This was a great experience! The itinerary was excellent as were the tour guides. We took the included tour in each port and then some of the optional tours that you pay for. The guides on the included tours were as good as, and in some cases even better than, the guides on the optional tours. The main restaurant and Manfredi's were our favorites. We did not enjoy our meal at the Chef's Table - maybe our palettes are not that adventurous. While we were disappointed in the afternoon tea (although it is in a beautiful setting), we soon found the waffles at Mamsen's more than compensated. We also enjoyed the coffee bar in the Living Room area. The ship is gorgeous and very well maintained. There was always a place to sit and watch the scenery go by. The staff is great - very accommodating and pleasant. Our cruise director, Aaron, was fantastic and very talented. He also gave a fun Port Talk before each stop. The organization for getting on and off the ship was a breeze - never really had to wait in line - just needed to wait in the Living Room for our disembarkation at the end. We did the Pre Cruise nights in Stockholm, which I thought were expensive, because it was just the airport transfer (which is a long drive), 2 nights hotel, breakfast, transfer to the ship, and the Viking reps in the lobby (for instructions, recommendations, etc.). The Post Cruise in Bergen/Oslo seemed to include much more for less money (including a tour in each city and the train from Bergen to Oslo). The only complaint I have about the air schedule booked through Viking was that on the last morning, in Oslo, we had to leave for the airport at 4 AM - no time to enjoy a coffee and a last look at the city. We hated for the trip to end and we highly recommend it to everyone! I have described a couple of little annoyances, but everything else was wonderful! We can't wait to sail with Viking again.