We were invited to join friends on this cruise, it being our first with Viking. We enjoyed everything about it. Tours interesting and well organized. Rooms wonderful with nice sized bathrooms. The ship was clean and looked well maintained. Loved the food selections and were so happy that portion sizes were smaller than typical AMERICAN size. We could try everything and not feel stuffed. We made new friends in the dining room since we could sit wherever we pleased, either with a group or by ourselves as a couple. We particularly liked the lectures on Russian history on the days we were cruising the river. Moscow and St Petersburg were busy but clean cities. Have never sat in a port for three days like we did at the beginning and end of this particular cruise, but it worked well giving us plenty exposure to Russian culture. After three days in Moscow we were ready for the cruise down the river visiting smaller towns and seeing some of the countryside and especially enjoying the school visit and home visit for tea and cake. Then we were geared up again for city life at the end of the cruise in St Petersburg though passengers were obviously getting tired by the last day, just in time to return home. We probably shouldn’t have done the 5 hour walking tour the last day. We never felt ill at ease anywhere in Russia because of the staff. They met us at the airport, frequently counted the numbers in our entourage when off the ship and even took us thru security in the airport at our departure. We will definitely travel with Viking again.