I recently returned from my first time sailing onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest and grandest ship, Norwegian Viva, during one of its first sailings departing from the United States. The itinerary was a quick 4-night sailing that visited Nassau and Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.
From the Indule Food Hall to the tiny pool deck, we were able to assess some of our favorite and least favorite things about this brand-new ship during this 4-night cruise!
#1 - Liked: Beautiful Designs and Aesthetics
(The Atrium was decorated for Christmas during our early December sailing onboard Norwegian Viva!)
Perhaps one of the first things I noticed about Norwegian Viva was how beautiful this ship really is!
The overall design elements of this ship have a modern feel. Light colors and touches of minimal Scandinavian design can be seen throughout this newest ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet!
It was very interesting to see how Norwegian Viva’s design and aesthetics were different from those of the other ships in the fleet.
Norwegian Viva has a completely different design from other newer ships in the fleet, such as Norwegian Bliss or Norwegian Encore. While both ships also feel modern, there are darker wood tones present, which is similar to the aesthetic of older ships in the fleet.
For those who have cruised onboard other Norwegian Cruise Line ships, Norwegian Viva is nearly unrecognizable– in a good way! The Prima Class ships are completely different in design compared to older ships.
I appreciate that Norwegian Cruise Line seems to have gone the extra nautical mile when it comes to the design of its newest ships. This shows Norwegian Cruise Line’s commitment to continuous innovation of its ships into the future!
#2 - Disliked: Very Small Pool
(Much of the top deck area of Norwegian Viva is taken up by the impressive 3-deck Speedway)
One of my biggest dislikes about Norwegian Viva was how small the main pool area is. It's truly tiny when compared to other pool decks on other ships in the fleet.
The pool deck seemed a bit inadequate in its small size, due to it not being able to fit very many people. I was surprised to see how few people could be accommodated near the main pool because of the significantly small size. There were much fewer deck lounge chairs, and the pool bar was nearly always packed with people looking for a refreshment.
In addition to the pool, the large “big” screen near the pool is also very small. During deck parties and movies under the stars, the small size of this screen becomes quite apparent.
The small size of the pool means that not many guests can enjoy the pool at the same time, and it often felt very crowded. Some of the upper pool decks felt slightly less crowded, such as near the area next to The Wave waterslide.
Also near The Wave waterslide area was the Kids’ Aqua Park. While it is smaller than some of the aqua parks onboard other Norwegian Cruise Line ships, it is still an area for little ones to enjoy some fun in the sun during a cruise.
While the main pool might be quite small, there are two other pools on Deck 8 called the Infinity Beach areas. On either side of the ship, these two infinity pools are also small but still offer a great place for guests to relax in a comfortable lounge chair and take in some beautiful ocean views.
I do appreciate that Norwegian Cruise Line added these two Infinity Beach areas, as they had more of a relaxed atmosphere than the main pool deck itself. Plus, each features an infinity pool.
I recommend grabbing a lounge chair early in the day, as both Infinity Beach areas fill up rather quickly throughout the day.
#3 - Liked: Indulge Food Hall
Perhaps one of my absolute favorite dining venues onboard a cruise ship is the Indulge Food Hall onboard Norwegian Viva!
The Indulge Food Hall is a brand new dining venue and experience onboard Norwegian's Prima Class ships. This means this dining venue can be found onboard both Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva. From India to Italy, Latin America, salads, burgers, and more, the Indulge Food Hall has options from around the world.
During our four-day sailing, we were able to eat the the Indulge Food Hall several times, and I can confidently say that every guest onboard will be able to find something they will enjoy! There is so much to choose from, and no passenger will be disappointed leaving this dining space.
One of my favorite aspects of this dining venue is the innovation that has gone into it. Upon entering, guests can choose to sit anywhere they like, either inside or outside. There are many beautiful and comfortable spacing to choose from.
After selecting a table, guests will use the tablet on the table to choose from a very large menu of food and drinks. Passengers will find all sorts of food and cuisine to select, ranging from healthy to more indulgent options.
There is so much good food at the Indulge Food Hall that we even chose to eat here for dinner one night rather than one of the main dining restaurants.
