We just returned from a 4-night sailing onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Viva. This brand-new ship debuted in August 2023 in the Mediterranean, and we had the privilege of sailing onboard for her first cruise departing from the United States.
For our cruise sailing, we chose to stay in the cheapest category of room available: a standard interior stateroom. In addition to trying out the cheapest cabin onboard Norwegian Viva, we also tested out what it was like sailing with three people in this category of stateroom for the first time with Norwegian Cruise Line.
Overall, we really liked this small yet cozy stateroom. We thought this room provided the perfect place to relax for an afternoon nap or at night after a fun day of exploring the ship. The room was very modern and even had some luxurious touches!
Come along with me as I show a glimpse inside the cheapest stateroom onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship!
Cabin layout
All Norwegian Cruise Line guests have the option of having the bed(s) configured in many ways. For example, if you are a couple traveling together, you can have the bed formatted into a single queen-sized bed, whereas a group of friends may prefer to split the bed into two separate twin-sized beds.
Guests can always request a different bed configuration should they so choose. In the past when I have traveled with friends, Norwegian has automatically separated the bed for us; this is usually done when guests have different last names on the same reservation.
When I am traveling with my husband, Norwegian Cruise Line has automatically configured the bed into a single queen-sized bed.
For this particular sailing, we were a group of three friends staying in one standard interior stateroom. Because we had more than two people in the cabin, we were able to test out their bunk bed system for the first time!
Onboard Norwegian Viva, many of the standard interior staterooms feature two bunk beds that pull down from the ceiling. We found this method handy and efficient. Having the beds come down from the ceiling minimizes the space these bunk beds can take up when not in use.
Cruise.Blog team member Angie slept in the bunk bed, and she commented that it was comfortable. She did mention that, normally, she would prefer to sleep in the regular bed when it is available, as they are usually a bit more comfortable. She also mentioned that the mattress on the bunk bed seemed to be a bit thinner than that on the regular beds.
The bunk bed does come with features, such as its own light near the head of the bed. However, the bunk bed on the right side of the room is directly underneath a vent, and Angie said that this meant occasionally she could feel air blowing on her. To avoid cool blasts of air guests can stay on the bed that's on the left side of the cabin.
A pro about the two bunk beds in the standard interior stateroom is that these affordable rooms can accommodate up to four guests. Onboard older Norwegian ships, we have seen bunk beds in the standard interior staterooms; however, there is usually just one instead of two.
While four people in this category of room might be a bit cramped, being able to fit more people into these rooms can make cruising more accessible to families and larger groups traveling together who wish to budget during their vacation.
(The addition of USB-C outlets, as well as USB outlets by the bedside lamps, is a handy amenity for guests to charge phones and other electronic devices)
Bathroom
Perhaps the most impressive part of our cabin was the ensuite bathroom.
The bathroom our room was sizable and rather luxurious for a standard inside cabin onboard a larger cruise ship. Oftentimes, the bathrooms in standard cabins have limited storage space and tiny showers. This is not the case onboard Norwegian Viva.
The shower is very nice in these inside staterooms, with plenty of space and features a large glass closing door. These showers are definitely the most luxurious I've had yet while sailing with Norweigan. In fact, after cruising with Viking Cruises, I feel as though they resemble these luxury showers!
I appreciated how much counter space and storage was available as well. The number of shelves meant that guests could spread out and store their toiletries in an organized fashion during their cruise.
One of my favorite small luxuries about the standard interior bathrooms is the anti-fog mirror; no matter how hot of a shower guests take, a portion of the mirror in the bathroom will remain un-fogged.
Room storage
Similarly to the bathroom, the bedroom itself also had plenty of storage. Even with three people staying in the room, we felt there was more than enough storage space to fit all of us as well as our belongings.
Something that I thought was unique about this room was the three closet spaces that come with hangers and shelving. In addition to normal shelves, there are also some pull-out basket shelving for guests to store belongings in these closets.
There is no shortage of hangers in the inside cabins, so passengers will have plenty of room to hang up their clothing!
Additionally, there are several drawers under the TV and a small desk space with several small shelves.
