15 things I loved and hated about my Norwegian Viva cruise!

[@JimZim]

Wow... extremely high quality stable video clips make this review look super-professional. Nicely done. Whoever shot the video clips knows what they are doing and has invested well in good equipment.

[@mwroysan]

Hi Hayley...Royston from Johannesburg South Africa 🇿🇦. My wife and I are sailing on the Viva in June this year. A 10 night cruise. We're sailing from Lisbon to Civitavecchia....We can't wait... I'm going to head straight to the Indulge Food Hall. Thanks for such an informative video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@darrellgritten4398]

Thank you for your well balanced review and excellent video. I enjoyed them. As you mentioned, we also liked many things about the NCL Viva. My wife and I sailed the Viva this past January. For some odd reason, Beetle Juice was cancelled, which left the show room entertainment to be minimal. I was curios to know why it was cancelled, and a customer service agent paused for a moment and said "it was cancelled" with no explanation. We sailed on a Celebrity Cruise last year, and every night had incredible entertainment which we looked forward to. We also disliked the new buffet. Most of the food was repetitious, selections were poor, and seating was difficult to find. For example, regarding the food, only one choice of soup was available, while on other ships, there are at least two soups to chose from. And the soups were not of the caliber of other ships, mostly broth. We went to two specialty restaurants, one was excellent, and one was not. Also, we were a little displeased with house keeping. It reminded us of the type we would receive in an extended stay at a motel. It used to be that when we would leave our state room in the morning, we would see many stewards in the hallway cleaning rooms. One this cruise, it was not uncommon to see one steward down the hallway. I mentioned these concerns in my NCL review, and was disappointed that I did not receive a reply. Later, I wrote NCL customer service about my concerns, and also did not receive a reply. My wife and I have been on nine NCL sailings, on seven different ships, and we are considering booking future cruises with different cruise lines.

[@dawn3616]

Agree with pretty much everything you said! Tiny pool area, and that bar was always NUTS! BUT- the little infinity pools were a decent place to lounge, even though those were pretty full too. We’d pop in the observation lounge for drinks instead of pool bar- much less crowded! Another thing to note was the smoking area- I don’t smoke but my boyfriend does, and it was SO TINY, and no way to get to it without being outside which was an issue when it rains. I wish he didn’t smoke at all, but it’s really not smoker friendly in my opinion. It was GORGEOUS though- I loved our room.

[@rogerj.7723]

Terrific review - thank you!

[@gnrands50]

Thank you for posting an excellent comparison with the newer Prima-class ships. There were many things we loved about these ships (the beautiful decor and NCL's best cabins), but the interior spaces were not set up properly. We didn't like that the central atrium, with all the passenger service counters, was spread out over three decks. The buffet, main dining rooms, Sid Norman's, the Improv, the pool area, Indulge food hall, the Local, and even the Observation Lounge were simply too small for the number of passengers these ships can hold. Norwegian is redesigning this class of ship, starting with the Aqua. Hopefully they will address some of the overcrowding. We prefer the Breakaway-plus ships (Escape, Bliss, Encore, & Joy) which have almost the same amenities, but a much better layout.

[@gtr4lfe]

I would like a game show or 2 as an entertainment option.

[@kenlynnkloker3695]

Thanks for the great review and tips. Going on the Viva in 3 weeks out of PR and looking forward to it.

[@joesipr]

como te fue??

[@Aaron-nj4ou]

Thank you for the review. We are sailing on Viva for 10 day in the fall.

[@MrLeonardoariza]

Having cruised with Norwegian Line for my fourth time, and having previously enjoyed great and wonderful experiences with their hospitality, service, and food quality, it was an unpleasant surprise to find this cruise falling short of expectations. What was promised to be the best of all turned out to be a major letdown. We shipped from Venice on the 16th of May and entered into a twilight zone. My friends an I, 10 guests, Joined on the Norwegian Viva cruise for an unforgettable experience, but not in a good way. Prepare yourself for subpar food that will leave your taste buds disappointed. The poorly organized tours are a logistical nightmare, often leaving you confused and frustrated. To top it all off, you'll barely have enough time to explore the cities visited, making the entire trip feel rushed and unsatisfactory. If you're looking for a relaxing and enjoyable cruise, this is definitely not it. In Istanbul, our guide only gave us the story of his life, including details about the three restaurants he owns, but never provided us with the rich history of the Ottoman Empire or its famous mosques. This lack of insightful commentary made what should have been an enlightening tour feel like a missed opportunity to truly appreciate the city's cultural and historical significance. The lack of organization in tender undocking is unforgivable, leaving you stranded for more than two hours just to leave the ship in Mykonos. Expect long waits, confusion, and missed opportunities to explore the destination. This cruise promises frustration at every turn, making it a vacation you'll want to forget. If you value your time and sanity, steer clear of the Norwegian Viva cruise. I hope this complaint serves to better there future performance.