Some of my favorite dishes were the Indian Cuisine. In fact, I often rave about the Indian food onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newer ships, and Norwegian Viva is no different. I am still dreaming about the chicken tikka masala at Norwegian Viva’s Indulge Food Hall!
#4 - Disliked: Only One Broadway Show
When first researching for our trip on the Norwegian Viva, I was rather surprised to find that there is currently just one Broadway-style show onboard because some other ships have two onboard!
Norwegian Bliss, for instance, allows guests to catch showings of the shows "Six" and "Jersey Boys." With the Norwegian Viva being the newest and latest and greatest from Norwegian, I thought there might be two Broadway-style production shows onboard, too.
The only Broadway-style show onboard Norwegian Viva was "Beetlejuice: The Musical." Despite this being the singular Broadway-style musical on the ship, it was an excellent show that was quite fun! I recommend that all passengers watch this show at least once! We were thoroughly impressed with the talent of all the actors, singers, dancers, and stage and tech crew that ran the show.
Note that some of the themes might be dark for very young children; however, I think it's a fun activity for the whole family!
#5 - Liked: Creative Theater and Dance Space
Something that I appreciated about Norwegian Viva was its commitment to bringing new and exciting things onboard for guests to explore and experience.
Whether you are a frequent NCL cruiser or are boarding your very first Norwegian ship, there's so much for guests to see onboard Norwegian Viva.
One of these innovations is the Viva Theater & Club. This impressive venue can change from the main three-story theater space into a lively dance club in just 20 minutes.
As the first-ever venue of its kind, this space was interesting to see and experience. Guests can even watch the theater transform into a dance club during their cruise
We were able to experience this venue both as a theater and a nightclub. If you're wondering what is being offered and when, simply check the Freestyle Daily, the ship’s onboard schedule that is delivered to staterooms each night, as well as the Norwegian Cruise Line app.
Guests onboard Norwegian Viva will find many of the classic NCL dance parties located in the Viva Theater & Club. I recommend stopping by one of the dance parties at least once during a cruise evening!
#6 - Disliked: Smaller Buffet
When it came to the main buffet, I was surprised at the size, as it was quite a bit smaller than the main buffets onboard ships, such as Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore, which happens to be two of the largest ships in the fleet.
While the buffet is smaller in size onboard Norwegian Viva, it does still have a lot of great options for guests to choose from.
When thinking about why it might be smaller, guests should remember that there's also the Indulge Food Hall onboard, which features many of the great food items that can be found in the buffets on other ships, just delivered in a more innovative and efficient way.
Read more: Norwegian Cruise Line ships by age — from oldest to newest
Some guests might be disappointed by the smaller buffet onboard the Norwegian Viva; however, we chose to see the difference as a pro for the Norwegian Viva because of the presence of the Indulge Food Hall.
The buffet might be small onboard the Prima Class ships, but it does still have many of the favorites that cruisers of Norwegian Cruise Line have become accustomed to.
#7 - Liked: New and Fun Slides
(Guests can see the winding Rush dry slides from the outside of the Norwegian Viva!)
Along the themes of innovation that can be found onboard Norwegian Viva, guests will be excited to find some brand-new slides!
(Entrance to The Drop dry slide, the first free-fall dry slide in the world)
"The Drop" and "The Rush" are slides that only be found onboard Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva. These dry slides are another fun activity for guests of nearly every age to experience onboard— No water or swimsuits required!
The dry slides are located on Deck 18. Personally, I thought that The Rush was a bit more fun than The Drop. It seemed that after the free fall, The Drop slide was rather slow in speed. When watching other guests experience The Drop, it appeared that many started to slow down halfway down.
(Entrance to The Rush dry slides)
While not the case for every sailing ever, I appreciated that the lines for the dry slides were relatively short during our cruise. I did expect there to be longer lines, but we found that there weren't any lines on our sea day!
We also were able to test out The Wave waterslide during our voyage. Similar to The Drop and The Rush, we experienced very little to no wait times for this slide.