With three people staying in our room, we had more than enough storage space, and we did not end up using the third closet space.
When it comes to under-bed storage, there is plenty of space for guests to store their luggage. I highly recommend unpacking for a cruise, as it can help guests feel even more at home in their stateroom during the course of their sailing.
Read more: 31 cruise ship embarkation tips and tricks (2024)
Location of the stateroom
For our cruise, we stayed in room 13167. This was a standard interior stateroom located midship on Deck 13.
We thought this location was excellent. Due to the room being located midship, we felt very little to no movement or rocking the whole duration of our cruise.
Additionally, this midship location meant that we were close to all the central areas of the ship. We found the location of our room very easy to locate and efficient when getting around the ship to areas such as the theater, dining, and Ocean Boulevard venues on Deck 8.
Pros
Some major pros of our standard inside stateroom include the very modern and beautiful design, the abundance of storage, the option of up to four people in a room, and the luxurious bathroom.
I appreciated the attention to detail; small features, such as the additional shelving, ottoman seating chair, comfortable bedding, and extra space in the bathroom made this cabin feel extra special.
I have been able to sail in several of Norwegian’s standard interior staterooms, and I can confidently say that this room is now one of my new favorites. Norwegian Viva has done a great job of providing affordable luxury when it comes to these inside staterooms.
Read more: I stayed in a $457 studio cabin on Norwegian Encore - Take a look inside my tiny cabin
(Guests who are members of the Armed Forces or family members of Service Members can receive a special discount of 10% off all cruise sailings, as well as some special goodies delivered to their stateroom on embarkation day)
As the newest ship in the fleet, Norwegian's Viva cabin has many modern touches. There were many plug-ins for guests to use to charge their electronic devices. Inside this room, guests will find standard US outlets, as well as standard European outlets. Additionally, next to the two bedside lamps, guests will find USB outlets and USB-C outlets.
When it comes to amenities, guests will find a large modern TV, as well as a phone to call various locations around the ship, several water glasses, and a small mini-fridge.
Cons
As with any review, there can also occasionally be some negatives. On the first day of our cruise, we noticed several large stains on the carpet from previous guests, and throughout our sailing, we found more and more stains on the carpet.
This is somewhat concerning, as Norwegian Viva is only four months old. The wear and tear on the stateroom carpets is apparent, leading me to believe that these carpets may need replacing at some point in the future as they appear to not be holding up well after the ship's initial sailings.
We also noticed that the bathroom door seemed to be rather heavy, and this meant it often slammed closed. While this is not too big of con, it is something to note. Make sure to close the bathroom door before going to sleep, or the slight rocking of the ship may cause the door to slam in the middle of the night.
Aside from a small ottoman under the desk area of the room, there was nowhere to sit; the only place to sit for multiple guests was on the beds, which is made even more complicated when one or both of the bunk beds is down.
Seating space was likely sacrificed to accommodate up to four passengers in these rooms, and that is a positive thing to me as it can make cruising more accessible to families.
Of course, these negatives are not too much of a concern, and they did not impact our overall cruise experience onboard Norwegian Viva. The standard inside stateroom onboard Norwegian Viva was definitely the most beautiful inside stateroom I have seen yet among the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet.
Overall, we thought the standard interior stateroom onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship made for the perfect home at sea!
We thought this room was especially comfortable and one of the best we have seen at accommodating three to four people in an inside cabin. We would recommend this stateroom, and we would book this room again if given the chance.
I appreciate the thought that went into designing these rooms to give guests as much room as possible regarding storage, and the bathroom really does feel luxurious when compared to many other inside stateroom cruise cabins.
Read more: I tried the cheapest Norwegian Cruise Line cabin I could find and here's how it went
We were interested to see what it would be like cruising with three people in one inside stateroom, and I can say it was a lot of fun!
We never felt that it was too cramped, and there was more than enough storage in this room for all three of us.
While there are some very minor negatives to this room, the standard interior staterooms onboard Norwegian Viva will make for the perfect cruise vacation stay!
Hayley Phillips
Hayley Phillips is a military spouse currently living in Florida and loves all things travel and travel planning.
