Never considered, nor had any interest in this type of cruise/vacation. Suddenly after receiving an email with offer of special pricing for cruise & airfare, we decided to "go for it". So glad we did. Viking made us feel like their only passenger from the very first day until our return home. They really know how to manage every angle of your vacation, while at the same time totally staying out of your way. From meeting us at the airport on arrival, to stacking our luggage in front of our bus prior to disembarkation, we were totally convinced Viking truly deserves their reputation for being #1. Ship was awesome, and service at the level of a 5 Star hotel/restaurant. Our suite cabin was beautiful and just the right size. We definitely recommend the 2 room suite over a single. Ports were well planned and thought out, as were the shore excursions. Buses were like new, clean, comfortable and the drivers never once had us wondering if we were going to survive the trip. Our only issue was related to the crowds we encountered while on tour(s). Not sure how this could be avoided by Viking or anyone else for that matter; perhaps less famous/popular locations. Of course that too would to some degree defeat the purpose of the trip, so just be prepared for lots of people and lines. The best feature of the trip was perhaps the least noticed; the crew. These people are truly wonderful and so professional. Many we probably never even saw, such as engineering, navigating, etc. The entire onboard staff was professional, ready to assist us at any time, in any way possible. Ship was clean, quite and felt like it wasn't even moving most of time. Food was beyond our expectation and the service was head spinning. Many knew and called us by our first names. How they do that is a mystery, but really highlights Viking's promise of being first class from beginning to end.