(Similar slides to The Wave can be found onboard other Norwegian Cruise Line ships as well)
This slide is also very fun and I recommend that all guests give it a try! The Wave is not too intense, and I think is a suitable waterslide for guests looking for a bit of a thrill without being too scared.
#8 - Disliked: Lots of Onboard Shopping
If you are in the mood to do some duty-free shopping while on your cruise, you won't find a shortage of stores onboard Norwegian Viva.
Personally, however, I felt that too much space was taken up onboard by the shops. I noticed many of the shops seemed similar and only sold items with large price tags, such as expensive jewelry and watches.
Again, some guests may appreciate this amenity, but I would have appreciated an additional onboard activity or exciting amenity for guests to explore instead.
Having some shops onboard can be fun, such as the shop that features Norwegian Cruise Line merchandise or Norwegian Viva merchandise, but the presence of large shops featuring expensive items like jewelry nearly always seemed to be empty with no shoppers present.
#9 - Liked: Comfortable and Modern Staterooms
My inside stateroom onboard Norwegian Viva might be the most luxurious standard cabin I've ever stayed in!
I appreciated modern amenities, such as the presence of USB-C outlets, lots of storage, and a spacious bathroom. In fact, the ensuite bathroom was perhaps one of my favorite parts of this stateroom! The glass door to the shower, coupled with the large shower itself, set this stateroom bathroom apart from other interior rooms I have stayed in.
We also found that the beds were comfortable and provided a great place to get a goodnight's sleep or nap during the day. Plus, we got to test out the pullman bed.
Even with three people in the cabin, we felt as though we had more than enough space to unpack and spread out!
For the cheapest room on the ship, I appreciate just how comfortable our stateroom felt; I believe they can make for the perfect home at sea during a cruise onboard Norwegian Viva!
#10 - Disliked: Game Show as Main Entertainment
One of the main entertainment shows during our cruise was the "Press Your Luck Live" game show.
These types of game show entertainment can be quite fun and entertaining. After all, the "Deal or No Deal" show can be very popular onboard other ships. However, on other Norwegian Cruise Line sailings I have been on, the game shows are usually conducted in the main atrium area.
For this reason, I was somewhat surprised to discover that one evening of our cruise Press Your Luck was the main entertainment for the evening in the theater.
This show was rather funny, and we had a great time laughing along with other guests. However, I personally would have rather seen another Broadway-style show or music show instead of a game show. Again, this all comes down to personal preferences.
#11 - Liked: Nightlife Entertainment
Compared to other ships in the fleet, the nightlight entertainment onboard Norwegian Viva was unique and offered an experience that I hadn't had before!
First, the "Icons" concert, which was a concert experience that featured songs written over the last six decades, was a fun show that featured some exceedingly talented performers.
Additionally, one of my favorite nightlife entertainment performances onboard was at Syd Norman’s Pour House. One night of our sailing, the was transformed into a speakeasy.
This was a fun environment where talented crew members could perform in a relaxed setting for onlooking guests. Personally, I had not seen anything like this offered on other ships in the fleet!
#12 - Disliked: No Glow Party
(Picture from the Glow Party onboard Norwegian Bliss)
Themed parties on NCL ships are often a looked-forward-to event. From the Caribbean to Northern Europe, these themed parties are usually conducted on nearly every itinerary and cruise ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet and are often expected from guests.
I was rather disappointed to find that during our 4-night sailing on Norwegian Viva, there was no Glow Party. The Glow Party is one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s most iconic themed parties, and many guests pack clothes and items specifically for this night onboard.
(The Norwegian Viva did have themed parties near the pool deck during our sailing, just no Glow Party)
Usually, the glow parties feature pop dance tunes, black lights that allow guests themselves to light up, and glow sticks or other fun party items passed out to guests by the crew. Often, the Glow Party takes place in the Spice H2O adults-only venue or inside one of the lounges onboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships.
These Glow Parties are often times a lot of fun! Therefore, I was a bit disappointed to find no Glow Party during our particular sailing onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship.
