It's funny that you mention Viking. We are on their email list and in the past few months have been receiving a weekly email with offers, after years of once-a-year contact. I'm sure the economy has taken it's toll and they are trying to stimulate business. One of my DH's partners did a Viking Cruise and highly recommends it. He is someone whose opinion I would trust about this sort of thing. We are considering doing one as part of our next trip to Europe. I did a Caribbean cruise once and I'll never do that again. I didn't like the huge ship, the big crowds, the mediocre food, and the bizarre atmosphere of gluttony that pervades the ship. I didn't like being stuck in the middle of the ocean, with nothing to see, for days. I'm hoping a smaller river cruise would not only avoid those things but I can get off the ship in Paris, or somewhere, and see the sites & go find a decent meal if need be.

I have never been on a river cruise so this is just aimed at general cruising in Europe experience: I was worried about looking too much "like a tourist" and didn't want to wear my comfy sneakers and hat - but then I realized all those ultra fashionable Euro women were not on their feet in the sun 10-12 hours a day like I was! Plus the camera and other boat occupants really gave it away anyway. Walking sandals also worked well for me. I invested in a very light and comfortable white raincoat/windbreaker that didn't quite look like a raincoat - very useful. I didn't quite realize that I would definitely want 3 outfits per port day - comfy cabin clothing, nice clothing for supper, and comfortable clothing to tour in that I couldn't wait to get out of back at the ship as I typically felt extremely grimy after a long day on the streets. I brought enough to do laundry twice which is about right for me on a 14-day trip, but this was on a trip with sea-days so there was downtime for laundry which maybe wouldn't be the case on a river cruise. I always pack a couple of those little polyester roll-up bags tucked in my tote for shopping. And a stash of healthy granola bars for if I get snacky while touring. Wet wipes because sometimes Purell just doesn't seem enough. Speaking of ATM visits - I never experienced anything yet like using a gas station ATM in Sav-La-Mar, Jamaica guarded by two guys with machine guns! I definitely wasn't worried about getting mugged... Left behind - I always bring too many shoes. I always regret leaving flipflops behind - there's just always one grimy shower stall or one rainy day on deck or one damp laundry room where I want my flipflops. Packing e-reader instead of books is well worth it for the weight/space saved. I always pack too many tops and not enough pants/bottoms - forgetting that when travelling, pants are exposed to too much grime and sweat to re-wear reliably. For me, I do pack laundry detergent and a bunch of scarves and nondescript black clothing for suppers. We like coffee and bring travel coffee mugs. Taking photos is important for me so I enjoy having a nice camera along and have never felt like I was unduly targeted for having one. Check dress code and events schedule - people will dress nicely for formal dinners/galas/parties (but evening gowns not required! just something you'd wear to a nice dinner out). My husband has skipped formal meals before due to not wanting to pack a sports/suit jacket...he was happy but I was not! (I like the fancy food). Some people still do evening gown it up to the nines! It is likely that shorts and tank tops would not be allowed in the dining room at supper.

Fortunately, bad weather on our cruise didn't ruin our trip. It was part of a 6-wk drive through the PNW and we had a blast before and after the cruise. Ironically, after we had done a whale-watch excursion on the cruise (where we saw almost nothing except a couple of spouts and a few glimpses of an orca pod), the next week afterwards we ended up taking a couple of friends on a whale-watching excursion leaving from Victoria BC . The Victoria boating trip was terrific - just the luck of the draw, lol! Our friends were absolutely thrilled, with humpbacks all around us for several hours, spyhopping and gliding around the boat for lots of up-close shots. It was their first visit to the Seattle area and they loved it all. We go up regularly so the cruise disappointment was minor, really, in the overall scheme of things. Oh, just had a thought about cruising from Seattle - some hotels run cruise specials for people driving in. Stay one or two nights, and you can leave your car at the hotel for the full week you're on the cruise. Plus, the hotel provides a shuttle to/from the pier. It's a GREAT deal if you're driving.

Oh yes, the towel animals were one of the best parts of our cruise too! Our cabin steward, Alf, left one every night after turning down our bed and tidying up. I put them on our window sill where I had a zoo going and Alf would leave them there until there were too many to fit and then he'd take them away. I was very disappointed that Alf didn't leave a towel animal on the last night of our cruise. About an hour later, hubby pointed at one of the upper cabinets and said, "Look!" I couldn't believe that it took so long for one of us to notice it!