Viking was an amazing company to deal with from the initial booking conversation to the follow up phone call after the cruise. The service was impeccable from start to finish. We did a pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam and a post cruise stay in Prague and were pleasantly surprised at the constant access we had to Viking hosts to answer any questions and give us suggestions to maximize our stay. We were greeted by a Viking host at the airport before we had even collected our luggage. The speed and ease of check in onboard ship was another surprise. Our previous experiences involved much larger ocean going vessels.

Wes, the cruise director, was fantastic, helpful, knowledgeable, and fun. Delicious variety of food with options to please everyone. Many of the included walking tours involved a lot of walking, which was fine for us, but a challenge for those not used to or able to exercise regularly. Incredible scenery each day both as we traveled and at our stops. We signed up for all the "included" tours and not many of the optional tours, which gave us a great balance of scheduled guided time vs free time on our own. Because of low water in the Danube when we traveled, we actually had to be bused one day from one port to another and switch ships. This meant we had to pack all our things and they transported them with us. While this was annoying, the Viking crew made it as hassle free as possible. Both ships are made the same and we kept our same cabin, room number and all, on the 2nd ship. Wes, our cruise director, switched ships with us, although the rest of the crew was new to us. The ships' decor was typical Scandinavian, AKA clean lines, not fancy, minimalist, unlike most ocean vessels we have been on. However, we found the furniture in both the lounge and the dining room very comfortable, which was important because the evening meal could easily turn into a 2 hour event as you got to know your fellow ship mates while you dined. Viking occasionally brought on local entertainment and speakers, all of which were excellent. The Viking musicians (pianist, singers) in the lounge were also very good. We recommend this cruise and this company. Would love to do another of their river cruises in the future.