#13 - Liked: Lots of Outdoor Areas
One of the best things about Norwegian Viva is the large amount of outdoor areas present on this ship. From Ocean Boulevard to Vibe Beach Club, the Viva Speedway, and Tee Time golf course, there is so much outdoor space for guests to explore onboard the Norwegian Viva.
Whether it's space to relax or to participate in a fun activity, there is more than enough outdoor space for every desire! The copious amount of lounge space on Deck 8 gives guests the space to unwind during a relaxing cruise day.
Alternatively, the activities near the Viva Speedway and Tee Time mini golf allow passengers to make some family memories during a sea day or after returning to the ship after a fun day ashore.
Because there is so much great outdoor space onboard Norwegian Viva, guests sailing in colder weather should pack a good jacket or even a blanket.
Since these areas are pretty and a great way to enjoy some stunning ocean views, appropriate cold-weather clothing may be required to enjoy these spaces fully.
(The infinity pool areas fill up quickly throughout the day, so you should get to this area early to grab a lounge chair)
Ocean Boulevard features some great spots to relax, take in a drink at an outdoor bar, or even experience the thrilling Oceanwalk glass floor area.
Make sure to stop by Ocean Boulevard during sunset and sunrise for some beautiful views during your cruise! This area also makes for the perfect spot for a great photo from your cruise vacation on Norwegian Viva.
#14 - Liked: Main Dining Restaurants
There are five complimentary dining venues onboard Norwegian Viva, not including the Haven Restaurant, which is exclusive for Haven guests. This is a great amount for guests to choose from, and the main dining restaurants offer a wonderful dining experience!
The two main dining restaurants onboard Norwegian Viva are called "Hudson’s" and "The Commodore Room." Both these restaurants resemble fine-dining restaurants, with Hudson’s feeling more light and airy! The large windows offered beautiful ocean views, while The Commodore Room is a little more intimate with darker-colored decor and smaller tables throughout.
In addition to the overall atmosphere, we enjoyed dining at both main dining restaurants onboard and would recommend both to future guests of Norwegian Viva.
The main restaurants onboard the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus Class ships, such as Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Bliss, and Norwegian Encore are nearly identical in their layout and design.
The "Taste" and "Savor" restaurants that can be found onboard these ships are great as well, but are nearly exactly the same in their design, so I appreciate that these two main restaurants on Norwegian Viva have individual theming and styles.
#15 - Liked: Beautiful Gym and Spa Areas
Working out on vacation might not be for everyone, but for those guests looking to burn off some calories or work up a sweat, Norwegian Viva has a well-stocked and beautiful new gym for passengers to use during their cruise.
Located on Deck 16, guests will find the gym and spa. During our first day onboard, we were able to take a complimentary tour of the spa and fitness facilities, and this was a great way to see everything these spaces had to offer!
For those looking to get some fitness in during their sailing, Norwegian Viva has more than the standard treadmills and ellipticals. There are spin classes, yoga classes, personal trainer sessions, and so much more for guests to try out during their cruise.
When it comes to the spa, we were especially interested in the Thermal Suite and the beautiful spaces inside! For those looking for the latest and greatest in spa treatments, Norwegian Viva spa has more than enough for guests to choose from.
For guests looking to still be pampered but maybe do not feel comfortable spending a lot of money on a massage or spa treatment, I would recommend trying a manicure or pedicure. The prices can vary but are usually some of the most affordable spa experiences.
Overall, Norwegian Viva quickly ascended to one of my favorite Norwegian Cruise Line ships, as there's so much to do and explore onboard!
Our 4-night itinerary felt rather rushed, and we could have easily had a couple more days to see and do everything onboard!
I appreciate that Norwegian Cruise Line has brought some new and exciting things onboard Norwegian Viva, while at the same time sticking to their classic NCL style!
Fans of Norwegian will be impressed with everything Norwegian Viva has to offer. Those researching their first-ever NCL cruise will surely love everything onboard, too.
Note that these are just some of my personal thoughts and opinions about my first sailing onboard Norwegian Viva, too. You may come to a different conclusion and that's okay! Cruising is not a one-size-fits-all experience.
Hayley Phillips
Hayley Phillips is a military spouse currently living in Florida and loves all things travel and travel planning.
