which we always do, and the experiences in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand were eye-opening and fascinating. Whether dining in the sit-down restaurant, the World Café, or the specialty restaurants, you will encounter excellent food and service, and a mix of traditional and local cuisines. We attended many excellent lectures and port talks. We would rather read in our rooms than seek out the nightly entertainment, but there is plenty - stage, screen, tastings (well, okay, we did some), dancing, lounge piano. We have sailed many times - river and ocean - with Viking and keep coming back. The quality in everything Viking does is unmatched and at a very reasonable price. We like the smaller mid-sized ships, the itineraries, the service, the food, the learning, and the most interesting people we meet. You can't go wrong with Viking.