We'd wanted to take a river cruise for quite a while and had heard great things about Viking. We added two nights pre-cruise in Amsterdam through Viking and also arranged the air through them at a special rate. We really recommend the pre-cruise package, as it helps with jet lag, the city is amazing and Viking took care of everything. They were at the airport when we landed and took us directly to the hotel. A complimentary walking excursion around Amsterdam was available the next morning and we also explored Amsterdam on our own. They provided transportation from the hotel to the ship on disembarkation day.
We really loved the small ship, such a different experience from large ocean cruises (which we also enjoy). We had a veranda cabin on the 3rd deck. It was very clean and comfortable. The attendant was there twice a day to make sure we had everything we needed.
The food was good. It was not, however, what I would call the highlight of the experience. The staff is what made the cruise special; everyone was friendly and helpful. We met many interesting cruisers from a variety of countries who were great to talk with. We enjoyed the excursions we took, which had obviously been selected by Viking with much care. We learned a lot about the places we visited. We also enjoyed the educational presentations offered on the ship.
The cabin was clean and comfortable. It was quiet at night. The veranda room is definitely the way to go.