Norwegian Viva Review

Norwegian Viva Review

NCL Viva Review:
For my annual birthday trip 2025, I chose to sail on the NCL Viva out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Viva is the sister ship to the Prima, which I sailed for last year’s birthday trip, so I thought it was a solid choice especially since I had been wanting to return to San Juan to explore Puerto Rico a little more. The itinerary was the ABC Islands plus St. Lucia and St. Kitts so lots of beautiful port stops. My enthusiasm was definitely for the ABC Islands, as those were bucket list for me!
Several months ago, we received notice that Bonaire was being pulled from the itinerary for unknown reasons and being replaced by the Dominican Republic. Very disappointing but everyone in my group said it was ok since the DR would be new to them. 
Here’s my take on the whole cruise – good and bad – with a heavy focus on the Viva and overall NCL experience. 
Pre-Cruise: 
•    An overabundance of emails from NCL started pouring in about 60 days out regarding online check-in and the NCL app. Sometimes two to three times per day. Complete overkill and not needed for the experienced cruiser but probably helpful to a new cruiser.
•    The NCL app and online personal NCL account rarely matched and were difficult to complete items such as reservations, upgrades, etc. Hit & miss based on which one you were using or time of day. The app upgraded a couple weeks before departure which made it even less helpful overall. Had to call in a couple of reservations and reset the app a couple of times to complete check in.
•    Below are some of the things the app lacks that make it less than user friendly especially during the cruise:
1)    No easy to read daily schedule. Everything is in the Freestyle Daily which you can access via the app but the print is so small, it’s difficult to read. And it doesn’t update if there are changes such as show cancellations, etc. You also get a copy of the Freestyle Daily in your cabin each night for the next day.
2)    Menus and hours of dining options. You can find the hours in the Freestyle Daily but none of the restaurants have menus available to view to decide where you want to eat in the app. There’s a description of the dining venue and where it is but that’s it. 
3)    Deck Plans: Although the interactive maps near elevators are helpful, having deck plans on the app would really help navigate the ship especially since it’s so segmented. 
4)    When you’re off the ship, you can’t access anything on the app during your cruise except for the Freestyle Daily.
5)    Keep your password handy as it also tends to log you out sporadically.
•    The boarding process in San Juan was very quick but very unorganized at drop off. No porters until you are close to the actual building. However, once we got to the terminal, it was very quick and we were onboard in less than 10 minutes.

•    Key points about the ship itself:
1)    The Viva is a new ship starting her sailing season in 2024. She is the sister ship to the Prima so I was familiar with the layout, dining concepts, etc. I warned my travel companions, who are not new cruisers, about the general “open space” concept but it was still took everyone a few days to get the general layout in order to navigate easily. Use the maps located at the elevators to help you find your way.
2)    We were in a Club Balcony Suite on deck 11/aft. Good location up and down for easy access to dining, relaxation area on deck 8, and our favorite areas on the ship. Bit of cavitation at each port when docking but otherwise quiet and a spacious and comfortable option. Bathroom was large enough for easy maneuvering and had a good-sized shower with a shaving bar. One open large hanging area and two enclosed closet areas provided ample space for our belongings/clothes. Both nightstands also came with fairly deep drawers plus the sink area had a large cabinet underneath for extra storage. Couch and table and comfortable chairs on the balcony completed our comfortable cabin. Four hooks were handy as well for hanging heavier items. Two robes and slipper sets were also included as part of the cabin category which were a nice touch. 

A Club Balcony Suite comes with one free bag of laundry which we took advantage of mid-week since we had come in two days prior to the cruise and had a few extra items dirty. We got our laundry back by 4 pm the next day. 

The refrigerator had sparkling and flat water bottles in it but those were not included in the beverage package so we didn’t touch them. We also asked our steward for an ice bucket which he refilled every other day. Apparently, it’s not a frequent request as he seemed surprised but we had the ice as needed. 

