My wife and I have also been on two previous Rennaisance Cruises and mourn their demise. We liked the small ship (have been on two other cruises (RCL and Carnival) and liked Ren the best. We liked Ren because we could explore on our own or take one of their tours. Most of the time we went on our own.
We are considering a Viking River Cruise but are concerned that we will feel a bit claustrophobic and "tied down" to their tours. We have not been able to obtain much information on the internet, other than rather "poofy" articles which praise too much. Any ideas on obtaining more info would be appreciated. Thanks.