Viking spends a lot of money on marketing and is indifferent to the travel experience of the guests. The only way to see the destinations is to purchase the high-priced optional excursions, as the included excursions tend to be "panoramic tours" (a drive-by in a bus--impossible for photographs!) that end up in an overpriced gift shop where guests are left to wander around for close to an hour (captive audience). The food quality is barely higher than that of a cafeteria. The ships are clean and the staff is very friendly, but we took the trip so we could see the destinations. Viking used to offer loyalty rewards that included an upgrade that permitted one to make choices about air travel, but as soon as we qualified for that it was eliminated. Viking will communicate with you like crazy until they get their money and then they leave you hanging.