•    Dining: I could write another whole blog about the dining on this topic but I will keep it comprehensive but brief for this review. 
1)    Specialty Dining: Make your reservations early! As soon as they open, snag the ones you want and they will populate in your planner once onboard. On the Prima, we did Haku and Le Bistro which are also found on the Viva. For this sailing, I was slow to make the reservations and could only get Palomar and Food Republic for days that we wanted. Palomar and Le Bistro are more elegant and elevated experiences and well worth the experience. Haku and Food Republic are solid options and we enjoyed them as well. Go hungry! 
2)    Daily dining: We did not do the Surfside Café or Grill at all. Too crowded regardless of when you went. Indulge Food Hall and The Local were our favorites for Lunch and Breakfast. We even did dinner in Indulge in Aruba since we came back to the ship late and enjoyed it. Simple but flavorful food on each meal menu. Breakfast at The Local was the same everyday but it service was good and quick. The Observation Lounge was our favorite spot for a nibble/snack if we felt puckish plus the views were terrific. 
3)    Room Service: One of the luxuries of cruising for me is a fresh pot of coffee and a continental breakfast in the cabin on the balcony each morning. We ordered continental breakfast once and it came in a Bento Box. Was not fresh nor was it appealing. Coffee was not served with fresh half and half but rather with the little containers you get in hotel rooms. And then there was the cost - $5.95 per order plus gratuity. After the first breakfast, we didn’t order that again and I stopped ordering coffee after the third day. Very disappointing and diminished my overall experience. 
4)    Main dining: Two main dining options – Hudson’s, which is large, and Commodore’s, which is a smaller space. Identical menu’s but can be different experiences based on the crowd. Since it’s Freestyle Dining, reservations are not available except for parties of 10 or more. We typically went around 6:30 and never had to wait for a table at either restaurant. You can have pre-dinner cocktails at the Metropolitan outside of Hudson’s or the Belvedere outside of Commodore’s. Since we preferred the Metropolitan, we ate Hudson’s three times and Commodore’s once. The food was good but not terrific – no real variety on the menus from day to day with only a couple different items each night. Very disappointing. Portions were varied based on what you ordered. Appetizers were very small so more than one is easily doable if wanting to try different things. Service was good but seemed rushed and not personal at all. Will give props to the management staff for coming around frequently and chatting with guests. Not having consistent service in Main Dining is also somewhat disappointing. Some enjoy the change every night but we like to get to know our servers and, hopefully, vice versa. I feel the serving teams miss out on tip opportunities with the Freestyle Dining. Of course, you can tip per meal if you want but not the norm it seems with Freestyle. 

•    Shows:  We only saw one comedy show and one of us saw the Icons show which were good but not fantastic. We had reservations for several others but they were postponed/rescheduled/cancelled so we missed them as they conflicted with dining reservations or tours. 

•    Shops: They are also a different concept on this ship. Normally, shops are all inside a space and generally all on one deck or central area. On the Viva, there are two main shops for gifts, apparel, duty free items, etc. and then two inside jewelry stores. The rest of the “stores” are actually stands on decks 7 and only open specific hours. Don’t worry, Effy is still a thing! No sales like you find on other lines though. 

•    Bars/Lounges: Plenty of them all over the ship. Our favorite was the Metropolitan but we also tried several others such as the Whisky Bar, Belvedere, Luna, and the Local. Pool deck bar was always far too crowded so not a favorite spot for us. Bar service was good at all of the spots we tried but exceptional at the Metropolitan. 

•    Activities: Ton of things to do onboard both free and for added charges. Racetrack, indoor space game pavilion, escape rooms, mini golf all had an upcharge. Plenty of bingo opportunities, trivia games, dance classes, and other typical shipboard activities available as well. Casino is not huge but good size with a smoking room. 

•    Disembarkation: Fairly quick but very impersonal. Felt like we were being “shoved” off the ship as quickly as possible. No real clusters of people waiting as with other cruise lines. We ate breakfast at The Local and by the time we were finished, our group had been called so it was fast. The port in San Juan is disorganized once off the ship but don’t think that’s particularly a NCL issue versus Port of San Juan.

•    Medical: Not something I would normally discuss but, unfortunately, one of our group got very ill and had to seek medical attention on day 3 of our cruise. She was diagnosed with a sinus and kidney infection and treated in the infirmary. The medical team was professional, caring, and thorough in their treatment and follow-up with the medical care. She was kept in the infirmary with iv’s and treatment for the better part of one day and had an additional morning for more iv meds/fluids. Treatment was complete after two days and she was provided with additional medications to continue recovery and advised to seek follow-up care once home. 
However, the medical care came at significant cost and with no travel protection, had to be paid prior to disembarkation. Just reaffirms the value and need for travel protection!

•    Favorite Spots: Most definitely Deck 8 infinity pool areas, Metropolitan, The Local, and the Observation Lounge.

Overall, I enjoyed my annual birthday trip on the Viva and would recommend her to the right client with the caveats mentioned above. With a port heavy itinerary such as what we had, it was a solid choice in ship and cabin to provide space for fun, comfort, relaxation, and unique dining options. If I sailed on her or the Prima again, I would definitely do a Club Balcony Suite (or higher) to enjoy the added amenities and comfort.