Thank you so much for sharing your trip and thoughts. We are 2 weeks out from the Empires cruise with extensions both ends, this being our 2nd Ocean adventure with Viking (Alaska the other). We have a TA planned in Dec and next Xmas the Caribbean islands, both Viking, and wanting to do something “big” for my 75th birthday in 2026. Your experiences on this cruise have me looking at BIE, Homelands, and this one