A First Look At Norwegian Viva

Over the past week PressToday was among the first guests to sail on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Viva, on a maiden voyage from Trieste, Italy.

With features like a three-level racetrack, multiple infinity pools and Galaxy Pavillon (a VR gaming area complete with an escape room), the second ship in the Prima Class mirrors the design of Norwegian Prima, but has some new features and enhancements. For example Indulge Food Hall, a food market style eatery featuring 11 dining options, has increased its capacity by reconfiguring the space without a Starbucks in that area.

“We have increased the capacity almost by 90 seats and also we have designed it a little bit different so that now you can have your meal outside,” says Nelson Martins, general manager of Norwegian Viva. “All the restaurants, we have increased the capacity. We have also changed a little bit the staterooms. We have more light especially on the vanity table and we’ve changed the mattresses. We’ve also looked at the pressure of the showers.”

Other changes include the chandelier in the theatre space, which now has an LED screen that has the ability to interact with the live shows, a new ice cream spot in Indulge, enhanced nightclub configuration in the theatre space and the ability to move chairs which were grounded on Prima, which debuted last summer, by the Waves bar.

“When it comes to venues such as Syd Norman’s or Improv, we reshuffled our spaces, making sure that we can have more people coming into it, as well as our recreational facilities,” cruise director Marzena Slodyczka told PressToday. “We do have new features in the virtual world of Galaxy Pavilion that I strongly recommend you to visit because they are new machines over there as well.”

Entertainment programming is also new with ‘Beetlejuice ‘ The Musical’ expected to debut later this month. Norwegian Viva will sail on Greek Isles and Mediterranean voyages through November, before homeporting in San Juan, Puerto Rico in December for a season in the Caribbean.

Stay tuned for more on Norwegian Viva and NCL in upcoming editions of Canadian Travel Press and Travel Courier but in the meantime, check out some of the features and amenities that await clients.

The Haven, a ship within a ship section, is accessible by private keycard with its own infinity pool, hot tubs and restaurant. 

Overlooking Viva Speedway, a three-level racetrack.

Music fans can head to Syd Norman’s for live rock n roll tunes, including a night dedicated to Rumours by Fleetwood Mac.

There are four waterslides including the rush, two twin slides, a thrilling freefall like slide called The Drop and the Wave Waterslide.

Oceanwalk allows guests to walk over the water.

There are 73 studio suites on Viva for solo travellers complete with common lounge areas to mingle with others.