We wanted to do a European river cruise on a smaller ship to celebrate my husband's retirement. In our decision making, we took into account that Viking also supports PBS, which we were very impressed by. We liked that the shore excursions were included, and were pleased that all the guides spoke excellent English and shared interesting history and information with us. Our cruise director gave us fantastic information on each of the ports, and we were given maps of the area when we disembarked, so we felt well prepared when we went out on our own. We also had local live musicians on board on a number of evenings, who were outstanding and a real treat for those of us who were enjoying experiencing the culture of the region. The dinners were also reflective of the local cuisine, which we enjoyed immensely. In addition, our cruise director brought us together for some fun games and activities in the evening, and we left feeling like we had many more friends as a result of this adventure. I felt Viking was extremely well organized, and I will definitely take use them again.