[@doc2w534]

The old White Hot Party was the best; especially on European sailings. I would also mention the unique art collections on Prima class ships. These collections rival Celebrity’s collections and are fun to hunt down and read about the different pieces.

[@vincentsantoiemma5501]

Excellent vide, very helpful.

[@Goldmember66]

I went on the Prima last January. This looks like a duplicate ship.

[@randyaudette1679]

i just finished a cruise on the viva the ship is beautiful ship i went out of san juan the only music they played the whole spanish and the same thing happen on the epic last just spanish music seems like they where catering to the spanish since we where going out of san juan maybe norweigan should check in to this i will never go out of san juan again thank you

[@joesipr]

if u go from san juan u dont going to hear chris brown thats logic and btw thats the best music right nkw fkn racist

[@tomotoole2018]

Our biggest hesitation is noise from the race track cars. Are there any areas to sit outside and not be subjected to track noise?

[@benjaminsmith2287]

Well done. I have to say the interior decor is now becoming standard beige or grayscale "contemporary." It's not unlike what's on Celebrity Edge class or many areas of Silversea Super Nova. Those are more upscale, especially Silversea, but it's the same color palette and it's not my favorite. I prefer deeper, richer and darker colors or at least more of a mix. The pool is probably small due to the amount of space the go kart track takes up. There's seems to be a lot of stuff stuffed onto this ship.

[@norwayrider]

Thank you for a balanced and good v-blog. Regarding the 5 complimentary restaurants, how does it work? (We travel Haven on the Encore last time). Do you order at the table to a waiter? We have paid service charge in advance, is there a pressure to tip? We are going there in 28 days, and very much looking forward to our 10 day cruise.

[@Cruises8]

Hi Hayley! Hope you had fun! Have never sailed NCL but hope to. If I am going on my first NCL cruise what ship should I go on?

[@hayley_phillips]

Hi Parker Jensen! Thank you so much for following along with Cruise Blog! Picking a Norwegian Cruise Line sailing will be all about what is important to you on your vacation, whether it be an exciting itinerary or a modern ship with lots to do onboard. If it is your first sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line I would choose one of the Breakaway Plus Class ships such as the Norwegian Bliss or Norwegian Encore! These ships feature some of the best amenities and activities in the NCL fleet, and will give a good overview of what Norwegian Cruise Line is all about. Both of these ships have a wide variety of itineraries to choose from as well, such as Caribbean and Alaska sailings. I hope this helps with your cruise planning! Thank you for watching and following along with Cruise Blog!

[@harrisonjonesRVA]

I'd go with Encore or Escape for first timers. The Prima or Viva could also work assuming your expectations are realistic

[@janperez9456]

RC cruises have way more things to do, even the older ones have more than this one. Plus RC don't change u extra for most activities on the beat

[@jeannecorrigan1257]

Lack of glow party - 4 night cruise - maybe on longer cruise?

[@familymisomelon]

omg october ill be mediterian from rome i hope is not boring

[@chrisrobertson3189]

We love NCL! One huge dislike for us on NCL is how small and ill-fitted the gyms are on the ships! We workout, especially on sea days and the gyms are so disappointing!

[@darcychiropractic378]

Doing the Haven on this Feb 2025

[@joesipr]

what about the drinks?i come from icon of the seas and the drinks was awfulls😢

[@stevebartley628]

I agree about too much area devoted to shops, but if it wasn’t profitable, they wouldn’t be there

[@RagdollsOfLasVegas]

Hated? At 20k, I do things want to hear any hate

[@SteveKuban]

No glo? Oh no. No go.

[@missgret]

Narrator’s voice is difficult to listen to and if she said, “Norwegian Viva” one more time, I might jump overboard!

[@sammychem5920]

She sounds perfectly fine. Not a robotic voice 😊

[@hayley_phillips]

Hello, thank you for your comment! Unfortunately there is no way for me to change my voice as this is the voice I was born with. We appreciate your feedback and for watching Cruise Blog!

[@missgret]

@@hayley_phillips Nothing against your voice, personally. God gave each one of us a unique voice. Perhaps it was my ears on the day I watched it 😄. Thanks for the great videos!

[@howardprentiss2862]

Please say "Norwegian Viva" 100 more times

[@anthonyr7208]

OOOOOPPP 😂

[@aingealstone8457]

NO GLOW PARTY??!! Rats!

[@yankeehank1897]

I know you said there was so much to do onboard, but I didn't really see it in this video. It seemed like the entertainment was lame and lacking, and other than the food, they nickel and dime you on everything else (like all cruise lines).